How to Paint Using Acrylic Paint With Children

When painting with acrylics, do so in a well-ventilated room.

Children love to paint, but seldom use acrylic paints. They usually paint with water colors or tempera paints. Older kids might be able to successfully paint with acrylic paints with proper adult supervision, but younger kids might be challenged. Acrylic painting differs from water-color painting and children need to understand directions and warnings specific to this type of painting. When children are mature enough to understand acrylic-painting concepts, they will be successful when creating an acrylic project.

Things You'll Need

• Acrylic paints
• Newspapers
• Painting smocks
• Paintbrushes
• Canvas
• Easel
• Palette
• Water container
• Rags
• Warm, soapy water

Instructions

1. Cover your floors and working surfaces. Children do not have great control when they are painting, so accidents happen. Acrylic paints are hard to remove from surfaces, so make sure you cover your working surface and floors with newspaper.

2. Don your smocks. Have the children put their painting smocks on to prevent paint spills on their clothes. In addition, even though they are wearing smocks, they should still wear old clothes underneath.

3. Explain how acrylic paint differs from water colors. Tell kids that acrylic paint does not wash off as easily as water color paints do. Warn them that acrylics can ruin their clothing, and that as they paint, they need to place their brushes into water containers to keep them from drying out and hardening.

4. Prepare your palettes. Show the children how to squeeze out the acrylic paint onto their palettes, and how to hold the palette, with their thumb through the hole and the palette resting on their other fingers. Children need to learn how to correctly hold the palette because if they hold it incorrectly, it won't feel comfortable. In the event the child drops his palette, clean up messes promptly with a rag.

5. Set up the canvases and easels. After the canvases and easels are set up, suggest simple things to paint such as a flower or dog. As the children get used to painting simple shapes, their confidence will grow and they will feel more comfortable using acrylic paints.

6. Clean the brushes. Teach the children how to correctly clean their paintbrushes by washing them with warm, soapy water. Remind them to scrape and rinse all traces of paint from the brushes so they don't become hard or sticky.

Tips & Warnings

• Suggest that the children draw their picture on the canvas first before painting. This will help them stay in the lines and improve their control.

• Acrylic painting might not be suitable for immature or very young children, as their motor skills are not fully developed. By introducing acrylic painting to children before they are ready, they will not enjoy the craft and will be discouraged from participating in the future.