When the sun is shining and the temperatures rise, it’s the perfect time to take art outdoors! Process art offers children the freedom to explore materials, express themselves creatively, and build developmental skills without the pressure of a final product. In hot weather, simple materials like sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and washable paint become powerful tools for imaginative play and sensory exploration. Whether children are painting with melting ice cubes or creating chalk murals under the shade of a tree, these open-ended experiences support fine motor development, early literacy, and joyful connection to the natural world. Keep reading for our favourite process art ideas that turn summer heat into a season of creativity and play-based learning.
This process art activity is a fun and easy way to be creative, explore colour mixing, mixed media art on a hot sunny day!
Simply fill an ice cube tray with all colours of tempera paint and then gently fill them to the top with water! Mix, mix, mix! Then add popsicle sticks and place them in the freezer. Then take your tuff tray outside place paper on each side and then grab your frozen paint from the freezer and place them in the middle.
Then invite children to paint and create!
This fun and easy process art is perfect for a sunny summer day and takes less then 5 minutes to set up but will create all kinds of unique and fun art!
Take your tuff tray outside and lay out paper on each side! Then place bowls with liquid watercolour paint in the middle. When ready pour bubble solution in your liquid watercolour mix to create your paint! Then add bubble wands of all shapes, sizes & designs to the paint and encourage your learners to blow bubbles at the paper and watch the designs it creates when the bubbles pop.
Slight PSA make sure to do this on a day where it’s not to windy or your bubbles fly anywhere except the paper!
This is the perfect easy process art invitation for a sunny day that gets your little learners outside and creative!
Take your mirrored tray outdoors on a blue sky day and find a perfect spot with lots of clouds! Then pour white and blue tempera paint on the tray to help create your sky.
Then attach your Pom Poms to clothespins and dip it in the white paint and invite children to make fluffy clouds! You can then dip your paint brush in the blue paint and paint the sky for your clouds.
This process art activity is a fun and easy way to be creative, explore colour mixing, mixed media art on a hot sunny day!
Simply fill an ice cube tray with primary coloured washable tempera paint and then gently fill them to the top with water! Mix, mix, mix! Then add popsicle sticks and place them in the freezer. Then take your tuff tray outside place paper on each side and then grab your frozen paint from the freezer and place them in the middle.
Then invite children to paint and create!
This is such a fun and easy nature inspired process art activity that will be colourful and create a unique piece each time.
Go on a nature walk in your local community or backyard with children and collect all kinds of unique and different nature!
Pour liquid watercolour paint in small spray bottles and then gently add water to fill them up. Gently tape your nature finds to the paper or canvas and then take your spray bottles and gently spray your nature finds and then wait for them to fully dry. Once dry, remove the nature finds to reveal the negative space and imprint of the nature finds.
What patterns and colours will you mix together as you drip, splash and squirt paint all over the paper? This process art invitation is so fun, easy and colourful your learners will love exploring all the different art they can create!
Take your tuff tray outside and then place sheets of paper and place them on all sides of your tuff tray! Then pour liquid watercolour paint in in paint pots and then gently add water to fill them up. Add pipettes and then encourage children to begin dripping paint all over the paper.
Explore different techniques dripping paint! Can you squirt the paint out? Gently create a design? Mix different colour together?
This is a great way to beat the heat and explore colour and painting in a new way outside!
What you need:
-Sidewalk Chalk
-Cornstarch
-Water
-Popsicle Sticks
-Ice Cube Tray
Step One: Take half a piece of sidewalk chalk and place it in a ziplock bag. Place the bag on a cutting board or solid surface and take a hammer or mallet and smash the chalk into dust!
Step Two: Pour chalk dust into the ice cube tray and measure 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water and mix! Place Popsicle sticks in your mixture.
Step Three: Place in the freezer and wait till frozen. Once completely frozen take out of the freezer and pour hot water on the back of the ice cube tray to slightly melt the paint so you can release it from the tray!
Step Four: Go outside and enjoy! Mix colours, paint different surfaces and explore!
This is such a fun, easy and colourful process art activity that will have children laughing and experiencing the joy of open ended creation.
Simply cut a sheet or paper to the size of the bottom of the tuff tray and secure it with tape! Pour paint all over the paper and add your paint swatters and then invite children to slap, paint and create.
Grate it, crush it and mix with water and you have instant CHALK PAINT! The colours, the sounds, the textures, the mess… this activity is SO MUCH FUN.
There are so many ways to break down the chalk to a powder like form. You can use a cheese grater or a mortar and pestle. Add it all to a bowl and mixed with water and a paintbrush. The tuff tray is the perfect canvas! The colours really popped on the black surface and all you need is a hose and the chalk washed right off.
Need a fun and colourful activity that is ready in under 5 minutes? This process art activity is for you!
Go on a nature walk and collect rocks of all shapes and sizes! Place them in your tuff tray and add tempera paint and paint brushes. Then invite children to paint and create.
This is such a fun and easy nature inspired process art that you can do with a bouquet of flowers that needs new life!
Place your flowers beside a canvas and offer tempera paint on a paper plate and dip your flowers in the paint and stamp them on the canvas!
Notice the textures and imprints of the flowers on the canvas!
Can you make your mark, explore mixing colours and create unique collaborative process art? This is such a fun and easy invitation for children to explore sensory play, build fine motor skills, open ended creativity and art!
Take your tuff tray outside and slide in a mirror insert! Then dot your washable tempera paint all around the edges and invite children to dip their fingers in the paint and begin exploring! What marks will they make? What patterns can they make? Can you mix colours? So much the explore.
Nature Mirrored Painting Process Art
This stunning outdoor process art activity invites children to explore colour, texture, and reflection in a playful, hands-on way! Set up mirrored tiles or boards in your tuff tray, add paints, brushes, and natural treasures like leaves, sticks, and flowers. Then let little artists mix, swirl, and stamp their creations across the reflective surface.
Why is this activity beneficial?
Cognitive Development: Supports open-ended exploration, creativity, and problem-solving as children experiment with materials.
Nature Play: Encourages children to engage with the natural environment, bringing outdoor textures and treasures into their art.
Fine Motor Skills: Holding brushes, stamping with leaves, and painting strokes strengthen muscles and hand-eye coordination.
Sensory Play: Mirrors add a layer of reflection and depth, enhancing visual stimulation and sparking curiosity.
Process Art: Focuses on creativity and expression rather than a finished product, allowing every child’s artwork to be unique.
Extend the Learning:
- Ask children to notice how the paint looks different on the mirror compared to paper.
- Invite them to use natural materials as stamps or brushes to explore new textures.
- Observe how sunlight changes the reflections and colours throughout the day.
Why Process Art Matters in Summer
Hot weather is perfect for process art because it encourages movement, mess, and exploration without worry. Outdoor art gives children the freedom to express themselves without the constraints of indoor cleanup. It also aligns with principles of play-based learning and supports early childhood development across physical, cognitive, social, and emotional domains.
By embracing these summer process art ideas, we’re not just keeping children busy we’re helping them build confidence, explore cause and effect, and develop lifelong creative thinking.
Make sure to tag us on social media if you try any of our ideas and follow us for more play based learning activites, process art and craft ideas on social media @ScholarsChoice on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
