40+ Backyard Art Projects & Activities

Earlier this week we posted about how one of our summer hopes is to just spend time enjoying our backyard. We also enjoy creating art both in the backyard and on our back deck. Sometimes we use the materials as is in the yard and sometimes we collect materials we want to create with. Other times the project is just so messy that the only place I want to do it is outside . . . even though I love a good, messy project.

As we get ready for summer we've put together a post of more than 40 ideas of art projects you can either do in the yard or after playing outside.

Photos: Tape Resist Splatter Painting from Buggy + Buddy; Humpty Dumpty Egg Splat Painting from Adventures of Adam; Bubble Prints from Mama.Papa,Buba; Wet Chalk Exploration from Kitchen Floor Crafts.

Messy Art Projects Perfect for the Backyard
1. A new favorite of ours: paint with bouncy balls! With the potential for wayward painting, this is definitely a good one to take outside.
2. This has been on our "to try" list for a while since we first saw it over at Fireflies + Mudpies: Squirt Gun Painting! They've also created tie-dyed t-shirts using the same technique.
3. I used to LOVE splatter painting as a kid. These tape resist splatter paintings from Buggy & Buddy are cool enough to frame!
4. Use a rain gutter piece as a ramp, along with some paint and balls to create gutter painting like Adventures of Adam did with a few fascinated toddlers.
5. Little Sprouts suggests throwing an open-ended art party outside, perfect idea so that you don't worry about the mess and you can just enjoy the art making process with kids!
6. Spread a cardboard canvas outside and let the kids go to town painting it. Mama Smiles set up several for multiple kids.
7. Mini Monets and Mommies shares a great idea for using primary colored ice paint and taking it outside for the painting process. Colorful and messy!
8. Use a Tuff Spot like they did at LarabeeUK to create an amazingly large piece of marbled paper.
Adventures in Adam has two different amazing ideas for egg splat painting (and yes, she uses real egg shells!): Humpty Dumpty Egg Splat Painting and Neon Ghost Egg Splat Painting.
9. Learning and Exploring Through Play was inspired by Jackson Pollock to use sticks and paint to create abstract art.
10. Mama.Papa.Bubba uses regular bubble solution and food coloring to create very pretty bubble prints!
11. Use a door or window to create a tactile finger painting experience outside for a great sensory experience just as they like to do over at The Jenney Evolution.
12. Set up a lovely invitation like Natural Beach Living did so that children can explore natural objects and paint them at the same time.
13. Soap foam can be a lot of fun as a sensory experience, but why not print with it too like Fireflies + Mudpies?
14. Let kids get messy with wet chalk, water, and a spray bottle in this easy to set up art exploration!

Photos: Dandelion Suncatcher from Kitchen Floor Crafts; Caterpillars from Learning and Exploring through Play; Flower Petal Suncatcher from Messy Little Monster; Melted Crayon Rocks from Red Ted Art. 

Using Found Objects from the Yard
15. Simple material and set up in this Easy Leaf Printing idea from Picklebums with a pretty result!
16. Use the seeds of a dandelion to make a pretty and simple suncatcher.
17. Create an art challenge encouraging kids to use certain number of found objects like Mosswood Connections did in the Nature Number Art Challenge.
18. Press leaves into playdough to create leaf images on the dough (we've also done this with salt dough.)
19. Create a woodland princess crown using all of the acorns your child collects like they did over at Having Fun at Home.
20. During the summer months Messy Little Monster uses flower petals from flowers in bloom to create a paper plate suncatcher.
21. Add pipecleaners and pompoms to sticks, and you get adorable caterpillars like these ones they made over at Learning and Exploring Through Play.
22. Mosswood Connections uses a variety of natural materials and art materials to create mixed media collages.
23. Why not put those grass clippings to good use and use them to create alphabet art? Mini Monets and Mommies shares an easy way to create alphabet art outside.
24. Use sticks like they did at KCEdventures to create a mural which shows how a tree can change through the seasons.
25. The Jenney Evolution uses sunflowers with preschoolers to paint with, the big blooms make great brushes.
26. Although we have to bring our seashells home from the beach, just like Mama.Papa.Bubba we love painting the shells once we get home. Or you can turn them into these pretty mermaid necklaces!
27. Childhood101 shares a colorful way to use crayons for leaf rubbings and then add watercolor on top.
28. Collect rocks in the yard, clean them up, and follow these awesome instructions from Red Ted Art for creating melted crayon rocks.

Photos: Sunflower painting from The Jenney Evolution; Acorn Painting from Kitchen Flower Crafts; Painting with Nature Materials Found in the Yard from Danya Banya. 

Painting with Natural Materials
29. Use acorns like marbles to paint, like we did here.
30. Sticks can also make great painting materials, or can be a great item to paint. They do both over at Danya Banya.
31. Or, attach other materials to sticks to create all natural paintbrushes like they did over at Messy Little Monster.
32. Crab apples make really sweet, small apple prints.
33. Danya Banya shows how you can use a clothespin to hold onto natural materials when you paint - and then create beautiful work with your new "paintbrushes."
34. Uno Zwei Tutu show that when you use a canvas and found objects toddlers also can create a hangable piece of art!

Photos: Watercolor in the Rain from Kitchen Floor Crafts; Explore Water Diffusion with Sunprints from Handmade Kids Art; Sunprint T-Shirt from KCEdventures. 

Art Using the Power of Nature
35. Use the sun to create two different types of sun prints.
36. Watercolor in the rain, and the drops of rain will add to the art work.
37. Use a mirror to capture a reflection of the trees in order to paint the trees as they are reflected.
38. This idea from Mama Smiles is definitely going on our summer to try list: use the sun to melt and create upcycled crayons!
39. KCEdventures shows how with a little paint, a few objects, and the sun you can create a a very cool sunprint t-shirt.
40. Handmade Kids Art shoes how you can use materials on hand to help kids explore water diffusion with sunprints.

With summer almost here, we can't wait to dig into our art supplies and explore the yard to try out some of these awesome activities! 

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