Drip and Drop Watercolor Exploration

Watercolor paper or thick paper (regular paper gets too soggy)

Liquid watercolor or food coloring mixed with water

Droppers or pipettes (available at any craft or pharmacy store)

Small cups for holding the colors

A sponge or spray bottle for wetting the paper

A tray to contain the drips

Tape a piece of watercolor paper to a tray with painter's tape. The tray catches any runoff.

Use a damp sponge or spray bottle to wet the paper surface evenly. The paper should be damp, not puddled.

Fill small cups with diluted liquid watercolor or water mixed with food coloring. Three to four colors is ideal.

Show your toddler how to squeeze the dropper bulb to suck up color, then release drops onto the wet paper. The squeezing motion takes practice.

Let your toddler drip colors onto the paper and watch them bloom outward into beautiful, soft circles.

Tilt the tray gently together to encourage the colors to run and blend. The mixing is mesmerizing.

Set the paper flat to dry. Watercolor art often looks even more beautiful once dry.

The dropper squeeze is fantastic for hand strength. If your toddler cannot manage the squeeze yet, let them pour small amounts from the cups instead.

Liquid watercolor produces more vibrant results than food coloring, but food coloring works in a pinch.

Wet paper is key. On dry paper, the drops just sit there. On wet paper, they spread and blend organically.

This is a surprisingly calming activity. The slow dripping and gentle color blooming has an almost meditative quality.

Frame the dried artwork — watercolor drip art looks genuinely gallery-worthy. No one would guess a toddler made it.