Get ready for an outrageously FUN balloon activity for kids that allows them to play, paint, and make a fun summer craft all at the same time! This balloon painting project has children roll a balloon to create a truly beautiful and unique work of art. This summer art for kids encourages kids to use their creativity and imagination to create something from what they create. This balloon paint art is fun for toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th graders too!
Balloon Painting
I love projects that are not defined. While those projects have their purpose to help kids learn to follow directions among other things, I don’t want my kids to think there is only one right way to do things. Open ended art projects allow each child’s creativity and vision come forth and encourages their individuality. This EPIC balloon painting idea allows kids to play and have fun – a must for a summer activity for kids! Plus, they will create a unique backdrop for them to turn into a masterpiece of what they see, feel, and want to express with balloon paint art. This balloon activity for kids is perfect for preschoolers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, and grade 6 students.
Balloon Paint Art
All you need are a few simple materials to get started with this fun summer art project:
- paper (can be paper roll, poster, canvas, etc.)
- materials to make a ramp
- water balloon filled with water
- washable liquid paint
- markers, crayons, or colored pencils
paint activities for kids
The first step of this activity is the STEM part – design a ramp to allow water balloons to gently roll down to paint the paper without poppint.
You may have an inclined driveway or hill and then the work is done for you. If not, make an inclined plane out of a board, sled, kickboard, etc. While washable paint should come off, make sure you cover any surface you don’t want to get dirty. We like to do this outside so the hose can do the clean-up for us! Test your ramp before putting your paper at the bottom! If you have a couple balloons break in the testing phase, make sure you relocate to a dry area for the painting part.
paint balloons
Put your poster, canvas, roll of paper, etc at the bottom of a makeshift ramp. Now dip a small water balloon filled with water in washable liquid paint and gently (so it doesn’t pop) roll it down the ramp onto the paper.
Continue painting by rolling until you have about half of the paper covered with paint. It is fun when the paint overlaps, multiple paint colors end up on the balloon at the same time, and ineresting shapes and figures will take form.
balloon paint
Allow your paper to dry completely.
Now use markers, crayons, or colored pencils to add in details to bring to life whatever YOU see in the pictures. It’s like cloud gazing but with gorgeous colors and the chance to help others see what you see! Above, my kiddo saw lots of flying things such as a kite, hot air balloons, parachute, and a bicycle!
Balloon painting activity
We tried it many times because, let’s be honest, the painting part was so much fun!
Painting Games for Kids
Each time I was amazed at the different things my kid saw in the paint. I LOVE how they made their imaginations jump out of the paper for me to see. I love the underwater ocean scene my daughter saw out of the green, blue and yellow paint blobs!
kids painting games
This fun art project for kids truly has limitless possibilities and appeals to boys and girls of all ages, even those who are reluctant to do art!
water balloon painting
This piece transformed into such a magical garden scene wtih beautiful orange, yellow, pink, and red flowers of all heights and shapes with beautiful butterflies fluttering by.
painting with balloons
This is such a fun summer art and craft project for kids of all ages.
Balloon activities for kids
Looking for more fun ways to play with balloons this summer?
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- Drop & Paint – Water Balloon Painting Activity
- Roll & Paint – Outrageously FUN Balloon Painting Activity for Kids
- Balloon Paint Art Project for Toddlers and Preschoolers
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- EASY Static Electricity Balloon Experiment
- Balloon Matching Shapes Worksheets – Kindergarten Math Activity
- Water Balloon Experiment for FUN summer science
- Educational Balloon Games
- FUN Lego Ballon Car that is simple to make
- Epic Ideas for Water Balloon Painting
- Pop Rocks Balloon Experiment
Summer Math
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Summer Printables
- Practice Tracing Letters with this summer themed Ice Cream Printables
- First Day of Summer Printable Hat
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- Practice making letters with this hands-on Watermelon Printables
- Work on phonics skills with these Beginning Sound Activities for summer
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- Summer Maze Kindergarten Sight Word Worksheets
- Grab these Summer Free Printable Bookmarks and a book off our Kindergarten Book List
- Camping Worksheets to work on math and literacy skills with kindergartners
- Seeds Find the Letter Worksheets
- Swimming Goggles Alphabet Matching Game
- Practice letter tracing on these cheery summer tracing worksheets
- Practice writing with these summer writing prompts for kindergarten worksheets or Build and Write Lego Writing Promtps
Summer Activities for Kids
- Silly Grass Craft for Kids
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