What Are Kids' Art Activities Using Oil & Water?
- Even preschoolers can have fun with art activities using oil and water.funny face image by Renata Osinska from Fotolia.com
Oil and water do not mix. Young artists can use that knowledge to create unique designs. Kids can use oil to write a secret message, to control the flow of color and to separate certain aspects of their painting from others. These art ideas are based on science, so kids can learn as they play. - Make a message with a piece of paper and oil. Dip the end of a cotton swab into oil and write your message on the paper. When the paper is dry, lift it up to the light, and you will be able to read the message. To make it sneakier, add the water element. Pour some water on a plate. Place your written and dry secret message in the water. Drop fifteen drops of food coloring, alternating between green and yellow. Pick up the paper and let it dry. The paper will look like camouflage and still show your oiled secret message under a light.
- Stars and nebulas in the night sky.nebula image by Witold Krasowski from Fotolia.com
From far away, stars look like dots and nebulas look like splotches because of the star dust and gas clouds. Recreate this in art using oil and water. Make up your own constellation or draw a familiar one. Pour 1 tbsp. of water onto a plate, then pour 1 tbsp. of oil in the middle of the water. Drop some yellow food coloring into the center of the oil. You now have a sun that will stay put. Use your fingertip or a toothpick to push the sun into smaller stars. If you push a star into the water, it will spread and become a nebula. Once your design is that way you want it, drop a piece of paper on top. Lift it up and turn it over to dry. - Make a design like a tie-dye shirt.tie dyed green image by Steve Mann from Fotolia.com
Explore the connections between dish soap, water and oil by putting 1 tsp. of each in a clear dish, adding a few drops of food coloring to them and blowing at them with a straw. Experiment with colors and shapes. When you have a great design with two or more colors, place a piece of paper in the mix. After taking the paper out, you can either let the paper dry or use it first as a stamp on another piece of paper. If you use it as a stamp, the reverse design will appear as dots because of the oil separation.
