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The Ultimate Collection of Process Art Projects for Kids

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These 60+ process art projects for kids are easy to set up, big on creativity, and perfect for kids, teachers, and families who love to explore. From bubble foam and pom pom splats to lemon painting and fizzing hearts, it’s all in here.

Text reads: "60+ Process Art Projects for Kids" with a collage around the perimeter of 8 different process art projects.

Why process art projects for kids matter 🧠

Let’s break it down.

Process art is all about the experience of creating, not the end product.

It’s not “copy this example” or “make yours look like mine”—it’s “here are the materials, let’s see what happens!”

Kids get to make their own choices, follow their curiosity, and explore without pressure.

No two projects look the same—and that’s exactly the point.

✨ Why we love process art projects for kids (and you will, too)

Process art projects for kids are magic.

It gives kids a chance to express themselves, experiment freely, and build confidence as creators.

There’s no “wrong way” to do it, which makes it perfect for mixed ages, different abilities, and every kind of learner.

And bonus: kids stay engaged way longer when they’re the ones calling the creative shots.

And this collection of process art projects is simply the best.

A watercolor filled paper with lemons being squeeze over the paint. A fun process art activity.

Lemon and Watercolors

I always say that this is my absolute number one process art project ever, ever, ever. Did you know that lemons and watercolors are the ultimate dynamic duo?

See on Friends Art Lab
A girl holding a large heart shaped piece of cardboard. The Heart is filled with scribble art for a fun process art activity.

Scribble Hearts

Take an extra Trader Joe’s grocery bag and turn it into a gorgeous piece of art! Kids of all ages love scribbling and they go crazy for this.

See on Friends Art Lab
Baking sheets with rubber bands stretched across them. There is paper in the bottom of the baking sheet and paint on top of it. A child is pulling the rubber bands back, letting go, creating splatter process art.

Rubber Band Painting

When I tell you that the energy is electric during this activity, I mean it! Rubber band snapping painting is an absolute blast and has been on rotation in Friends Art Lab Land for Y E A R S.

See on Friends Art Lab
A large piece of paper with paint on it. Slinkys are being used to spread the paint around.

Slinky Painting

Slinkies were made for paint! This is the ultimate process art project for kids and your kids will want to make 45874587 of these.

See on Fantastic Fun & Learning
A piece of paper with 3 different colored paint blown spots. Each spot is decorated with eye stickers and body parts drawn with Sharpie.

Blow Monster Process Art Project for Kids

Did you know that you could paint with straws? These little blow monsters are adorable, and eyeball stickers take these over the top.

See on Friends Art Lab
Paper painted with blue and green watercolors, and covered with clear glue. Lilly pads are on top made from construction paper and tissue paper.

Claude Monet Art

We first debut this project back in probably 2016 or 2017, and it has remained one of our most popular art projects ever.

See on Friends Art Lab
Oil pastels are used to draw a multicolored daisy. A q-tip dipped in water is used to spread the pastels out like paint.

Painting with Oil Pastels

Did you know that you can paint with oil pastels? It’s true! Transform oil pastels into “paint” with one simple ingredient.

See on Friends Art Lab
A piece of white paper is in a plastic tray with a side of different colored paints. Pinecones are being used to paint designs on the paper.

Painting with Pinecones

The next time you see pinecones out in the wild, grab a collection of them and turn them into a gorgeous process art painting project!

See on Parenting Chaos
Three bowls of different colored bubbles are next to a bottle of Dawn dish soap. There are also two pieces of paper with bubble paint process art designs on them.

Bubble Print Process Art Project for Kids

Bubble prints are going to be your new fave! You supplies that you already have on hand for art bursting with fun.

See on Friends Art Lab
A woman holding two small sheet of paper that are covered in speckled chalk designs. On the table in front of her is a glass baking filled with water and shaved chalk floating on top.

Floating Chalk Prints

Floating chalk prints are a preschool process art classic! You can use sidewalk chalk or skinny blackboard chalk for this project, and all of the other supplies you already have on hand.

