Kids love to paint. It’s a simple art project that children of all ages tend to be drawn to. In my kindergarten class, anytime I bring a art activity that involves paint, by students are always very excited. We’ve been working on different ways to use and create with paint, other than just a paint brush. This Dot Art for Kids uses simple printable to create beautiful dot art.
I love the idea of using cotton swabs to paint with. We’ve also been working on creating dots to create art, however, dot art in kindergarten often ends up being painting with cotton swabs. I created this dot art for young kids as a way to create an image specifically out of a bunch of dots, no other marks.
The printable grids help children focus on making dots and keeping the dots separate as a way to make a picture. Usually in art I love letting kids create whatever they want, but this dot art project is a great way to encourage fine motor skills and concentration.
The printables are available at the bottom of the page. You can download and print them today. There are several printable pages available including ones with backgrounds and another with a 100s chart. Choose whichever works best for your group and the goal of the art. You can also offer all of the pages and allow children to choose which one they want to create with.
If you’re using this activity for Dot Day, make sure to check out more Dot Day activities and ideas. Try another easy painting activity with this fun Art for Kids with Shaving Cream.
Dot Art for Kids Materials
The only materials you need for this art project are:
- Paint (A rainbow of colors is best)
- Cotton Swabs
- Printable Grids (Available at the bottom of this post)
To set up, print several copies of the grids you are going to use. It is best to print on thicker paper, such as cardstock, but any paper will work.
Provide the paper, paint and cotton swabs. I suggest giving children a practice page and having them practice creating the dots on the grid. One dot in each circle. Encourage children to not put too much paint on their cotton swab, but enough that it leaves a mark.
I tried several other dot art projects with my students before creating this activity. However, creating dots may prove challenging for young children. Often the dots become one big dot. I love the look and process of creating pictures with dots, so I created the grids to help children while making their art.
Using the grid paper is a great way to remind children, with each dot they make, that their dots need to remain separate.
Creating Your Dot Art for Kids
Children can create any image they want on their chart. Some children may create a picture, others may create a design. They can make anything they want with the paint and swabs.
The art that my students created was beautiful! The colors and organization with the grid paper makes the art unique and really impressive, especially with preschool and kindergarten aged children.
Encourage children to use different colors and work to make consistent dots. Make sure there is enough paint to fill the dot. This activity will also end up being relaxing and calming for children.
It is always interesting to see what children will create. Sometimes the image is tricky to see, but many children will have an actual image they try to make. For example, upon first glance the example below looks like a nice picture with lines of different colors.
However, after talking to the child who created it, they explained that it was a sun set. They used dots to create the sun rays and different shades of green to make the grass and blue for the sky.
Extension Ideas
The art project can also be a great way to include some math into your child’s learning. Children can create a reflection as they paint, or you can use the 100 chart.
I included the 100s chart to use as your grid paper because we had been working on number up to 100 around the same time we did this project. The 100s chart is a great page to use for a practice page.
You can challenge children to put a dot on specific numbers. This is an easy way to work on number recognition and counting. Ask children to put a paint dot onto number 23 and then 99 and so on.
Download the Free Printables
All of the grids featured above are available for free download. Subscribe to Play Learn Inspire by clicking below. Click the grey lock box image and subscribe through Grow. Once you subscribe the resource will download. You can print and use any/all of the pages you want.
Once you subscribe you will also unlock all of the other freebies on the site! Join today!
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