Water Gun Painting [Summer Art Project]

My kids love the outdoors and just playing outside in general. I have thought up of some fun and cheap outdoor crafts for this summer. Today, I’ll be sharing one of our favorite summer art projects that is perfect for preschool age young children as well as the older kids too. You will only need a few supplies and they can all be purchased at a dollar store! This fun water gun painting project costs under $5!

Squirt Gun Painting Tutorial: Water Art Projects

Water gun painting is a fun and creative outdoor activity for kids that combines art and play! This activity promotes creativity, fine motor skills, and teamwork while giving kids a memorable, messy, and colorful experience.

Water Gun Painting Supplies Needed:

• Water Gun Squirter
• Poster Board
• Washable Non-Toxic Paint
• Water (for thinning paint)

What kind of paint to use for squirt gun painting?

Any type of washable non-toxic paint will work: liquid watercolor paints, acyrlic paints, tempura paint, and washable poster paint (my favorite). You will want to water the paint down. It needs to be runny enough to squirt out of the water gun reservoir. About a 50% paint to 50% water ratio works well for most paints. You can combine the two in a used bottle from your recycling bin and shake it up then add to the squirt guns. It is now like a DIY paint gun for kids!

Water Gun Painting Directions:

Grab your art project supplies and some tape and head outside so they can be as messy as they want!

Find a spot to tape up your poster board. We chose a spot on some siding and the tape really stuck well.  If you also chose a spot against the house, then make sure the paint you use is washable! Hose the siding down immediately after the art project.

Alternatively, you can use a tack to attach the poster board to a tree. This is best if you are going to be water gun painting with acrylic paint that may not wash off as easily.

Wherever you choose, make sure your child has enough room to stand a few feet away form the poster board.

Once the painting canvas of poster board is up, take your water squirter and add some paint in the hole where you will be filling it up with water. The best kinds of paint to use in a water gun are washable liquid watercolor, tempera paint or acrylic paint. Add a lot of paint (about 1/2 of the space available for liquid) for darker color and a smaller amount for lighter color. Once you have added the paint, fill your squirter up with water, put the cap back on and give it a gentle shake.

Now, your child is going to love this summer art project for kids. Get your child to stand back a little ways from the poster board and start squirting. This is a fun and easy way to paint with no pressure! Every water gun painting is a masterpiece.

They can try standing various distances to see how that effects the colorations coming from the water pistols. They can switch water guns to try different colors and try layering colors.

Tips:

• Encourage kids to mix colors for a unique effect.
• Have plenty of water guns available to avoid waiting time between color changes.
• You can also make stencils and let the kids spray over them for fun shapes and designs!

Conclusion

Water art projects are so fun for toddlers! Once the painting dries, you can even let your child cut out (with supervision) a small section to hang in their room or place in a frame! Water gun painting encourages creativity and self-expression while developing kids’ motor skills. It combines art and play, keeping children engaged in a fun, active way. The activity also fosters teamwork and problem-solving as they experiment with colors and patterns.

Do you think your child would like this summer art project for kids? Give it a try the next time you need to get them outside for a while! They can even use their water squirters the rest of the summer with just plain water so your supplies won’t go to waste. What are some of your favorite summer art projects for kids?

 Your kids may also enjoy these crafts:

popsicle crafts for kids

fruit slice paper plate fans crafts

salt paint art project