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Squirt Gun Painting

Jun 24, 201328,429 views
Painting
Art activities for summer : Squirt gun painting Save
beautiful art with splash painting Save
beautiful painting Save
art activities turned games Save
paintng with water guns Save
canvas for painting Save
materials for squirt gun painting Save
play with paint guns Save

by TurkeyMom in Painting

Ages3–8 yrs
Prep15 min
Activity30 min
Leveleasy
MessHigh
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

Mix powdered tempera with water, load it into squirt guns, and spray big, vibrant splatter art onto paper taped to an outdoor wall. You can add numbers, shapes or colors to the paper to make it a recognition game.

⚠️ Safety first

  • Powdered tempera stains a little, so dress kids in old clothes and paint away from anything you want to keep clean.
  • Aim at the paper, not at faces. Paint in the eyes or mouth is no fun, so stop play if kids start squirting each other's faces.
  • Adult handles the dry powdered paint and loads the squirt guns. Avoid breathing in the powder while mixing.
  • Paint is not for drinking. Watch younger kids who might put the squirt gun nozzle in their mouth, and wash hands after.
  • Supervise at all times.

Before the kids arrive

  • Pick an outdoor wall or fence that can get paint on it, and dress kids in old clothes.

Steps

  1. Tape sheets of white paper to an outdoor wall with painter's tape to make your canvas.

  2. Optional: write a few numbers and trace a few shapes on the paper.

  3. Make paint: add water to powdered tempera in cups and stir until it is runny enough to squirt.

  4. Adult: fill each squirt gun with paint, just like filling it with water.

  5. Squirt paint at the canvas and watch the colors splatter and drip.

  6. Optional game: call out a number, shape or color and have kids squirt it.

  7. Try painting with two squirt guns at once.

  8. Older kids: try squirting cool patterns across the paper.

Tips

  • We tried watered-down kids paint first, but the colors weren't vibrant enough to get the kids excited. Powdered tempera fixed that, and the colors literally shined in the sun.from the author
  • The kids had fun making the paint themselves by adding water to the powdered tempera.from the author
  • Full disclosure: they did not pay any attention to the shapes or numbers and simply went berserk with the paint guns. The learning part is totally optional.from the author
  • Of course this was bound to happen: paint your sibling. Once the canvas was full, we started squirting paint on ourselves, so plan for clothes to get painted.from the author
  • It's also great for aim and hand-eye coordination.from the author
  • Fill the squirt guns just like any water gun.from the author
  • One reader struggled to get liquid watercolor paint into her squirt gun, so test-fill one before the kids arrive.from readers

Make it your own

  • Make it a number recognition game: write numbers on the paper and call them out for kids to squirt.
  • Make it a shape recognition game with traced shapes.
  • Make it a color recognition game.
  • Older kids can try to create patterns with the paint.

Questions readers asked

Any tips on filling the squirt guns?

The author filled them just like any water gun. She thinks liquid watercolors should be easier than tempera because they are thinner.

Does the paint wash out of clothes?

The powdered tempera the author used does stain a little. For a party, she suggests watered-down washable kids paint instead.

Why use powdered paint instead of regular kids paint?

Paint has to be thinned with water to squirt, and that washes out the color of regular liquid paint. Powdered tempera stays vibrant.

The story behind it

By TurkeyMom · June 2013
materials for squirt gun painting
Watered down kids paint wasn't vibrant enough, so we used powdered tempera. The kids had fun making paint by adding water, and I added the paint to our squirt guns.
1 / 7

Squirt Gun Painting: the original post

What’s summer without a good old messy backyard game? We love open-ended art activities which involves copious amounts of paint and today’s post is no exception. An example from the past - spaghetti brush painting.

Squirt gun painting

  • Squirt guns
  • Powdered Tempera
  • Water

We tried using watered down kids paint for this squirt gun painting art activity. But the colors were not vibrant enough to get the kids excited. You need to add some water to the paint so that it actually squirts. Adding water however really reduces the color factor. That’s where powdered paint come into picture. The kids had fun making paint by adding water to the powdered tempera and I added the paint to our squirt guns.

materials for squirt gun painting My preschooler helped me make these canvas for the fun water paint project. What’s a canvas? Just sheets of white paper taped to our wall using painter’s tape.

canvas for painting She wrote down a few numbers and helped me trace a few shapes. I wanted this fun backyard summer art activity to also have a small dose of learning which is totally optional though. Full disclosure: they did not pay any attention to the shapes or numbers and simply went berserk with the paint guns. Ha!

paintng with water guns You could easily make this squirt gun painting into a number recognition, shape recognition or color recognition activity. Call out the numbers and have the kids squirt paint! How simple and cool is that? It is also great for aim and hand-eye coordination. Hey look at me! I’m painting with 2 water guns! The colors were so vibrant and literally shined in the sun. The art activity was so much fun and beautiful to look at.

beautiful painting

Of course this was bound to happen. Paint your sibling.

art activities turned games

Once we exhausted the canvas space we went ahead and started squirting paint on ourselves. play with paint guns If you have an older child he/she can create cool patterns squirting paint.

beautiful art with splash painting Isn’t it fun and beautiful?

What readers say

💬 6 comments ✍️ 2 answered by the author

Answered by the author

“Any tips on filling the squirt guns? I had a hard time getting liquid watercolors in.” · Nechama Retting

Author Fill them just like any water gun. Liquid watercolors should actually be easier, since they aren't as thick as tempera.

“Did the clothes come clean? I'd like to do this at a kids' birthday party.” · Mrs. Becky

Author The powdered tempera used does stain a little. For a party, try watered-down washable kids paint.

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Powdered tempera stains a little

Asked whether clothes came clean, the author says the powdered tempera they used does stain a little, so dress kids in old clothes.

“The powdered tempera we used does stain a little bit.”
TurkeyMom, Jul 2013

✨ Readers' twist

Washable paint for a party

A reader planning a kids' birthday party had concerned parents; the author suggests watered-down washable kids paint instead of powdered tempera.

“For a party you could try watered down washable kids paint.”
TurkeyMom, Jul 2013

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Trouble filling the squirt guns

A reader using liquid watercolors struggled to get paint into the guns. The author fills them like any water gun and expects thinner paint to be easier.

“had a hard time getting the paint to go into the squirt gun.”
Nechama Retting, Jun 2013

Tried it?

Reviewed before it appears. No links, and please no children's names.

Read all 6 comments

  1. Mark · Jan 2014

    Love the idea and never thought of that one. Going to put it on my kids ideas website called Feel free to use some of mine. Mark

  2. Natalie Ferrington · Aug 2013

    Hi I was wondering if the paint washed out easily?

  3. TurkeyMomAuthor · Jul 2013 · replying to Mrs. Becky

    The powdered tempera we used does stain a little bit. For a party you could try watered down washable kids paint.

  4. Mrs. Becky · Jul 2013

    Did the cloths come clean? I was hoping to do this for a kids birthday party but have concerned parents....

  5. Nechama Retting · Jun 2013

    Any tips on filling the squirt guns?? I tried to do this yesterday with liquid water color paints and had a hard time getting the paint to go into the squirt gun. Thanks!!

  6. TurkeyMomAuthor · Jun 2013 · replying to Nechama Retting

    I filled them just like how I'd fill any water gun. I would think liquid watercolors would be easier since they are not as thick as tempera.

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