Cotton Ball Painting for Toddlers

Cotton balls

Clothespins

Washable paint in 3-4 colors

Paper plates for paint

Large paper

Tape

Smock or old shirt

Clip cotton balls into clothespins to make easy-grip paint dabbers. Make one for each color you plan to use.

Pour washable paint onto paper plates in thin layers, one color per plate.

Tape paper to the table and put a smock on your toddler. Roll sleeves up.

Show your toddler how to dip the cotton ball end into the paint and dab it onto the paper. Press, lift, press, lift.

Let them experiment freely. Dabbing makes dots, dragging makes streaks, and pressing hard makes big blotchy clouds of color.

When they want a new color, swap out the cotton ball dabber for a fresh one. Using one per color keeps the paint from turning muddy.

Let the painting dry flat and then hang it up. The cotton ball texture makes a beautifully soft, impressionistic effect.

The clothespin handle is the key to this activity. It gives toddlers something sturdy to grip while keeping little fingers out of the paint.

Squeezing the clothespin is itself a great fine motor exercise. If your toddler cannot open it yet, you clip the cotton ball in for them.

Try this on dark paper with light-colored paint for a striking reversed effect.

Large pom-poms work as a substitute if you do not have cotton balls — they hold more paint and make bigger marks.

Talk about the textures — "See how fluffy and soft that circle looks?" The cotton creates a different effect than a brush or sponge.