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Paper plates with paint on them, have apple stamps on top, made from halved apples with large popsicle sticks used as handles. There is also a white piece of paper with green, yellow, and red apples stamped all over.

Apple Stamps

I wouldn’t be a preschool teacher if I didn’t include apple stamps in a list of prices art projects. This is the perfect art project for fall, back to school, and anytime of the year!

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A child sitting on the floor with paint and paint brushes. She is painting an empty egg carton, bubble wrap, and a tinfoil pie dish.

Paint the Trash

One adult trash is another kids treasure! Grab all of your cool, funky, unused pieces of trash, provide your kids with some paint, and get ready for hours of fun.

See on Busy Toddler
There is an upside down baking with paint covering the back. A heart design is drawn into the paint by a finger. Next to the baking sheet is four prints made from pressing a paper onto the baking sheet design.

Baking Sheet Printmaking

The amount that I love this project knows no limits. You only need a baking sheet, paint, paper, and paintbrush (or your finger) and you’re ready to go!

See on Friends Art Lab
A bunch of small square papers with different designs, painting with q-tips and many colors.

Mini Paintings

Kids left things in a mini, and this mini painting project is just too cute. Chop up your paint small, provide kids with cotton swabs, and watch the magic begin.

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A large egg-shaped piece of paper with many colors, that were transferred from wet tissue paper. There is a floral and spiral design drawn on top with a permanent marker.

Bleeding Tissue Paper Eggs

Bleeding tissue paper is one of the coolest art supplies in the entire world, plus one pack will last you for just about ever.

See on Friends Art Lab
Kids standing around a table drawing with chalk on black paper. The kids are dipping the chalk in water before drawing with it for a fun process art activity.

Chalk Paintings

Chalk, water, and dark paper are the perfect trio for discovering the scientific concepts of evaporation.

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A large heart-shaped paper in a yellow tray is covered with paint and sprinkles of baking soda. A child is using a pipette to drop vinegar onto the heart to create a process art reaction.

Fizzy Heart Painting

Baking soda and vinegar are the best…and did you know that you can paint with them? Get ready for some serious fun.

See on Toddler Approved
A child with a heart design on a piece of paper. The design was made with foam shapes placed into a heart shape, then covered in paint. A blank piece of paper was placed on top, and then pressed together, revealing the print when the papers were separated.

Heart Printmaking

You know the bag of foam shapes that you have had since 1992? They’re going to be the star of the show for this gorgeous printmaking project.

See on Friends Art Lab
A pumpkin-shaped piece of cardboard is covered in many small pieced of colored clay.

Painting with Clay

Have you ever painted with clay? Yeah, painted! Inexpensive modeling clay and cardboard go hand-in-hand for this adorable project.

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Paper towels are being painted with orange, yellow, and red water colors, before being cut into leaves.

Paper Towel Leaves

Sure, most art is painted on paper, but today we are painting on paper towels! These fall leaves are gorgeous.

See on Friends Art Lab
A pumpkin-shaped piece of paper was covered in paint drops, then a squeegee pulled the paint from top to bottom to create a process art masterpiece.

Halloween Squeegee Art

Kristina is the queen of scrape art, and these little pumpkins are such fun. Plus, you could cut your paper into any shape you want for any time of year.

See on Toddler Approved
An image filled with a ton of rectangular pieces of sandpaper, each covered with their own chalk pastel design.

Chalk Pastels and Sand Paper

Chalk pastels are the perfect mix between chalk and pastels, and they’re absolutely stunning to use in person.

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One half of the images shows a shaving cream print being made with green and blue paint, on a circle-shaped paper. The other half shows the final result of 3 shaving cream prints.

Marbled Shaving Cream Earths

These little marble shaving cream earths are just perfect for Earth Day, and outer space theme, and your favorite little scientists.

