Last Updated on July 12, 2025 by Sheryl Cooper
Inside: Clip paper on a vertical surface for some fun drip-drop preschool watercolor art. Squirting watercolors from a pipette strengthens fine motor skills for an added bonus!
This simple preschool watercolor art activity is not only fun, but it also strengthens the hands, getting them ready for writing!
Using pipettes strengthens the pincer grasp, important for future writing skills.
In this activity, we set the paper vertically so that the paint could drip down the paper, creating a waterfall effect. It was a huge hit with our preschoolers!
If you’re like me, you find every opportunity to build fine motor skills.
It might seem like a challenge, but truly it can be so easy!
You might recall these art activities that add extra fine motor:
Watch: How I Manage the Art Center
Drip Drop Preschool Watercolor Art
What You Will Need
There are many different ways you could attach the paper horizontally. We use acrylic sign holders.
You could also attach this to your easel as an independent activity.
Directions for This Preschool Watercolor Art Activity
Prepare the Paint
I like to use a couple of different colors of paint for some contrast and color mixing.
You will want to thin your paint a bit with water so that it moves in and out of the pipette with ease.
I chose the consistency that was in between tempera paint and watercolors.
Prepare the Activity
Put your acrylic stand (or whatever you are using) on the table, on top of a tray.
The tray is important for catching the paint that runs off the paper.
Clip a fresh sheet of paper to the stand.
Place a pipette in each container of paint.
Using the Pipettes
If your children have never used pipettes before, you might need to demonstrate how to squeeze and release the bulb to move the paint in and out of them.
We love using pipettes for many activities, including:
The Benefits of Working on a Vertical Surface
Working on a vertical surface puts the wrist into an extended position, important for building fine motor skills.
You can read more about the benefits in my easel activities post.
Working on a vertical surface is a lesson in gravity, too.
What happens as the paint runs down the paper, especially when different colors are involved?
Process Art
Another benefit of this activity is that it’s process art.
That means there are few directions and no expected outcome.
Children can explore as they wish. They can drop their paint from the top of the paper, from the middle of the paper, or even towards the bottom.
They can use all of the colors involved or only one.
When all of your children are finished, each piece of art will look different.
Any Time of the Year
Another plus to this preschool watercolor art is that it can be done anytime of the year.
However, if you wanted to tie it in with a season, you could cut the paper into shapes, such as leaves, apples, pumpkins, flowers, etc.
When Finished
When the children are finished squeezing paint onto their papers, remove them from the stand and let dry.
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Ahhh, this is so wonderful Sheryl! My daughter loves using those pipettes to transfer water from container to container so she is going to be in love with this! Thank you for another amazing idea! 🙂
You are quite welcome, Rachel! 🙂
Sheryl, I work at an American preschool in Thailand. What suggestions do you have for making a vertical surface to do this project? I would love some ideas so that we could do this projects with our 3 and 4 year olds. (I am sure that we don’t have those acrylic stands.) Thanks for any advice!
Hi Melanie – I’ve seen them made with cardboard. Cut 2 squares the same side and use strong tape where they connect at the top (creating an upside down “V). I’ve also seen them made with pizza boxes. Hope this helps!
My first year teaching and I need to purchase on the cheap to stock my room with supplies for twelve 3 year olds. Where do I get the pipettes and is this activity done one at a time? Are the other children watching as they wait their turn or do you have a separate activity for them?
Hi Cindy – in the post I list the supplies needed. Click on “pipettes” and it will take you to the source of where they can be purchased. We do this activity during centers time, so children can work at this activity any time during that hour. We had 6 spots available. If all spots were taken, the other children worked in other areas of the room and came over when a spot opened up.
I teach a preschool class with children with autism and I love this idea. I am always looking for ways to incorporate fne motor into everything that we do since majority of my students struggle with that area. Also, after I do a painting exercise like the one listed, I tie it in with the spin art painting app on my i pad. I have the children use a stylus to select their desired paint colors to practice their pincer grasp. This is a great idea and I can’t wait to incorporate this in my class!
That is a great idea, Kelly!
Love this idea! Thanks for all the creative ideas you give us!
Thank you for the positive feedback, Carolyn!