Cotton Ball Painting | Fun Toddler Art Project
This cotton ball painting is a perfect toddler craft project! It is a fun activity that lets little ones get creative and maybe a little messy too. This activity is such an easy way to create sensory play for kids and a great way to work on fine motor skills!
As someone who works in child development I love finding fun, simple crafts for kids to create (we loved making this no mess finger painting craft recently). We used this cross cotton ball painting as our inspiration for this craft, but I really wanted to make this activity more open ended and a true process art activity for little hands.
Although this is a perfect craft for toddlers you may find that older kids love it just as much! That is because it is an open ended activity with no set rules that allows a child to get creative.
The best part is there is no right or wrong way to do this craft with kids. Whether it’s their first time or they’ve painted before, this cotton balls activity is a must-try and would be a great activity to include in a toddler homeschool curriculum.
Why Your Toddler Will Love This Craft
Bright Colors & Fun Textures – Using washable paint, kids can explore different colors and textures, making this a great art activity for sensory play
It’s a Messy Activity (and That’s Fun!) – Kids love getting their hands messy, and this painting technique lets them squish, splat, and dab paint in a creative way
It’s Perfect for Little Hands – This cotton ball activity helps build fine motor skills, making it an exciting yet simple way for toddlers to practice coordination
Materials
- Washable Paint
- Cotton Balls
- Paper (we used white printer paper but you could use card stock or construction paper as well)
- Clothespins
- Adult Supervision (because this can be a messy activity)
How To Create Your Cotton Ball Painting Activity
Prepare your painting space, this craft can get messy so make sure you have extra room to spread out
Pour the washable paint onto a paper plate or art try
Take your clothespin and clip a cotton ball on the end of it, we like to have one for each paint color we are using
Place a piece of paper in front of your child and allow them to dip the cotton ball into the paint
Let your child explore their creative side by painting onto the paper, you could show them how to dab the paint, roll it or even squeeze it for a fun twist!
Variations To This Craft
There are so many ways to use this craft, if you are looking for some other fun cotton ball painting ideas here are some variations to this craft:
- Rainbow Art- Use the colors of the rainbow for a colorful masterpiece
- Cotton ball heart painting- Draw an outline of a heart and allow your child to paint around the heart- a great craft for Valentine’s Day!
- Christmas tree painting- Cut out a Christmas tree shape and let your little one decorate it however they please
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