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A blue tray with paper and paper in it. A child is using small plastic bugs to stamp into the paint and place across the paper.

Painting with Bugs

Today we are ditching the paint brushes and we are painting with…bugs? This one will be on repeat every year after you try it once.

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A batik hanging from a dowel with spiral designs and a lined border.

Glue Batik

Boutiques look and feel fancy, but they couldn’t be easier to make. I have some batiks that I made with kids a decade ago that I still so deeply cherish.

See on Artful Parent
A brachiosaurus is covered in dots of green, orange, and yellow paint. Children in the background are painting other toy dinosaurs with different colors of paint for a fun process art activity.

Painting Dinosaur Process Art Project for Kids

Grab your dinosaurs (or any of your favorite classic animals!), some paint, head outdoors, and get ready for epic fun.

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A large piece of crinkled tinfoil, is spread flat, covered in paint, and being spread around with a pair of hands, for a fun process art activity.

Finger Painting on Foil

Fingerpainting is, as the kids say, so satisfying…and finger painting on crinkled foil is a sensory art explosion.

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A woman is holding a paper towel that had been folded and dipped into different colors of dye. The dye used in this activity is from an Easter egg dying kit.

Orizomegami

Orizomegami is the art style of folding and dipping fabrics or papers in dyes, and I have some really cool ideas of what you can use for your colors.

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Children are standing over a large piece of butcher paper, painting all over the paper, using socks on their hands in place of paint brushes.

Sock Painting

I can’t think of any kids that I know who wouldn’t go crazy to do this!

See on Happy Toddler Playtime
A couple of paper plates have paint on them and feathers are being used as paint brushes, to paint designs on a piece of paper. This activity makes for a unique process art activity.

Painting with Feathers

Painting with feathers is not only beautiful, but it’s a really fun way to connect art whenever you are doing a theme connected with birds (especially turkeys for Thanksgiving.).

See on Friends Art Lab
A child has a piece of paper in front of them, covered in shaving cream paint, being spread around with their hands. This finger painting activity creates unique process art.

Shaving Cream Finger Painting

It’s like regular finger painting…but thicker, foamier, fluffier, and better!

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Two pieces of paper have leaves drawn on them with a colored background. The colored designs were made with foil, washable markers, and water. This printmaking activity is process art at its finest.

Marker and Foil Prints

This tie-dye effect is so incredibly easy to make, and the process of making these is just as magnificent as the actual final pieces.

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A child is using a mini wooden hammer to spread paint on a piece of paper, that is beneath a sheet of bubble wrap.

Paint with a Hammer

What do kids love? Hammers. Kids go crazy for doing this project and each piece is such a delightful surprise.

See on Toddler Approved
Pumpkins are being painted many colors by a group of children. In background you can see painted pumpkins being washed in a tub filled with soapy water.

Paint + Wash Pumpkins

This one is something we do every fall and it’s the perfect way to extend the lives of your pumpkins, real or fake.

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Paint popsicles made from layering different colors of paint in a little paper cup. A popsicle stick was placed in the center to make a handle. Once frozen, the paper cup was peeled, off revealing paint popsicles.

Paint Popsicles

Nearly every time I share this activity on Instagram, it goes viral (and for good reason). You’ve got to try this!

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Children holding white play dough balls, that they colored using washable markers.

Drawing on Play Dough

I first discovered this project recently in my eyeballs almost fell out of my head! Did you know that you can color on play dough? It’s true, and it’s a must-do.

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A bin with a piece of paper, has paint dropped in the center. Two golf balls are also in the bin, and they create a design on the paper, when the bin is tilted and the golf balls roll over the paper.

Golf Ball Process Art for Kids

It’s like marble painting, but bigger! Grab your golf balls and paint and get ready to make wildly fun and textured process art for kids.

See on Play to Learn Preschool
One half of the paper has a patch swatch covered in fall colors. The other half shows the paint being used to draw a pumpkin.

