Bright & Bold Neon Art for Kids

Add a splash of bold color with neon art for kids using oil pastels and tempera cakes! This fun, glowing activity is perfect for preschool process art and Summer creativity.

A playful and colorful piece of neon art for kids is held up by two hands with purple nail polish. The design includes bright pastel drawings of stars, spirals, and hearts under washes of neon watercolor in pink, yellow, blue, green, and orange. The surrounding table holds neon tempera paints, oil pastels, and a glass of water.

All the heart eyes when it comes to neon art for kids

Neon oil pastels and neon tempera cakes are two loves of my teacher life.

You can use them separately, but when used together? *Chef’s kiss.*

This project is all about bold color, playful exploration, and making your eyeballs fill with sheer delight.

It’s preschool process art at its most vibrant—no rules, just joyful experimenting.

🖍️Related: Check out this fabulous collection of coloring activities for kids.

A side-by-side image shows a close-up of a tray of six neon tempera paint cakes in bright colors on the left, and a neon-striped watercolor painting in progress on the right. This bright supply set is perfect for neon art for kids creations.

Why neon art for kids is extra fun

There’s something magical about neon.

It’s electric, exciting, and practically begs to be scribbled, swirled, and splattered across the page.

Kids light up (literally and figuratively!) when they get to use bold, bright colors that feel a little out of the ordinary.

Whether you’re using neon oil pastels for smooth strokes or layering neon tempera cakes on top, this is preschool Summer art that glows with creativity.

☀️ Neon is the color palette of Summer, and these activities go together perfectly:

A smiling woman holds a box of Crayola Neon Oil Pastels and a tray of six neon tempera paint cakes in front of her. Her nails are painted purple to match the bright and playful palette used for neon art for kids projects.

Materials

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Neon oil pastels – the price on this can fluctuate wildly, and if the set was over $7 or $8, I wouldn’t hesitate to try the Pentel ones
Neon tempera cakes – yes, I know they’re pricy, but they’re like 20x the size of regular watercolors and last for soooo long!
Watercolor paper or thick paper
Paintbrushes
Cups of water
Paper towels
Optional: black watercolors – the black in this set is PITCH BLACK and is truly the best black kids’ watercolor out there

How to make neon art for kids

Set out your paper and choose whether you want to start with oil pastels, tempera cakes, or both.

Oil pastels: These work beautifully on their own or paired with the tempera cakes. First, draw whatever you want. If desired, paint over with the tempera cakes for a double dose of neon.

Tempera cakes: Activate with water (just like regular watercolors) and prepare for your socks to get knocked off.

💡 Teacher Tip: First, draw with neon oil pastels, then paint over with black watercolors. The contrast is STUNNING!

Two pieces of neon artwork sit side-by-side on a bright blue tabletop. One has overlapping painted neon circles, and the other features layered oil pastel doodles with watercolor paint in bold neon hues. Art supplies, including neon pastels and a paint tray, are visible around the artwork.

Ten bright ideas to try!

Paint with neon tempera cakes first, let dry, then go back in with oil pastels for details.
Use black paper for that WOW contrast.
Cut the finished art into shapes and create a neon collage.
Try only warm neon colors one day, cool tones the next.
Play “neon scribble challenge”—give them 60 seconds to fill the page!
Make a giant group mural with a big sheet of paper and all the neon supplies.
Turn the finished artwork into cards, bookmarks, or wrapping paper.
Create a “gallery walk” and let kids display their glowing masterpieces for friends and family.