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Yarn Paintings – a Process Art Activity for Toddlers

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January 30, 2023 by Sarah Punkoney, MAT

Toddlers and paint sometimes don’t mix…. Well, that is not the case with yarn painting! This is a process art activity for toddlers that is sure to be colorful and fun, as well as provide lots and lots of focus on the process!

String Paintings for Kids

yarn paintings or string painting for kids - this is a process art activity for toddlers and preschoolers
Process art is just what it says – it is art that is centered around the process of creating.

When I watch my preschoolers paint, I rarely see a method. You know, the gentle strokes of intertwining color that tell an imaginative narrative. Instead, I see smudging, dropping, crinkling, wiping, blobbing, smearing, squeezing, and pushing, just to name a few.

And everything I see is exactly what I want to see!  Because it is all about the process of making art.

Preschoolers and toddlers use process art as a means to tell a story. Just listen to what they say as they work:

“See my apple tree? It’s big and has big red apples on it!”

You may look at your toddler’s painting and see nothing that resembles an apple tree or even a hint of red. But that’s not what matters. To your toddler, she is making an apple tree with big red apples on it (even if the apples are actually purple rather than the red she says they are).

And that’s just fine.

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The power of process art is that it allows toddlers the freedom to use materials for the simple act of exploring and experimenting.  

That’s what makes “Painting with Yarn and Watercolors” such a great process art activity for toddlers.  Even though every student in my preschool class began with the same materials, the results were very, very different.  Their differences were astoundingly beautiful because of the exploration of the materials and techniques that took place.

And every exploration is valid, as are the stories they told while they painted.  One of my preschoolers particularly made me smile.  She asked, “Why are we doing this? What holiday?” When I told her it was for “just because”, she then said, “Oh, well, then I’m going to make a gumball machine.”

Related Reading

3 Ways to Write Art Lesson Plans for Preschool

FAQ About Doing Process Art with Toddlers

What is process art?

By definition, process art emphasizes the act and process of making art over the product produced. It is open-ended, self-motivated and based on experience and experimenting. Characteristics of process art include:

> no specified outcome
> no step-by-step directions
> no sample for children to follow
> work is entirely of the children’s own choice, both in product and whether or not to participate

What is an example of process art?

True process art is simply allowing children a range of materials to use and allowing them to create at their own cares and whims. Ideas for inspiration can be posted, however process art is not about the outcome, but rather the intent of the creator.

Here are some fun process art ideas to get you started:
> paint and an atypical “paintbrush” like a comb or using string
> oil and water paintings
> magazine collages
> glue resist paintings
> cellophane collages on sticky tagboard

Check out all my process art ideas for toddlers and preschoolers here.

Why is process art important for toddlers and preschoolers?

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) touts Process Art as highly developmentally appropriate for the preschool classroom. Some benefit of process art includes:

> nurturing social and emotional health
> reinforcing skills like focus, relaxation, and emotional sharing
> inspiring creativity and problem solving
> builds cognitive skills like comparison, planning, and problem solving
> encourages vocabulary development and verbal expression of language

Related Reading

Big Scribbling Art for Toddlers

Yarn Painting Process Art Activity for Toddlers

Just a few basic materials will get your toddler or preschooler creating frame-worthy abstract art:

Materials

  • liquid watercolors (Colorations is my absolute favorite).
  • watercolor paper
  • rainbow colored craft sticks that coordinate with the colors of liquid watercolor you are using
  • white cotton yarn
  • hot glue and a glue gun
  • paint pallet (But I really prefer using small baby food jars for liquid watercolor).

The Set-Up

It will only take a few minutes to do the little bit of prep work before your kiddos can begin painting.  Follow the steps below to make the “paintbrushes” with the yarn and colored craft sticks:

  1. Cut six pieces of yarn to about 10-12 inches each.
  2. Put a dab of hot glue in the center of the craft stick and wrap the yarn around the glue (about five times). The yarn will hang from the stick about six inches.
  3. Wrap each baby food jar in color coordinated paper. (This step is optional but really helpful. Often, the color of liquid watercolors is so saturated it is difficult to see which color is which).
  4. Fill each baby food jar with about 1/4 inch of the corresponding color liquid watercolor.
  5. Place corresponding color “paintbrushes” in each jar. (The craft stick should be placed over the top of the opening, not dipped inside the jar. The yarn will dangle in the jar).
  6. Set out a sheet of watercolor paper and invite your preschooler or toddler to come and paint!
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Painting with Yarn

Invite your preschooler to use the craft sticks and yarn to paint! Notice how the color of the craft stick coordinates with the color of watercolor. This helps the preschoolers remember from which jar they got their craft stick and it helps keep the colors from becoming contaminated with others.

yarn paintings or string painting for kids - this is a process art activity for toddlers and preschoolers - dipping the yarn in the watercolors
These toddlers are ready to being this special art technique.

The technique of painting with the yarn varied among the children.  Below are listed examples of different preschooler’s perspectives of the materials provided with some fun process art!  

As you can see, the result was a variety of different shapes, circles, swirls, spirals, and loops.

