Summer Art Idea for Kids: Squirt Gun Painting

Bust summer boredom at home, school, or camp with Squirt Gun Painting, an amazing art experience for kids of all ages.

Yesterday I received the first official “Mom…I’m bored!” of summer. Frankly, I’m surprised it took 2 weeks! Of course it was from Colin, who is almost always bored when no one is playing with him. I gave him my old digital camera and sent him outside to photograph the elusive albino squirrel known to munch on cracked corn at our bird feeder every morning. My other kiddo can happily entertain himself for hours on end. In fact, not once in his 4-years of life, has he ever proclaimed boredom. ever free coloring

Isn’t it funny how two children, raised almost identically, can be entirely different?

BOREDOM IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVENTURE

Well, my aspiring photographer apparently needs to work on his stealth and shutter speed. He came back 5-minutes later and admitted defeat, “The white squirrel is in the tree hiding. I didn’t get a picture of it.” Then he informed me, once again, that he was bored. I told him that boredom was an “opportunity for adventure” and that I was sure he would think of something to do and if not, he was welcome to fold laundry. He asked for my iPhone.

I passed him a basket of socks.

The morning went on and on like this, but eventually, he found markers and a coloring book and settled quietly in the family room. Later that afternoon while the boys were eating lunch, I slipped out the side door to arrange a creative art activity on the lawn. my little pony coloring pages

ENTER SQUIRT GUN PAINTING

Squirt gun painting is a thrilling summer art experience for kids and the ultimate boredom buster! For our paintings, we used Nerf Super Soaker Alphafire Blasters. I like to avoid the super cheap multi-pack squirt guns typically found in dollar stores because they seem to end up breaking within hours. The Alphafires are still inexpensive, but have the quality one can expect from Nerf products.

MATERIALS NEEDED
- Nerf Super Soaker Alphafire Blasters
- watercolor paper
- liquid watercolors
- an easel

DIRECTIONS

I arranged our easel in the yard and clipped two sheets of watercolor paper to each side. I invited the boys to fill their squirt guns with liquid watercolors and let them go to town! They had a lot of fun, but needed several reminders not to squirt each other!

Tip: No Easel? That’s okay! Kids can use a thumbtack to secure their paper to a tree.

Each painting was bright, unique, and beautiful! My son (the one who had complained of boredom that morning) spent the entire afternoon playing independently with this super easy activity. With little clean up and minimal direction from me, I call it a win!

We’ve now placed the squirt guns in a box where the kids can access them easily so the next time he comes to me saying “I’m bored,” I’ll point him towards the squirt guns!