ARTiful, get inspired to create

Free resources for artists

Blog

5 fun summer art activities to try for yourself or with your kids or grand-kids

fun-summer-activities-you-can-do-with-kid
Inspiration / Painting technique / Step by step demonstrations / Watercolor painting basics

5 fun summer art activities to try for yourself or with your kids or grand-kids

Summer is a great time to have fun with art and work on easier projects that don’t require many supplies. All the art ideas listed here can be done with kids or grand-kids and can be finished in one hour or so on watercolor or cardboard postcards sized paper.

You might also be interested in: Fun and easy : Scribble drawings

Fun summer art idea 1: Ombre Watercolor postcards

fun summer art ideas you can try with your kids or grand-kids

For this activity, you will need only one color of watercolor paint ! Here is the supplies list:

To make 4 Watercolor Ombre Postcards, you will need:

  • Watercolor paint in your color of choice, I used a mix of pyrrol red and Phtalocyanine blue, red shade by Graham watercolors
  • Watercolor paper cut to postcard size or ready to paint watercolor postcards
  • Masking fluid if you want to try the one with the white or orange outline, Iused the Fineline Masquepen.
  • Markers
  • Pencil, eraser, brushes

See how to make watercolor ombre postcards step by step here

I am a Blick Art Materials affiliate and I receive a small compensation for sales. That does not effect in any way the cost of the purchaser’s order but it helps me keeping the content of this blog free.

Strathmore Artist Tiles

Ideal for pattern drawing and meditative art, these affordable, pre-cut artist tiles by Strathmore help make the process of combining repetitive marks, circles, lines, and forms both fun and easy to learn. – 300 Series Bristol Artist Tiles.

Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media Cards


Strathmore’s 400 Series Mixed Media is a heavyweight, 140 lb paper that combines the attributes of a watercolor paper with a vellum drawing finish. Ideal for wet and dry media, these cards accept watercolors, gouache, acrylics, graphite, pen-and-ink, colored pencils, markers, and collage. – 400 Series Mixed Media Cards, Pkg of 100 with FREE Stencil.

Fun summer art idea 2: Distressed graphite postcards

fun drawing summer activity to make with kids

You will need even less art supplies for this postcard making activity as this drawing activity only requires a soft graphite (4 to 9 B), an eraser and card-stock paper.

Adults will benefit from this activity as well as it shows us how not to be too attached to the end result when we make art. It teaches us to accept wrecking up something we just did draw by erasing parts of it, drawing just to enjoy the process without too much pressure about making a good drawing every time we draw.

See how to make the distressed graphite cards here

Fun summer art idea 3: Watercolor and mixed media postcards

summer art idea wax resist

This post will show you how to paint a textured watercolor background using various techniques like dripping alcohol, sprinkling salt, using plastic wrap, sponges….and then add patterns or doodles on top of that background. You can try all of these techniques on Yupo paper as well, as yupo works so great with visual textures.

See how to make the watercolor and doodle postcards here

Fun summer art idea 4: Use a Spirograph to make the background of your mixed media postcards

fun art ideas for the summer

This activity requires a bit more supplies and might be better suited for tweens and teens than kids. Although I am sure kids will have fun with the Spirograph part 🙂

To make these mixed media postcards you will need:

  • Watercolor paper blank postcards
  • Masking tape
  • A spirograph set
  • Watercolors in various colors
  • White acrylic paint
  • Copic markers or art markers

See how to make the Spirograph postcards here

Fun summer art idea 5: Watercolor and zentangle

adding designs in the background


All kids and adults like doodling and having fun with zentangles. On a postcard sized painting, you can add patterns and be done in less than 15-30 minutes. It is a great way to try your hand at zentangling 🙂

To make these watercolor and zentangle postcards you will need:

  • Watercolor paper blank postcards
  • Masking tape
  • Rubbing alcohol to add visual texture
  • Watercolors in various colors
  • Copic markers or art markers

See here how to make theses watercolor and Zentangle postcard

explains the project in a few minutes.

I would love to see the postcards you made, feel free to share pictures in the comments!

5/5 - (2 votes)

Leave your thought here

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Download this PDF

A Mixed Media Treasury of Techniques and Ideas

Join my mailing list

Learn from the comfort of your home:

 

 

HOW TO MAKE PAPIER MACHE BOWLS

 

 

 

 En Français