30+ Outdoor Art Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Inside: This collection of outdoor art activities is full of hands-on fun and exploration. Each idea invites toddlers and preschoolers to use their 5 senses as they get creative with a variety of materials!

There are days when the outdoors is calling your name.

But it’s so nice outside! What to do?

Move those art materials outside and try one of these awesome outdoor activities!

Your kids will thank you.

There is something about losing the walls and the ceiling that is so rewarding.

Another plus? Who cares if the paint drips! Everything just feels less restricted when it’s done outside.

30 Outdoor Art Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Make sure to check these outdoor collections, too:

• 20 Fun Outdoor Games
• 44 Outdoor Learning Activities

Paint Recipes

Make your own bubble paint to create vibrant prints!

Whip together some 3-ingredient gel paint  and apply it to a shower curtain. (Tinker Lab)

Invite your children to explore with mud paint outside. (Twin Mom Refreshed)

Collect rainwater to make this watercolor paint! (Learn, Play, Imagine)

Take the paint to the sidewalk with this fizzing paint! (Kids Activities Blog)

Shaving cream paint is perfect for the great outdoors. (Happy Hooligans)

Place a canvas on the picnic table for a beautiful watercolor project

Paint with ice chalk and oil. (Learn, Play, Imagine)

Technique

Paint with cars on long sheets of paper. (Play Teach Repeat)

Collect items during a walk and turn them into nature paintbrushes for your next art activity. (Messy Little Monster)

Explore gravity with some slide painting. (Mess for Less)

Put together some “big art” using a rolling pin. (I Can Teach My Child)

Create a path using paper and paint with feet. (Homegrown Friends)

Set up an easel and try this fun drip painting! (Childhood 101)

Paint with fly swatters.  (Play Teach Repeat)

Get out the paintbrushes and rollers and have fun with water. (Happy Hooligans)

Toss painted balls into a box. (Fun Littles)

Fill balloons with paint and poke them onto large canvas. (Hello, Wonderful)

Fingerpaint on the windows. (The Mommy Evolution)

Have fun painting with yarn. (Busy Toddler)

Stomp with paint and bubble wrap. (The Soccer Mom Blog)

Try some splat art with different colors! (Fun a Day)

Use a tree as an easel. (Teach Preschool)

Paint on windows! (Views from a Step Stool)

Collect natural materials on a walk and use them for some nature smash painting. (No Time for Flashcards)

Use bark as a canvas for a painting project. (The Pinterested Parent)

Building Skills

Name Recognition: Paint your name on a vertical surface. (Busy Toddler)

Fine Motor: Gather flowers from the garden and hammer them onto paper. (Taming Little Monsters)

Color Recognition: Squirt different colors into a tub of ice and watch them mix. (Days with Grey)

STEAM: Trace your shadow  outside and paint it with chalk paint. (Rhythms of Play)

Literacy: Cool off while painting letters with water. (Happy Hooligans)

Summer Lesson Plans

I’ve teamed up with other early childhood teachers and homeschoolers to put together these hands-on summer lesson plans for toddlers and preschoolers!

Easy to follow lesson plans that include activity modifications and adaptations to meet the needs of all learners.

For more information, click on the graphics below: