Marble painting uses a marble as a painting tool, allowing toddlers to create a unique and colorful design. Place a sheet of paper and a single marble inside of a shallow pan or shoebox. Allow the child to select one or two of his favorite paint colors and place several drops of paint on the paper. Help the toddler shake and tilt the box, rolling the marble through the paint and across the paper. Once children have gotten experience, add more marbles to the container. Using a ping pong ball instead of a marble makes this activity safer for younger toddlers. Allow toddlers to experiment with various balls or containers or add a texture, such as piece of sandpaper, under the paper.
Toddlers can create artworks by blowing at paint through a straw. The Family Fun website suggests diluting tempera paint with water, adding the water slowly until the consistency matches that of heavy cream. Place a spoonful of paint in the middle of a piece of paper and give your toddler a straw, having him blow through it to spread the paint around the paper. Experiment with color combinations by having children blow a second color over the first. Use bendy straws or cut straws into different lengths and let toddlers explore the effects on their paintings.
Large sponges are easy for toddlers to grip and can be used for several painting activities. Cut sponges into shapes, such as flowers, hearts or animal designs and introduce toddlers to printmaking by having them dip the sponge into a container of paint and pressing it firmly onto a sheet of paper. Use sponges in lieu of a paintbrush, letting toddlers dip the end of the sponge into their favorite color of paint before dragging it across a piece of paper.
Let toddlers dip their fingers or a whole hands into paint and spread it across the painting surface, using a piece of canvas, paper or a large rock. Provide a large bucket of water nearby for children to dip their hands in between colors or when finished with their artwork. Explore painting with different textures by allowing children to finger paint with shaving cream or pudding. Experiment with color mixing by limiting paint colors to primary colors. Have toddlers work as a team, allowing them to paint together on a large sheet of paper to create a mural.
Painting with a brush gives toddlers the opportunity to work on fine motor skills while making art. Allow them to create their own masterpieces on blank paper or canvas. Give them a coloring sheet to paint inside the lines, helping them improve fine motor skills. Introduce toddlers to splatter painting by letting them fling a large brush dipped in paint at the canvas in an outdoor location. Provide children with a bucket of water and several paint brushes and let them paint the sidewalk or playground equipment.