Apple tree with red apples, yellow apples and some in betweenRed and yellow. Stamp apples with a cotton ball in a clothespin: some red, some yellow, some touching.
Bunch of grapes dabbed with a cotton ballBlue and red. Clip a cotton ball in a clothespin; dab blue grapes, then red ones that touch them.
Frog pond patted yellow first, then blueYellow and blue. Pat yellow over the whole page with a sponge, then pat blue into it while it is wet.
Fuzzy monster that fills the whole paperBlue and red. Pat a big blue blob with a sponge, then pat red into the middle while it is wet.
Goldfish bowl with as many fish as will fitRed and yellow. Stamp a small sponge once for each fish: red ones, yellow ones and some dipped in both.
Jungle too thick to see throughYellow and blue. Drag a damp sponge upward for stalks in both colors until no paper shows.
Mountains, a blue row behind and a red row in frontBlue and red. Drag a sponge in zigzags, blue first, then red lower down across the wet blue.
Pink clouds along the top of the paperRed and white. Dab red clouds lightly with a sponge, then pat white into each one until it turns pink.
Snake that wriggles from the top corner to the bottomYellow and blue. Stamp a round sponge in yellow, then in blue, each print overlapping the last.
Snowy hill that turns blue toward the bottomBlue and white. Sponge blue across the bottom and white above it, then pat down the page so they blend.
Sunset that turns orange where two sponges meetRed and yellow. Sponge red across the top and yellow below it, then pat along the line where they touch.
Three piglets, each one a paler pinkRed and white. Stamp a round sponge in red, then add more white to it for each new piglet.
Kitchen drawer tools 12
Birthday cake iced in pink with a spatulaRed and white. Spread a wide block of red, then spread white over it the way icing goes on a cake.
Bubbles floating up to the top edgeBlue and white. Print rings with the rim of a plastic cup in blue, then white rings that cross them.
Forest of fir trees, each a different greenYellow and blue. Press a bottle brush flat for each tree, dipping in a little more blue every time.
Hill of long grass scrubbed up the paperYellow and blue. Scrub yellow upward with a dish scrubber, then scrub blue through it.
Ladder that climbs off the top of the paperBlue and red. Press a slotted spatula flat, one print above the last, swapping color with every print.
Leopard coat: a yellow page covered in spotsRed and yellow. Spread yellow all over with a spatula, then dot red spots with the back of a spoon.
Loop flowers printed with a whiskRed and yellow. Press a whisk flat for each flower: red here, yellow there, and one dipped in both.
Machine full of wheels that touchBlue and red. Print rings with jar lids of three sizes so that each ring touches the next.
Rainbow with only three stripesRed and yellow. Drag a spatula in a red arch and a yellow arch, then once more through the gap between.
Sea urchins twisted onto the sea floorBlue and red. Twist a dish brush on the spot for each urchin: a blue one, a red one, one with both.
Skyscraper with windows all the way upYellow and blue. Press a potato masher in yellow from the bottom to the top, then in blue in the gaps.
Waterfall scraped straight down the paperBlue and white. Blob both colors along the top and pull a spatula down through them in one go.
Rollers and toy wheels 12
Crocodile skin in bumpy dots from edge to edgeYellow and blue. Wrap a rolling pin in bubble wrap and roll it across in yellow, then in blue.
Farm field with tractor tracks from side to sideYellow and blue. Roll a toy tractor across in yellow rows, then in blue rows between them.
House wall painted pink, rolled like a decorator's jobRed and white. Roll red over the whole paper, then roll white into it, up and down, to the corners.
Picnic blanket with stripes that crossBlue and red. Roll blue stripes down the paper with a small roller, then red stripes across them.
Race to the top: two cars, two colorsRed and yellow. Drive one toy car up the paper in red and one in yellow, then let the tracks cross.
Roller coaster track that loops and dipsBlue and red. Roll a small paint roller in one long looping line of blue, then red along the same line.
Snowy road with fresh tire tracksBlue and white. Roll blue over the paper, then drive a toy truck through white paint and up the page.
Striped awning for a pretend ice-cream shopRed and white. Roll red stripes downward with a small roller, then white ones between, edges touching.
Striped scarf long enough for a giraffeRed and yellow. Roll stripes across with a small roller: red, yellow, red, all the way down.
Sun that takes up half the paperRed and yellow. Roll yellow round and round into a big circle, then roll red rays out from it.
Train track from the bottom corner to the top cornerBlue and red. Roll a toy train uphill in blue, then back down the same track in red.
Winding river with grassy banksYellow and blue. Roll a foam roller in one winding line of blue, then yellow along both sides of it.
Leaves, feathers and twigs 12
Berry bush patted on with a leafy twigBlue and red. Pat a leafy twig in blue all over the bush, then in red wherever a berry goes.