Fall-Colored Paint

When is my favorite ways to spice up paint is by mixing colors. Use your regularly colored paints, try this trick, and have fall-colored paint in an instant.

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This process art was made from a child holding a large rainbow painting that was folded in half, transferring paint from one side of the paper to both sides.

Rainbow Paintings

These rainbow smoosh paintings are stunning! STUNNING. Plus it’s a really fun way to explore cemetery and math at the same time.

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One on side of the photo, a child is holding up a piece of plexiglass and another child is drawing a face on it. The second side of the photo shows the first child holding up the final print, made from using the plexiglass as a stamp.

Preschool Portrait Printmaking

It’s hard to explain in words just how fun on this project is. This is one of the coolest printmaking projects that has ever existed!

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A flower is painted on a piece of paper. Next to the paper is three bowls of edible paint, made from spinach, strawberries, and blueberries.

Homemade Edible Paint

Whether you’re working with babies or big kids, everyone loves homemade edible paint. Plus, the amount of colors that you can make are limitless.

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A child is painting a rainbow on a piece of paper. The paint is colored ice on a popsicle stick for a fun process art activity.

Ice Painting

How fun do these look? We love doing these all year long, but they’re especially fun to do in the summer when it is hot hot hot.

See on Happy Toddler Playtime
A child has a piece of paper covered in neon green paint. They've spread the paint out with their hand, then dipped their hand in a bin of colored rice.

Finger Painting with Rice

Finger painting with rice can be done with regular, uncooked rice, or rice from your nearest sensory bin.

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A child is finger painting with red and blue paint. They are mixing the colors together to show that red and blue mixed make purple.

Finger Paint Color Mixing

We’re combining process art, color theory, and sensory play all together in this fabulous finger paint color mixing process art for kids project.

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Paper towel rolls covered in different media (glue, bubble wrap, stickers, rubber bands) to make different designs and textures. There is a tray with paint and a piece of paper that shows the result of the bubble wrap tube.

Printmaking Rollers

Stores sell fancy, expensive printmaking rollers, but you can make your own with a paper towel tube and materials that you have at home.

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A child holding two large leaf-shaped cardboard pieces with tape resist paint designs on them.

Cardboard Leaves

We couldn’t stop making these! Cardboard, tape, paint, and scissors are all you need to make these beauties.

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A paper has two pumpkins drawn on it with oil pastels and watercolor paint to fill the gaps. The pumpkins are filled with concentric circles to represent Kandinsky's art style.

Kandinsky Pumpkins

Our concentric heart project is what inspired these adorable Kandinsky pumpkins, and I mean, look at these! Could they be more beautiful?

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A large piece of butcher paper is being splattered by paint for a fun process art activity.

Splatter Paint

Oh, be still my heart! Splatter painting is the ultimate process art project for kids, and my favorite part is what the kids look like when they’re done (I love the colorful freckles).

See on Busy Toddler
A fall tree design is painted using cut paper towel tubes as stamps. They are dipped into red, yellow, and orange paint, then stamped onto a paper as the leaves of the tree.

Fall Trees

The next time you have a paper towel tube, save it and make these adorable trees. Here we used fall colors, but you could use different colors to make it feel like different seasons, too.

See on Friends Art Lab
Two children are outside with a large piece of white butcher paper on the ground. They are throwing paint soaked pom pots onto the paper to create a splatter design.

Pom Pom Splat

The energy is off the charts with this project! Grab your favorite pom-poms, paint, large piece of paper or cardboard, and prepare yourself for the best time ever.

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A large square piece of paper has a flower painted on it. The center of the flower is made from a cupcake liner for a fun process art design.

Cupcake Liner Flowers

A long time ago I was gifted a 1 billion pack of cupcake liners, and this project was born. Couldn’t love these more.

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A black-lit image shows a paper with designs drawn on it with different colored highlighters.

Blacklight Drawing

Drawing = fun, fun, fun! Drawing WITH A BLACKLIGHT = OFF THE CHARTS FUN!!!!!