One student wanted very specific designs.  He carefully laid the yarn as he pleased and then tapped to push it down a bit, ensuring that the whole piece of yarn made a print.

pressing the yarn onto the paper - yarn paintings or string painting for kids - this is a process art activity for toddlers and preschoolers
This toddler is patting down the yarn and using it like a stamp.

Related Reading

Science Art for Kids: Oil and Water Droplet Painting

Another student shook the craft sticks and made a splatter-paint, Jackson Pollock effect.  Another dragged the yarn across his paper to make a series of straight lines that bled into one another when the wet paint overlapped.

Other students tried a little of everything. My toddler would lay the yarn on his paper and then pull both ends at once, creating a skipping effect.

pulling the yarn on the paper - yarn paintings or string painting for kids - this is a process art activity for toddlers and preschoolers
This toddler gently lays the yarn on the paper, and then pulls the string and drags it.
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As the children worked, they told stories about what they were creating. And those stories changed as their pictures progressed. One student had butterflies that turned into puppies that turned into tornados, while another student painted a fire truck and fire that then became a rocket ship with flames.

The end result was amazing, and each piece so very different.

each string painting turns out completely different - yarn paintings or string painting for kids - this is a process art activity for toddlers and preschoolers

 You can see how some children were very deliberate in their painting while others played a lot with techniques.

When doing process art activities for kids, it’s ok to “challenge” the children’s frame of mind by asking questions like:

  • What happens if I drop the string onto the paper?
  • Or if I pull it?
  • What will it look like if I drag the yarn all around?
  • Can I press the yarn between two papers?
  • What if I press the strong and then pull it?

These are questions that are sure get the children’s minds thinking as they explore the different process art ideas. They will begin to question all the things a little piece of string can do. This is an easy art project that has a big impression!

About the Mess

Any process art activity for toddlers can be messy.

Just take a deep breath, use washable paint, and you’ll be fine.  Your toddler or preschooler will appreciate the fact that you didn’t hold them back! And honestly, so will you, when you see what they are capable of creating when they are free to use their own process.

the mess is worth the outcome in yarn paintings! - yarn paintings or string painting for kids - this is a process art activity for toddlers and preschoolers
This toddler isn’t finished with his string painting art yet!

Related Reading

Ocean Art for Preschoolers

More Activities for Toddlers

I love doing process art projects with toddlers, but what else can a toddler do? Try some of these activities!

Hand Strengthening Exercises for Toddlers
These free preschool rock lesson plans include over 15 activities for preschoolers to learn about rocks and minerals.
Free Rocks Lesson Plans for Toddlers
Building Brick Stamped Dinosaur Art
sensory play ideas for toddlers using sensory bins
Google Eye & Ice Sensory Bin for Toddlers
Sarah Punkoney, MAT

I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.

stayathomeeducator.com/

Filed Under: Process Art

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Comments

  1. Mary says

    July 13, 2012 at 8:32 am

    I’ve been meaning to string paint for some time. My kids love alternative ways to paint and this one seems like so much fun! Thanks for linking up to TGIF Linky Party!

  2. maryanne @ mama smiles says

    July 16, 2012 at 7:02 am

    I did this ages ago – thanks for the reminder to do it with the kids again, it’s perfect for summer when we can paint outside!

  3. Shiloh says

    July 16, 2012 at 11:56 am

    What a great idea! I love that it sounds like he had more of a narrative with the yarn than when he just makes a picture.:) So fun.

  4. Charlotte says

    July 19, 2012 at 2:34 am

    Looks like a lot of fun – especially love that last picture! One of our favourites is using toy animals or cars to make tracks and footprints – my son loves making up simple stories to paint along with!

    Thanks for stopping by The Sunday Showcase – hope to see you there again this week!

    Charlotte
    makedoandfriend.com

  5. Charlene says

    July 23, 2012 at 10:16 am

    So much fun…thanks for sharing on Hey Mom, Look What I Did at Adventures In Mommy Land!! hope to see you again soon

    btw, I am featuring your craft this week 🙂

  6. Katrina says

    July 4, 2019 at 1:02 pm

    Sarah, do you know what kind of table they are using? I need a small one with space to create like this one! Thanks, I love your site and content. 🙂

    • Sarah Punkoney, MAT says

      July 21, 2019 at 7:15 am

      I have this table: https://amzn.to/2O9T71B

      But if you’re looking for something a little smaller this one looks good: https://amzn.to/2O60VBl

  7. Rachel says

    March 21, 2020 at 10:44 am

    Can you use arylic yarn? Or only cotton? Just wondering. I have I think everything else on hand. 🙂

    • Sarah Punkoney, MAT says

      April 1, 2020 at 4:15 pm

      You can use anything you have on hand. I think acrylic yarn might be a little more difficult to cut because it is “slick”, but it will work just as well.

  8. Jurrien Collins says

    July 7, 2020 at 11:23 pm

    We use watercolor paper too, but would any other paper work? I think thicker paper such as poster board, or cardstock would work better than thinner paper.

    • Sarah Punkoney, MAT says

      July 16, 2020 at 12:07 pm

      Yes, for sure!

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