If there’s one thing I learned teaching Art in the Park all summer (and making art with my own kids), it’s this: Summer art belongs outside. Always.
The sunshine, the open space, the permission for things to get a little wild–that’s where creativity really gets to stretch its legs. And for us moms? Outside art means less stress about mess, and more room to say yes!
You don’t need elaborate setups or Pinterest-level plans (seriously, no taking longer to set up an activity than your kids will even spend on it, that drives me nuts). You just need a few good materials, a towel you don’t love, (probably a hose?) and permission to let the process and children lead! Also, probably an iced coffee and sunscreen. 😆
So, below is a round-up of some of my favorite summer outdoor art projects for kids, perfect for ages 2–12. These are tried-and-true favorites from my classroom days, art in the park classes, and our own backyard. I hope they inspire you!
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Summer Outdoor Art Projects for Kids: Painting on Shower Curtains
This is hands-down one of my favorite outdoor painting setups, and you can see it pictured above in a quick photo from my phone!
Tape, string, or clip an inexpensive clear or white shower curtain to a fence, railing, or between two trees/posts. Offer washable tempera paint inside my dollar tree muffin pan hack, big brushes, rollers, sponges—whatever feels fun that day. I got a $1.25 rope from the dollar tree and tied it between two park gazebo posts, stringing the rope through the curtain shower holes, and another time I just nailed the shower curtain right onto the side of our playhouse!
Why this works:
- Huge scale = gross motor painting, bigger movements, and a fun see-through addition!
- Hose-friendly cleanup (or you can wrap it up and toss it if it was a dollar tree curtain that got well-loved like mine! 🙌)
When they start to lose interest I add in squirt bottles of water and sponges to rinse and repeat which extends the fun! When I did this at art in the park the students finished up and spent almost another hour having an epic squirt bottle battle, which was hilarious. You have to try this at least once this summer!
Summer Outdoor Art Projects for Kids: Contact Paper Collages
This was also a HUGE hit at Art in the Park this summer, actually in the same class as above! I didn’t think the children would spend quite as much time on them as they did, but a few of my older kiddos (the 8-10 year olds) spent the entire 45 minutes perfecting their glittery collage or making multiples! This worked out great because most of the younger students/toddlers were enamored with the large scale shower curtain painting.
All you need to do is stick clear contact paper to a table, fence, or window with the sticky side out. I like to tape mine to a tray. Put out loose parts to choose from like tissue paper, yarn bits, nature finds, sequins, and if you’re feeling real brave, glitter. I like this mixed bag of sequins from Walmart and a larger glitter for this! If the glitter is too fine it will cover too much of the stickiness.
Kids press and arrange to their heart’s content, no glue required! then you “seal” it with another piece on top, and can optionally hole punch and tie a hangar! My students were SO EXCITED about the addition of glitter, and I let them go absolutely ham with it out there because as a mother, I know glitter is not stepping it’s tiny tinsel toes into my house. There is a reason I call it the herpes of the art room, it is friggin’ impossibly to thoroughly clean up! Outside? The wind will take care of it (possibly pizzaz-zing a rabbit hole, but all good).
Why this works:
- Fine motor practice without frustration
- Zero drying time, simple process
- Glitter stays outside WHERE IT BELONGS
Summer Outdoor Art Projects for Kids: Liquid Watercolor Painting (Simple & Stunning)
Okay liquid watercolors are another amazing material for outside because they are inherently more messy than a watercolor palette but SO FUN. Basically you buy concentrated bottles (a lot like how food coloring works) and then dilute with water. I have had great success with the dollar tree muffin pan hack with these as well (I’ll post that reel below), because it helps them not spill! I store them in the little circular plastic containers from Dollar Tree that fit in the muffin pans, too!
This is one of my favorite low-effort, high-reward setups and you’ll see I use them for the next two projects as well! You can use food coloring in a pinch, too. I like offering oil pastels with them for layered drawings (these neon are a fav), but you can also do water-fast pen like this! In the picture above I gave every student a piece of mixed media paper taped off on a cardboard frame, and they loved peeling the edges off to reveal the border at the end.
Summer Outdoor Art Projects for Kids: Shaving Cream Paper Marbling
Save that palette of liquid watercolors with my dollar tree hack for this project, too! This feels like magic every single time. Now if you came to the art in the park class where we did this, it did feel a liiiittle crazy, but that’s because I was prepping 14 trays of shaving cream for ages 2-12 and trying to explain how to do it at the same time and also keeping my toddler from running onto the soccer field because my assistant/babysitter couldn’t make that class. 😆 If you’re just at home with your own kiddos, so much easier. Show them once, then let them at it!
Basically you squirt shaving cream on a tray or table. You can optionally flatten it out with a scrap of cardboard. Use a dropper to drop liquid watercolors or food coloring on top, and then swirl gently with a stick, then press paper onto the surface. Pull up the paper, scrape off the excess, and admire it!
Why it works:
- Sensory-rich but calm because they have to focus to use the droppers properly
- No “right” outcome, and you can use the marbled paper to draw on later!
- Great for mixed ages working side by side, its also fun to see kids take over the process and teach themselves how to reset the tray for a new print.
- Again, hose everyone and everything off before you go inside!
Summer Outdoor Art Projects for Kids: Scrap Wood Sculptures & Paint
Another hit this summer was building scrap wood sculptures and painting them! My daughter also loves to do this in the backyard and make fairy houses which makes my heart so happy! I was a real fairy loving kid and remember building fairy houses at the base of trees. Now I enjoy a good ‘adult’ fairy book. 🤣 Anywaysss, If you have access to scrap wood, this is a beautiful way to combine building and painting. I had some in my garage from updating my daughters playhouse so I just took a stack to the table saw and chopped it into random small pieces, brought a bucket, set out a cup of wood glue with silicone glue brushes like these, and watched them create!
In the photo pictured above where my daughter is using my son’s dump truck to haul her scrap pieces and building fairy houses, she was outside for two hour doing this, I kid you not. So, you’re welcome. 😆 Liquid watercolors on scrap wood with a little bowl of glue = endless entertainment.
Why it works:
- Encourages problem solving
- Combines art + engineering
- Feels very “big kid” in the best way using new “adult” materials!
A Gentle Reminder
To me, outdoor art isn’t about creating keepsakes! It’s about giving kids space and materials to explore, experiment, and feel capable.
And for you? It’s about bringing more creativity into your daily rhythms without adding additional stress. To feel, “hell yeah I just let my kids build scrap wood sculptures in the backyard and PAINT THEM like the creative, dope mom that I am.” All those materials you have been worried about using inside because you don’t want the mess to overwhelm you? Take them outside. Try it. If it ends horribly, line everyone up for a hose bath and tell them next time, if they don’t want a hose bath, be less crazy. 🤣 But really, I hope this encourages you to try a simple, new material outside this summer with your kiddos.
If you liked this post or the new materials I shared, consider grabbing a copy of my “Ultimate Guide to Age-Appropriate Art Supplies,” A free guide that breask down all my favorite materials for EVERY age so you don’t have to wonder anymore! That will add you to my email list, so you can start receiving free biweekly newsletters with simple, approachable art projects to try at home.