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Christmas bows are being used to dip in blue, green, and red paints. After being dipped, the bows were pressed onto a piece of paper to create a unique process art activity.

Painting with Bows

Christmas bows are so much more fun to paint with than regular paint brushes! We love doing this Christmas process art project every year.

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An image of a peacock is glued onto a pieced of paper where a child has painted the feathers in the background.

Peacock Painting

These adorable peacock paintings are just too cute for words. It’s so fun to see how each one turns out differently even though kids are using the same supplies.

See on Play to Learn Preschool
Leaf-shaped paper bag pieces are decorated with oil pastels and water colors.

Paper Bag Leaves

Have another Trader Joe’s bag? Chop them up, grab your favorite drawing and painting supplies, and make these adorable paper bag leaves.

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Two art pieces are shown, made from using lemon halves as stamps. One piece used two shade of green and blue, while the other used burgundy, orange, and yellow.

Lemon Stamping Art

Can you smell this one through the computer? The next time you have a bunch of lemons, chop some up and get to stampin’!

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Three paper hearts covered in clear glue, that have then been painted.

Clear Glue and Watercolors

Clear glue is a less known art supply that is perfect for a process art for kids. Plus, it pairs beautifully with watercolors.

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A pumpkin is proper up over a baking sheet, while a child drips paint over top with a plastic spoon. The pumpkin shows a multi-colored design and the baking sheet collects all of the paint that has dripped off the pumpkin.

Paint Drop Pumpkins

I have done this project many (MANY!) times now, with both real and fake pumpkins, and they’re always a 10 out of 10.

See on Friends Art Lab
A pile of ice cubes are being painted purples, yellow, and blue for a fun sensory and process art activity.

Painting on Ice

You know how you have to change your water filter every six months? I always take my ice, dump it into a tray, and use it for painting. It’s the perfect reminder for doing this twice a year (lol).

See on Friends Art Lab
A child has painted a blue ocean background on a piece of paper, and is gluing small paper fish all over the paper.

Ocean Process Art

These little ocean art projects are unbelievably adorable!

See on Play to Learn Preschool

Art vs. crafts: What’s the difference?

It’s a question that pops up all the time: Is this art or is this a craft? And honestly, both have value—but they’re not the same thing.

Crafts usually have a clear end goal. There’s a sample to follow, steps to complete, and a final product that’s “supposed” to look a certain way. Think: “Glue this here, add that there, and ta-da—it’s a snowman!”

Art, especially process art, is the opposite. It’s open-ended, unpredictable, and driven by the child’s choices. There’s no model to copy or “right” way to do it. It’s about exploring color, texture, and tools in a way that’s personal and unique every single time.

Favorite supplies to keep on hand for process art projects for kids

You don’t need a fancy art cabinet to get started—just a few open-ended materials that invite exploration.

Some of our go-tos:

  • Liquid watercolors and washable kids’ paint
  • Eyedroppers, paintbrushes, and paint cups
  • Thick paper, paper bags, foil, cardboard scraps, and paper towel tubes
  • Glue, salt, tissue paper, and coffee filters
  • Sponges, Q-tips, bubble wrap, and kitchen tools

Often, the supplies needed for the best, most meaningful (and memorable) process art projects for kids are supplies that you already have on hand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is process art best for?

Process art is amazing for all ages! Toddlers can explore textures, preschoolers can experiment with materials, and big kids can dive into more complex techniques. It’s totally flexible and grows with your child.

How do I introduce process art to kids who always want to make “something?”

Start by mixing in open-ended elements: “What if we tried painting with the pom poms instead of gluing them down?” Over time, they get more comfortable with letting go of the finished product and just having fun with the process.

Is process art just “free time” or is it actually educational?

Process art projects for kids are packed with learning! Kids build fine motor skills, practice decision-making, explore cause and effect, and experiment with color, line, and texture. It’s creative and brain-building.

Friends Art Lab Best Resources:

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