Box Lid Art – an Easy Art Project for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Box Lid Art:  Kids can create a custom piece of art in a ready-made picture frame – the lid of a box!

We’re sprucing up the playroom here, so over the next few weeks my daycare toddlers and preschoolers will  be doing some easy art projects that we can hang on the walls of the play room.

As most of you know, I like to keep our crafts and activities easy and affordable, so today, we’re using box lids as canvases for our art.

Our playroom is simple and furnished with all kinds of cast off goodies from around our home, and with thrift shop finds that I’ve accumulated over the years.  Until last year, my daycare didn’t have a dedicated space in our home; when we were inside, but last year, I converted our seldom-used spare room and storage area into a rockin’ space for the daycare, and an area for all of our crafting and supplies.  You can read about the awesome makeover, and see all the pics here and here. 

We spend a lot of time playing and crafting in this room in the winter time, and I think having some hooligan-made art on the walls will look great

Using a box lid as an art canvas:

For today’s project, we used box lids that I’d saved from Christmas time.  Box lids make a great canvas for a child’s art because the edges of the lids serve as a frame for whatever is created in the lid.

Box lid art is easy!

I set out several jars of tempera paint, and gave the hooligans no directions other than to try and keep each paintbrush with the jar of paint that I’d popped it into so the colours wouldn’t get too muddy.  When we use powdered tempera paints, I’ve recently started mixing them in mason jars.  They’re small enough that they can be held in a child’s hand, they’re heavy enough that they don’t easily tip, and I can pop the lids on and store any leftover paint for next time.

I’m always amazed when I watch these very little people get creative.  Even at these young ages, each child has his or her own distinct style.

One had a specific image in mind that she wanted to paint.

Another painted very deliberately, being selective about which colours he chose and how he applied them.

Others layered colour upon colour, mixing and blending until they were satisfied that they’d gotten it just right.

When they were finished, we placed their paintings by the fire to dry, and when we checked on them after lunch the hooligans were thrilled with their masterpieces!  Just look at these proud, little faces.

I think these are going to look fantastic on a wall in our playroom!

Boxes are terrific aren’t they?  Check out this nifty shadowbox ornament (by  Mod Podge Rocks) that your kids (or YOU) can make.

You may also enjoy:

Recycled Painting
Smoosh-painted, upcycled art
Starry Night with melted crayons
Credit Card Painting
White Crayon Art
Olympic Ring Art stamped with tubes

Get the 3-5 Playful Preschool e-Book!

25+preschool activities by 25 bloggers, 10 printables, 50 links to activities not featured in the book all for $6.99 until May 25, 2014. Price increases to $8.99 after the 25th. Download your copy today:

Follow the Hooligans on Facebook!

SUBSCRIBE

for FREE crafts, 

activities & recipes!

 

Your kids will never be bored again!

Jackie Currie

Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.