Painting is a fun way for young children to explore colors, shapes, and their own creativity. It doesn’t have to be complicated! Simple everyday items can stand in for paintbrushes & paper or foil can be their canvas.
Below are a few short videos from our YouTube channel that show easy painting ideas you can try at home or in the classroom.
We’ve also included children’s books about artists and art to help inspire creativity and make painting time even more fun.
Board Books for Ages 0-3
This Little Artist: An Art History Primer (Joan Holub) — Learn all about artists who changed history in this engaging and colorful board book perfect for creators-in-training! Little artists have great big imaginations. Highlighting ten memorable artists who paved the way, parents and little ones alike will love this creativity primer full of fun, age-appropriate facts, and bold illustrations.
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse (Eric Carle) — “Every child has an artist inside them, and this vibrant picture book from Eric Carle will help let it out. The artist in this book paints the world as he sees it, just like a child. There’s a red crocodile, an orange elephant, a purple fox and a polka-dotted donkey. More than anything, there’s imagination. Filled with some of the most magnificently colorful animals of Eric Carle’s career, this new board book edition is a tribute to the creative life and celebrates the power of art.”
ABCs of Art (Sabrina Hahn) —Learn the alphabet through fine art! Spark your child’s creativity and curiosity with this delightfully curated alphabet book featuring some of the world’s most iconic paintings.
Books for Ages 3-5
The Art Lesson (Tomie dePaola) — Tommy knows he wants to be an artist when he grows up. He can’t wait to get to school and have real art lessons. When Tommy gets to school and finds out that the art lessons are full of “rules”, he is surprised and dismayed. How the wise art teacher finds a way to give Tommy the freedom to create and stay within the “rules” makes a wonderfully perceptive picture book about growing up and keeping one’s individuality.
Meet the Artist series — Meet the Artist is Read With You’s introduction to the world of art. This series weaves interesting facts with gorgeous art as the artists themselves engagingly introduce their masterpieces. On each colorful page, the artist points out significant details and personal touches in pieces that have captured the world with their beauty. Young readers will practice their reading skills and challenge themselves to examine art like an expert, while soaking up world-famous artwork. Parents and teachers will love the creative questions and activities that encourage readers to apply the concepts they’ve learned and test new techniques.
The Dot (Peter H. Reynolds) — Her teacher smiled. “Just make a mark and see where it takes you.” Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can’t draw – she’s no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. “There!” she says. That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti’s journey of surprise and self-discovery.