Acrylic Painting Tips and Exciting Ideas for Kids

Acrylic Painting Tips and Exciting Ideas for Kids


Kids of all ages enjoy painting. Today’s children are quite creative in turning a blank piece of paper or canvas into something lively. Acrylic painting for kids fosters creativity, aids visual processing, and builds self-esteem, fine motor skills, and confidence. Little ones might also benefit from a little rest through painting projects. 

However, a lot of kids have trouble painting since they aren’t sure they know the proper acrylic painting skills. The acrylic painting ideas mentioned in this article will help children advance from finger painting to more intricate brushwork.


Exciting Acrylic Painting Tips and Ideas for Kids


Acrylic paints for kids offer several benefits besides being a great medium for creating beautiful paintings.  

Regardless of the painting work, the brilliant, vibrant colors of acrylic paints lend themselves to wonderful final art pieces. Since they are visually appealing to children, they will want to paint big pictures repeatedly. With some helpful acrylic painting ideas, you can see your child creating a masterpiece that you’ll happily display at home. 


Top Acrylic Painting Tips to Help Kids Begin Their Painting Journey


Here are some easy acrylic painting tips that’ll help your kids in mastering their painting skills:


Gather Supplies


Gather the supplies that kids will need for acrylic painting. This includes:

➔ Acrylic paint: 

Acrylic paint is available in various colors, including primary colors like red, blue, and yellow, secondary colors like orange, green, and purple, and many shades in between. A wide range of colors allows children to pair up and create unique colors. 

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Paint Brushes:

 Round brushes are useful for details and bigger strokes, flat brushes work well for covering large areas, and detail brushes are ideal for detailed designs. 

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Acrylic paper or canvas:

While acrylic paper is made specifically for acrylic paints and does not warp, canvas offers a sturdy surface for paintings. 

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➔ Color-mixing palette:

 Kids may mix and blend colors to create new shades using a basic plastic or disposable color palette.

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➔  Paper towels and a water cup:

Paper towels assist in wiping off excess paint and drying the brushes. Water is used to dilute paint and clean brushes.

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➔   Apron or old clothes:  

Since acrylic paint can be messy, make your kids wear an apron or protective clothing to prevent staining clothes. 


Set Up a Creative Space


Good lighting ensures accurate color mixing and painting, while proper ventilation prevents the buildup of fumes from acrylic paints. Also, use newspaper or a plastic tablecloth to protect tables or surfaces from paint spills and make cleanup easier.

Related Article: Beginner abstract acrylic painting tutorial

Experiment with Techniques


Teach your children multiple acrylic painting techniques, such as: 

➔ Color blending:

Teach children how to blend colors to produce variations and smooth transitions by using a palette or directly on the canvas. 

➔ Texture with a palette knife:

Show how to apply thick paint and scrape or drag it to create textures like tree bark, waves, or clouds. 

➔ Watercolor effect:

Teach kids to dilute acrylic paint with water to achieve a transparent, watercolor-like effect for softer tones and washes. 

➔ Masking tape:

Use masking tape to create sharp edges or unpainted sections, adding crispness and detail to paintings. 


Start with Simple Projects


Start with simple projects like basic landscapes featuring elements like hills, trees, and skies to introduce kids to composition and perspective, paint colorful flowers, and encourage abstract expression by letting kids freely paint shapes, lines, and patterns without specific subject matter.


Exciting Acrylic Painting Ideas for Kids


Underwater Adventure

Allow your children to use vivid blues, greens, and yellows to paint vibrant aquatic scenes featuring fish, coral structures, and seaweed.  Kids can start their painting journey by creating imagined marine animals such as friendly octopuses, sea monsters, or mermaids.

Magical Fairy Garden 

magical fairy garden acrylic paint ideas

Let kids create fluttering butterflies and paint charming fairies with delicate wings among vibrant flowers and mushrooms. To enhance the appealing elements and fairy dust, apply metallic paints or sparkling glitter.

Exploration of Outer Space 

Exploration of Outer Space ideas for acrylic painting

Teach children about the solar system by painting planets, stars, and swirling galaxies in rich blues, purples, and white for stars. For a fun touch, add a captivating evening appearance by painting the planets and stars with glow-in-the-dark paint.  

Animal Safari  

Animal Safari acrylic paint ideas

Children can draw and paint a savanna scene featuring majestic lions, tall elephants, elegant giraffes, and striped zebras. To finish the safari picture and give it more depth and authenticity, they can also add grasses, trees, and a clear blue sky.

Fantasy Creatures 

Fantasy Creatures acrylic paint ideas

Painting mythical creatures like dragons spouting fire or graceful unicorns can help children develop their creativity. Encourage children to create their fantasy animals with bright colors and inventive traits.

Abstract Art 

Abstract Art acrylic paint ideas

Allow your kid to create dramatic swirls, splatters, and brushstrokes using vibrant colors like red, blue, and yellow. Also, help them add textures to their designs with sponges, crushed paper, or everyday objects to create interesting patterns and effects.

Personalized Masterpieces  

Personalized Masterpieces acrylic paint ideas

Help children paint their portraits, highlighting the aspects of their faces, hair, and clothes to produce unique works of art. Ask your kid to include details about their interests and hobbies, such as their favorite sports, animals, musical instruments, or pastimes like cooking or gardening. 


Unleash Your Kids’ Creativity with Acrylic Painting!


Acrylic painting allows children to express their creativity and improve their artistic abilities. With the correct supplies, advice, and inspiring concepts, kids may let their creativity run wild and produce stunning works of art. Follow the abovementioned acrylic painting ideas to help your kid with the acrylic painting journey.

Above all, let them enjoy the painting process, and feel free to experiment and try new strategies!