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Frozen Paint – Process Art for Kids

Need to cool down on a hot summer day? Or just need a no-prep boredom buster for when you’ve been stuck inside for too long? This Frozen Paint recipe is an amazing process art activity for kids. 

Make up a whole batch of frozen paint ice cubes that you can keep in the freezer, ready to go whenever you need it. Your kids will have lots of fun with this messy activity.

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Frozen paint is a fun process art and summer activity for kids. Fantastic play idea for toddlers and preschoolers.

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Summer Arts and Crafts for Kids

Here are some of my most popular kids art ideas to try this Summer. So no matter if you’re planning a Summer unit or just preparing for the school break, here are some creative ways to play with your toddlers and preschoolers.

  1. Pineapple craft for summer
  2. Paper Plate Starfish Craft
  3. Paper plate Watermelon Craft for kids
  4. Paper Plate Sunflower Craft

For more ideas, visit 40 Summer Crafts for Kids

Materials needed

  1. Acrylic Paint
  2. Dish Soap
  3. Water
  4. Ice Cube Tray
  5. Popsicle Sticks


How to Make Frozen Paint

Step 1: Gather your materials. Each mixture of paint is going to be 1/4 paint, 1/4 dish soap and 1/2 water.

If you like, you can just use pure paint without adding anything to it. Or change the water content depending on the consistency of the paint that you are trying to achieve.

I knew that I was going to use this paint outside and that I didn’t want my pavers to suffer any permanent damage. So when I was planning what type of paint to use I decided to use the same paint recipe that I use for my DIY Washable Window Paint, which washes off anything. 

Or you can buy easy wash paints instead of using what you already have at home.

I found the best way to make frozen paint cubes was to mix each color in the individual sections of the ice cube tray, instead of making one big batch and then pouring it in. Leaving a little bit of extra room at the top of each square, because the cubes get larger as the water freezes.

Step 2: Cut your popsicle sticks in half and place them into each ice cube.

Although this step is optional, I thought that it was a good idea. It’s a lot easier to paint when your fingers aren’t aching from the freezing temperatures.

Step 3: Place your ice cube tray in the freezer and leave it overnight.

FAQ’s

How long does frozen paint last?

Ours lasted for a fairly long time. In fact I still had paint cubes in the freezer a couple of months after initially making it. Although the cubes had gotten smaller (just like normal ice does over time).

What else can you use to make frozen paint?

You can use a number of different paint recipes to make frozen paint, it all depends on what you’re looking for. The next time I want to make an outdoor painting activity, I’m going to try making DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint and freezing that instead.

However, if you want to make a frozen paint for toddlers and babies that’s taste-safe, you can add food coloring to the water before placing it in the freezer.

How do you paint with frozen paint?

First things first, you’ll need it to melt a little bit. When the frozen paint gets exposed to a heat source (like the sun, or your children’s hands) it’ll start to leave a trail of frozen colors over your paper or sidewalk. After that, you get to explore and see what happens when you try different things.

The first time my kids did this frozen paint activity, they liked to spread the paint on their hands first and then make handprints on the paper.

What I would love to try when my kids get older, is to make frozen paint art using a hairdryer. Place the icy paint onto some paper and heat them with a hairdryer. The hot air will melt and blow the paint all over the paper in fun and new ways. That’s a paint project my kids would love.

This is one reason why I love process art activities for kids, not only do they provide a whole lot of benefits to your child’s development. The kids won’t get bored doing it multiple times because each time is different. After all, coming up with new things to do each day is hard. Especially if you’re looking for ways to save your sanity during the school holidays.


Summer Activity pack for preschool and kindergarten. Printable Summer themed literacy, math, fine motor, games and art templates.

Summer Activity Pack

Get over 80+ pages of Summer themed play based learning activities and craft templates. Perfect for preschool and kindergarten.


Are you going to make Frozen Paint with your kids?
Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.

Frozen paint is a fun process art and summer activity for kids. Fantastic play idea for toddlers and preschoolers.