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Toothbrush Painting

Toothbrush painting is a fun way to paint. It’s also useful for developing fine motor skills in children of different developmental stages. What’s great is that you can adjust it depending on your childs age or preferences for messy play. No matter how you decide to paint with a toothbrush, your kids are going to love this process art activity.

Toothbrush painting - process art for kids. Develop fine motor skils in toddlers and preschoolers with this fun and easy, no-prep activity.
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More Process Art for Kids

I love process art. It’s one of my favorite ways to get creative and make something beautiful with my kids. Here are some more art ideas for kids that are process focused and not product focus.

  1. Splat Painting
  2. Rainbow Lightning
  3. Marbled Paper Art for Kids
  4. Painting on Foil – Process Art for Kids

Make sure you read this list of 25 Process Art Ideas for Kids for more fun and easy ideas.

Materials Needed

  1. Old toothbrushes
  2. Acrylic paint or liquid watercolors
  3. Drawing paper


Different techniques to try

Believe it or not, there are actually several different methods to try when doing toothbrush painting with your toddlers and preschoolers. Which toothbrush painting technique will you try?

Substitute a regular paintbrush with a toothbrush

Toothbrush painting - process art for kids. Develop fine motor skils in toddlers and preschoolers with this fun and easy, no-prep activity.

The most simple method is to substitute your regular paint brushes with an old toothbrush. Since the bristles are on the side of the handle, and not the end, the children will have to hold the toothbrush differently to make their beautiful painting.

Spray Painting with the Toothbrush

Toothbrush painting - process art for kids. Develop fine motor skils in toddlers and preschoolers with this fun and easy, no-prep activity.

Make a toothbrush splatter painting by placing a simple object on the paper, and then spraying it with excess paint. 

How do you sprinkle paint with a toothbrush? 

To do this all you need to do is run your thumb or finger along the top of the paint covered bristles, bending the bristles back slightly. As your finger lets go of some of the bristles, they’ll fly back to their original positions, flicking paint as they go.

Doing this action over and over again can be a big ask for little fingers. That is one reason why this type of spray painting is beneficial, it’s a fun way to help young children develop fine motor skills.

Toothbrush Stamping

Leafless tree toothbrush painting. This free printable tree can be used to explore each of the four seasons. Paint autumn leaves with a toothbrush this fall.

Enjoy the different colors that the leaves turn during Autumn with some fun activities like this easy art project for kids. 

Stamp the toothbrush onto the page to make beautiful fall leaves with this free leafless tree printable. Since the bristles are so small, they make wonderfully tiny leaves on this tree. 

Although stamping it isn’t hard to do, it can be difficult for children to resist moving their toothbrush across the page as they’re stamping. Remember to let them experiment with their own creative methods and not dictate how their picture should look.

Electric Toothbrush Painting

Another idea to try is painting with an electric toothbrush. What happens when the bristles spin round? Will the paint fly everywhere? Will it be tricky to move about the paper compared to actual teeth? No matter what happens, you know that your kids will have fun with this great activity.

Brush Your Teeth Craft

This is my favorite toothbrush art project for kids. Draw a tooth on a piece of yellow paper and make it white again while brushing it with white paint. This brush your tooth art project is perfect if you’re exploring dental hygiene with your toddlers and preschoolers.

Photo: Paper and Glue

Are you going to try toothbrush painting with your kids?
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