Does painting with kids make you clam up? The supplies. The mess. The endless stains… check out this blog post with five crucial tips and tricks learned from almost 20 years of painting with kids.
How to Paint with Kids Without the Giant Mess: Tips You Need to Know
Let’s be honest—painting with kids can feel like a disaster waiting to happen.
The mess. The mud-colored creations. The 27 seconds of actual painting before they declare they’re done.
It wasn’t my thing. At all.
But here’s the thing: my kids loved it. Painting lit up their creative little brains, and I knew it was good for them. So I set out to find a way to make it manageable—less stress for me and more fun for them. And guess what? It worked!
Here are my tried-and-true tips for how to paint with kids without all the drama.
What I learned about painting with kids
I figured out how to make painting with kids a fun experience for everyone—including me.
And here’s the real win: I’ve learned how to stretch their painting time into an entire hot coffee’s worth of peace and play. If you’re a parent or caregiver, I know you understand the true magic of measuring time in cups of coffee.
So, here’s hoping these 5 simple tips help you have a smoother, more successful painting session with your kids—just like I’ve learned to do. Trust me, these tips come from plenty of trial, error, and real-life experience.
What are the best supplies for painting with kids?
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TIP 1: BE YOUR OWN FLIGHT ATTENDANT
Friends, before the first brush hits the paint, you need to channel your inner flight attendant and locate your exits.
How will you clean up? How will you clean them up? And, most importantly, how will you protect your precious white couch? (Okay, maybe that one’s just me, but you get the idea.)
Here’s my rule of thumb: always paint near a water source.
Painting activities usually end with a bath – trust me, it’s 10x easier than wiping sticky paint off little hands and arms. If we’re painting outside, we stay close to the hose. If we’re painting inside, it’s on the hard floor, and I already have a cleanup route planned to whisk everyone straight to the bath or shower.
Preparation is key, and having your cleanup plan in place makes the whole experience so much smoother for you and the kids.
TIP 2: ALWAYS HAVE A WET WASH CLOTH PER KID
One of the best lessons I’ve learned to keep painting with kids manageable is this: give each child their own wet washcloth.
It’s a total game-changer.
When there’s a drip, they can wipe it up before stepping in it or dragging their sleeve through it.
When their hands get covered in paint, they have an easy way to clean up quickly—so those little hands don’t smudge paint all over everything in sight.
By arming my kids with their own wet washcloths, I accomplished two things: I had a fast, efficient way to help them clean as they painted, and they had the independence to keep themselves (and the area) a little cleaner. It’s such a simple addition, but it makes a world of difference.
TIP 3: USE A MUFFIN TIN OR ICE CUBE TRAY
It might sound a little unconventional, but muffin tins (or ice cube trays) are hands-down my favorite way to hold paint for kids.
These divided spaces are perfect for keeping colors organized (or at least starting that way—wink). Muffin tins are ideal for larger amounts of paint, while ice cube trays are great for smaller-scale projects or limited colors.
Next time you’re gearing up for a painting session, skip the plate and grab a muffin tin instead. It’s a simple switch that makes managing the mess so much easier.
TIP 4: USE ANALOGOUS COLORS THAT WORK TOGETHER
I picked up this genius tip from Art Bar, and let me tell you – it’s been life-changing.
Unless you’re going for the full creative chaos vibe, try giving your child only colors that naturally “go together.” Think red, orange, and yellow, or blue, purple, and pink. These are called analogous colors, and the magic is that they don’t mix into that dreaded colorless mess.
Want to add a little variety? Toss in some white paint to alter the hues. I love doing this part with my kids – we mix some white directly into the muffin tin, and it sparks the best conversations about color and creativity.
TIP 5: GIVE A PURPOSE TO PAINTING
I absolutely love process art for kids, but I’ve learned that, especially at a young age, a blank white canvas can feel overwhelming.
With my oldest, the blank page was too much. The pressure to create something from scratch turned him off completely—he actually hated painting.
That’s when I made a shift. Instead of handing him blank paper, I gave him “things” to paint:
And everything changed.
Painting became fun, approachable, and low-pressure. He finally saw the joy in it, and now? He’s my most art-centered kid. I know it’s because I gave him variety as a toddler and didn’t rely on blank paper to do all the heavy lifting.
Painting with kids is doable
It doesn’t have to mean messy. It doesn’t have to mean mud. It’s doesn’t have to be panic inducing.
Plan ahead, think it through, and set your children (and you!) up for painting success.
Susie Allison, M. Ed
Owner, Creator
Susie Allison is the creator of Busy Toddler and has more than 2.3 million followers on Instagram. A former teacher and early childhood education advocate, Susie’s parenting book “Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting” is available on Amazon.
