Place each piece of watercolor paper in a shallow tub of water for 10 to 15 minutes to ensure the paper is thoroughly wet, or invite children to use a large paintbrush, sponge or spray bottle to cover their sheet of paper with water before beginning the project.
Dilute your watercolor paints in water, with one color of paint per jar. Test your paint colors on a scrap piece of paper before letting children use the paints.
Place a piece of watercolor paper, rough side up, in front of each child. Have older children use a sponge to wipe away any excess puddles of water or complete this task for younger kids as you place the paper in front of them.
Invite children to fill in their blank watercolor paper with their favorite color or a mixture of colors. Allow children to paint an image or design of their liking or encourage them to see what happens when they paint certain colors, such as red and blue, next to each other on the paper.
Have students write their name on their project with their paintbrushes and leave the finished watercolor paintings flat to dry, to help avoid drips and runs.