‘hood Magazine is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. 

Summer is the perfect time to engage in outdoor activities that are both fun and creatively stimulating. One such activity that combines the joy of playing with squirt guns and the beauty of watercolor painting is squirt gun water art. This easy and exciting project is perfect for kids of all ages, and it results in unique, colorful designs that can be used to make thank you cards, notes, and other paper crafts. 

Here’s how you can create your own squirt gun water art with your kids!

Materials Needed:

Helpful Materials:

  • Drop cloths or old newspapers to protect your work area
  • Clothes that can get messy

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Setup Your Workspace

Start by setting up your workspace outside to minimize cleanup. Lay down drop cloths or old newspapers to protect the ground or any surface you’re working on. We used an old box to spray at. 

2. Prepare the Paint

Mix your watercolor paints with water. We used roughly 1 tsp of watercolor paint for each ¼ cup of water. If you want the colors more vibrant, use more! We recommend that you test your color with a paint brush before adding to your squirt guns. This way you can test how vibrant your paint is. 

If using liquid watercolors, no mixing is needed. 

3. Fill the Squirt Guns

Carefully fill each squirt gun with a different color of the watercolor mixture. Make sure the squirt guns are securely closed to avoid leaks.

Pro Tip: Pour into the squirt gun with a cup/measuring cup that has a pour spout. Make sure to add a bowl under where you are pouring to catch the extra paint. 

4. Create Your Art

Place the card stock paper on the protected surface. Let your kids use the squirt guns to spray the watercolor mixture onto the paper. Encourage them to experiment with different techniques, such as squirting from various distances, angles, and pressures, to create a variety of patterns and effects.

5. Dry the Artwork

Once your kids are satisfied with their designs, carefully move the painted card stock to a flat, shaded area to dry. Depending on the weather, this could take a few hours. Make sure to keep an eye on the artwork to prevent it from blowing away or getting stepped on.

6. Create Cards and Notes

After the card stock is completely dry, it’s time to turn the colorful creations into something useful. Cut the painted card stock into smaller pieces to make thank you cards, notes, bookmarks, or any other paper crafts you can think of. 

For our thank you cards we added another, slightly larger, piece of cardstock to the back. This makes the card look a bit more professional! 

We love sending homemade thank you cards after birthdays, Christmas, and any other time of year that comes with gifts. Not only are you sending a thank you, but a bit of art from your child too! 

Tips for Success

Clothing: Dress your kids in clothes that you don’t mind getting stained, as watercolor paint can sometimes be difficult to wash out.

Supervision: Always supervise young children when they are using squirt guns to ensure they are using them safely and not aiming at each other’s faces.

Experimentation: Encourage your kids to experiment with layering colors and spraying at the card stock in different ways. It’s a great way to have a mini-lesson in cause and effect! 

Benefits of Squirt Gun Water Art

Creative Expression: This activity allows kids to express themselves creatively and explore different artistic techniques.

Motor Skills: Using squirt guns helps develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Outdoor Fun: It’s a great way to enjoy the outdoors and keep kids entertained during the summer months.

Squirt gun water art is not only a fun and engaging activity for kids, but it also results in beautiful, one-of-a-kind artwork that can be treasured or shared with others. Give it a try this summer, and watch your kids’ creativity bloom!