Butterfly from two leaves pressed tip to tipBlue and red. Coat one big leaf blue and one red, press them tip to tip, then swap them and press again.
Campfire with flames pulled upward by a twigRed and yellow. Blob both colors along the bottom and pull each flame upward with a twig.
Flamingo wing stroked on with a featherRed and white. Stroke a feather outward from one point in red, then in white over the wet red.
Lawn that badly needs mowingYellow and blue. Tap an evergreen sprig up the page in yellow, then in blue, until the grass is thick.
Leaves falling from the top of the paper to the bottomRed and yellow. Coat a leaf red, yellow or half and half and press it, a little lower every time.
Misty pond wiped on with a big leafBlue and white. Wipe blue across the bottom with a big soft leaf, then white back and forth above it.
Parrot's tail in long leaf strokesBlue and red. Dip a long leaf and drag it downward for each tail feather: blue, red, blue.
Seaweed growing up from the bottom edgeYellow and blue. Dip a stick and drag wavy lines upward, yellow ones first, then blue ones crossing them.
Tortoise shell dabbed with a pineconeYellow and blue. Dab a pinecone in yellow all over a big dome, then in blue between the dabs.
Wheat field swept on with a bundle of grassRed and yellow. Sweep a tied bundle of long grass upward in yellow, then in red over it.
Windy day with everything swished one wayBlue and white. Swish a pine sprig sideways in blue, then in white over it, always the same way.
Squeeze bottles and sprays 12
Balloon bunch with strings that run to the floorBlue and red. Squeeze fat blobs of blue and red near the top; each one drips its own string.
Dusk sky sprayed on in two colorsBlue and red. Spray watery blue over the whole page, then watery red across the lower half.
Green slime oozing down from the top edgeYellow and blue. Squeeze thick yellow along the top edge, then blue over it, and let the slime ooze.
Ice cream that melts down the paperRed and white. Squeeze a scoop of red near the top, then white over it, and let them slide down together.
Lava running down from the top of a volcanoRed and yellow. Squeeze both colors at one spot near the top and let them run down side by side.
Raindrops racing down from a storm cloudBlue and red. Squeeze a line of runny blue along the top, then red over it, and watch which drop wins.
Rainforest in a downpourYellow and blue. Spray watery yellow over the top half, then watery blue, and let it all run.
Shower turned on fullBlue and white. Spray watery blue across the top with a spray bottle, then squeeze white drips through it.
Stage curtain that closes one drip at a timeRed and yellow. Squeeze red and yellow drips in turn along the top until the curtain is shut.
Sunbeams falling from a sun in the top cornerRed and yellow. Squeeze a yellow sun in the corner, dot red around it with a dropper and let the rays run.
Toothpaste squeezed in one long wiggly lineBlue and white. Squeeze a thick wiggly line of blue across the paper, then a white one right on top.
Willow tree with branches that hang to the groundYellow and blue. Drip yellow from a dropper along the top, then blue beside each yellow trail.
How it works
An easel stands the paper upright, so runny paint slides down it and thick paint stays where it lands. The 60 ideas are sorted by what a grown-up sets out in the tray, from sponges to squeeze bottles.
Read the full guide
Children's easel painting ideas, two pots at a time
Every idea asks for two pots and no more. Red and yellow meet as orange, yellow and blue as green, blue and red as purple, and white turns red pink and blue paler. Each pair has 15 ideas, three in every group, so whichever two pots are out, every tool has a picture.
Thick paint or runny paint
Four groups use paint as thick as it comes, because it has to stay on a sponge, a masher, a toy wheel or a leaf. Squeeze bottles and sprays mostly want it thinned with water until it runs: Raindrops racing down from a storm cloud is a race between drops, and Balloon bunch with strings that run to the floor drips its own strings.
Lay newspaper under the easel: the drip pictures finish on the floor.
A masher, whisk or spoon that has been in paint stays with the paints.
Clip the sheet at both top corners so a roller or a toy car cannot drag it down.
Questions and answers
What do you put at a preschool easel?
Two pots of paint that mix, a picture to try and a household tool or two: a sponge, a cotton ball in a clothespin, a potato masher, a whisk, a small roller, a toy car, a pinecone or a squeeze bottle.
What are some unique easel painting ideas for preschoolers?
Ones a table cannot do. Green slime oozing down from the top edge and Stage curtain that closes one drip at a time need the sheet upright; Ladder that climbs off the top of the paper needs it tall.
Which preschool easel art ideas need the least setting up?
Sponges and cotton balls: one sponge and two pots. Fuzzy monster that fills the whole paper and Jungle too thick to see through start with no outline, no tape and nothing to cut.