Combine food coloring and water to create homemade watercolor paints. Freeze the mixture to make icy crayons. These art projects are a fun way for parents to keep kids cool during the summer. For teachers and homeschooling parents who’ve done lessons on water and ice, end the unit with these activities.
Make Homemade Watercolor Paints
Fill cups or canisters with water. Add several drops of food coloring, stir, and then dip a paintbrush in the color and apply to paper to test the results. (Although the water may look bright, the paint will be much lighter. Add extra food coloring.) When the color is the desired intensity, work on mixing up the next color.
Blend the food colorings in different combinations and proportions to create different colors. Create as many colors as needed for the project. Paint the pictures on watercolor paper or construction paper. Store the leftover watercolor paint for future projects.
Spray Paint Art
Add a few drops of food coloring to a water-filled spray bottle. Set objects with interesting shapes flat on a piece of watercolor paper or construction paper. Hold the spray bottle a few inches away from the objects and the paper and spray.
When the child lifts away the objects, he should see a white silhouette of the objects surrounded by a spray of watercolor paint. Children should select objects that have identifiable shapes, such as combs, keys, and scissors. After spraying the objects, wipe them dry.
Icy Art With Ice Cube Crayons
Fill an ice cube tray with water. Make certain that the level of water is low so the water from one section won’t spill into another section. Add several drops of food coloring to each section, mixing colors to create different colors and stir with the handle end of a paintbrush. Freeze the water.
Another option is to fill three- or five-ounce paper cups halfway with water, add food coloring, and then include a craft stick that will create a handle when the crayons are frozen. Pop out the frozen ice cubes from the tray or peel away the paper cups.
Paint onto watercolor paper or white construction paper. Work quickly before the crayons melt. Children coloring with the ice cubes may want to wear old mittens to protect their fingertips.
Toothpick Art
Use leftover watercolor paints to dye wood toothpicks. Soak the toothpicks in the watercolor for twenty or thirty minutes and then lay flat to dry. When the wood is completely dried, apply a layer of glue to a piece of cardboard and set the toothpicks into a picture or pattern. Cut or break some of the toothpicks to smaller sizes.
These art projects allow children to mix a batch of watercolor paints using food coloring and then paint pictures, create spray paint art, draw with ice cubes, or dye toothpicks for collages.
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