Big ArtPreschoolersGrade SchoolKindergartnersToddlers36 Comments
Make this easy DIY window paint recipe with your kids and create art on your windows! It’s fun to wash off this window paint and create again and again.
I love when Henry chooses the activity for the day. This time he wanted really, really badly to paint the big window again!
When we made window paint last time, it was super sticky and goopy. This time, I looked up a new window paint recipe from Brought to You by Mom.
Very similar recipe to the last, but this time, no cornstarch.
Easy Homemade Window Paint Recipe:
- Dish Soap
- Tempera Paint for color
Can’t get much simpler than that. And fast!
I mixed together a dish of each primary color, keeping it as simple as possible.
While I mixed together the paint and gathered supplies (all of 2 minutes, maybe), Henry placed Blue Dog on the back of the couch to look out the window to watch him paint.
Henry went to town painting the window. This paint was much thinner and easier to spread than the cornstarch recipe. They both have their pros and cons.
This time, I armed Henry with a scrub brush.
His new favorite tool to paint the window with!
Blue Dog is watching Henry in action from inside.
I took advantage of our primary paint colors and explored mixing them together with Henry.
Henry and I mixed together yellow and blue to make green. This one isn’t new to Henry as we’ve had to come up with a way to paint with green in the past without actually having green paint.
But orange and purple are new to him! Henry really liked that yellow and red made orange.
Maybe it will be a new favorite color… though I’m not sure orange would pass the test… (there aren’t a lot of Allis-Chalmers machines around here, at least not at Grandpa’s farm.)
To show how much thinner this homemade window paint recipe is:
I think now I can say we created our own drip paintings! This would have been a great recipe for that activity, too!
The edge of the window looked pretty cool. Henry thought so too and pointed out the drips many times as he was making them.
I think next time we try window painting, I’ll just add a tad bit of cornstarch and hopefully, we’ll find a happy medium.
To add a little more fun, I brought out his squirt bottle. I thought it would be fun to see what designs we could make with squirting it onto the painted window.
Henry had plans to clean off the entire window with it.
Henry has been going through a stage of throwing fits for every little thing. This time he threw a fit and ended up in a timeout in his room before completely cleaning the window.
The plan was to hose it off and have a little water fun. I ended up doing that myself, though.
Another fun day of us painting the window can be found on Make and Takes!
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Priyanka Bhasin says
Hi Jamie
Iam Priyanka Bhasin from India, daily am receiving activities for kids and am very happy to see all the activities and m applying all in my school. I have a kindergarten school age group 2 years to 6 years, happy to inform you that all activities are very interesting and useful, kids enjoy a lot.
Addie Allen says
The paint didn’t stain the white part around the window, did it? I would love to try this idea!
Ashley says
My kids would love this! Featured you this week on Mom’s Library!
Melissa French, The More With Less Mom says
I bet that window was sparkly clean when you were done, since you used soap. Thanks for posting. Hello from Motivation Monday.
Jana says
Thank you for the beautiful ideas . Can I use some of them on my blog ? I am from Czech Republic and I would like your ideas introduced in our language . I would like to shoot photos , I describe how we were doing the activity , and then add the link to your website with an original idea . Thank you for answer
Louise says
I LOVE this idea. I actually love the effect along the window ledge as much as the ‘painting’.
maria says
Me encanto el sitio y me gustaría mucho que me mandaran actividades de plastica al mail.gracias!
Crystal Clark says
We made some with shaving cream and a few drops of food coloring. Adora loves to color in with these in the shower :) We have the perfect glass shower doors for this fun project.
Jamie Reimer says
Oh that’d be perfect for shower doors! My husband won’t let me use shaving cream on our windows because we have a film on it for UV rays or something… But we should use the shaving cream in the bath!
Sophies World says
What a wonderful idea – I know kids love to a paint with water on a hot summer day but this some seriously colorful fun! Thank you!
Laura Oreamuno says
I paint the Windows at School for other teachers. Maybe you will like to try mine: liquid soap, tempera and a little of hand cream. It is very easy, no dripping and it washes with just water.Laura Oreamuno, Costa Rica
aliciafinnnoack says
Window paint was a big hit here, too. I especially love the “cleaning game” we played at the end. We didn’t do a super job of cleaning up, but later on that day, I came around the corner to find my son in the middle of another round of cleaning the window, without any help from me. Those moments are the best!
Stephanie says
This looks awesome! Pinning so I can pull it out soon for my girls. Thanks!
Becky says
many, many years ago when I was a new teacher, I used this recipe and let my third graders paint my little white Volkswagen. The kids had a ball and the paint came off easily in the car wash. I still get comments from the kids in that class (all in their 30s) who have never forgotten that project.
Tamara Burdic says
Oops….here's my link: http://mess-cipes.blogspot.com/
best,
Tamara
Tamara Burdic says
Hi Jamie! Just discovered your wonderful blog tonight–Here's the one I started last summer…..hope you and your boys enjoy it
Tamara
ang says
So, I'm a little paint-wary. Does it stain the window base/frame at all? Or the walls? I'd hate to have a purple house.
Amanda says
What fun! Makes me wish I was a kid again :)
I run Fun Family Crafts, a site similar in nature to Craftgawker and Spotlight, but different in that it's a library of craft tutorials geared only at kids. I would love it if you'd stop by and submit this to be featured! (I link to you, I don't post your tutorial on the site) Feel free to submit as many kid friendly craft tutorials as you like! http://funfamilycrafts.com/
Mama Pea Pod says
Very fun! I love the drips at the bottom, I think those are my favourite part, they look so colourful! Thanks for sharing with us at Outdoor Play! Hope we'll see you again this Friday :-)
Little Wonders' Days says
We've never tried window painting, but it sure does look fun and pretty. Those little fits are tough! Thanks for sharing this at the Summertime fun party.
Debbie says
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this post, the idea, the presentation/documentation — the whole enchilada. Love adding the tools, love the color mixing.
You've done such a brilliant job of sharing — from your family to the world.
The old art teacher in me rejoices to see this going on at an early age!!!!
THREE THUMBS UP!
BTW: it's ubber kind of you to share that there was some hoopdy-do at the conclusion….. otherwise we'd really think you were super-person from another galaxy and get a bit grumpy by comparison.
It's good to know that even in the midst of a brilliant 'activity' full of process & learning any given child can hit a rough spot. Makes us all part of the same human pool.
fiddlestickspreschool says
We did this this morning and got two new ideas in the process. We made prints of our window painting by pressing paper onto the window and peeling it off. After we did a half-dozen of those, my daughter got the idea to sit on her chair and paint with her toes. That was fun! Thanks for getting us started!
Melissa @ The Chocolate Muffin Tree says
I love the drip painting on the bottom! Sometimes the messes are the most beautiful part of the project! 3's can be quite difficult (at least for C it was)!
Great documentation of the whole process! Sometimes it is difficult to get all those pics.
Brooke @ Let Kids Create says
Boy would my girls go crazy for this activity. We will have to try it soon!
Ms. Jessi says
Fun! Did the dish soap help get the paint off the window frame? I'd like to do this at our school. ;)
Jessica says
Very cute. I love that he wanted puppy to watch him! We will have to try this idea soon!
Rashi says
Jamie, that's a wonderful idea of using paint and soap and it makes kids more involved in any activity. Thanks for sharing.
Anna @ The Imagination Tree says
That looks like SO much fun! How cute that he lined up doggy to watch, awwww!