Get ready to add a burst of color and creativity to your child’s art time with the delightful and edible Jello Ice Painting activity! In this blog post, we’ll take you through the steps of creating homemade Jello paint using an ice cube tray, popsicle sticks, and a variety of colorful Jello flavors. Watch as your little artists transform their paper canvas into a vibrant masterpiece, using the Jello powder as their paint and ice as their brush. Along the way, we’ll explore the concept of process art and the numerous benefits it offers for children’s development. So, let’s dive into this sweet and artistic adventure that promises endless fun and learning for your kids!
Process Art and Its Benefits for Kids
Process art is an art-making approach that focuses on the creative process rather than the end product. In Ice Jello Painting, children are encouraged to explore and experiment with the Jello paint, allowing their creativity to flourish without any set outcome or specific instructions. The benefits of process art for kids include:
- Creativity: Process art fosters imaginative thinking and creative expression as children experiment with materials and techniques.
- Self-Expression: It allows kids to express themselves freely, encouraging a sense of individuality and self-discovery.
- Problem-Solving: Engaging in process art activities promotes problem-solving skills as children experiment with different approaches and ideas.
- Fine Motor Skills: Using the frozen Jello sticks as paintbrushes enhances fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Confidence Building: As children explore their creativity without judgment, they build confidence in their artistic abilities and decision-making.
Materials
Before we begin, gather these materials for the Jello Painting activity:
- Various colored Jello flavors (powdered)
- Paper plate or Small bowls (for the Jello powder)
- Ice cube tray
- Water
- Foil or plastic wrap
- Popsicle sticks
- White paper or cardstock (for painting canvas)
Jello Ice Painting Process
- Create the Ice Sticks:
Start by filling an ice cube tray with water. Cover the tray with foil or plastic wrap and insert a popsicle stick into each section. Place the tray in the freezer and let it freeze overnight. The result? Frozen sticks that will serve as your child’s unique paintbrushes!
- Set Up the Art Station:
Prepare an art station by laying out white paper or cardstock as the painting canvas. Use a tray to contain the mess. Sprinkle different colored Jello powders onto separate plates, ready for your little artists to dip their frozen Jello sticks.
- Paint with Jello:
Invite your child to sprinkle Jello powder on the paper. Encourage your child to use the frozen ice sticks to dip into the colored Jello powders and paint on the paper canvas. Watch as the ice melts on the page it mixes with the Jello powder to create a colour like paint on the page.
Tips
To get the best results and color with the Jello the ice needs to be melting, allow the ice cubes to melt a little before starting to paint. Paint with one colour at a time first then explore mixing the colours together
Ice Jello Painting is a delightful and immersive art activity that combines the joys of art-making with the tempting allure of Jello flavors. Embracing the concept of process art, children are encouraged to experiment, create, and explore without any constraints. Through this activity, they not only develop essential fine motor skills but also experience the joy of self-expression and creative freedom. So, set up your Jello Painting station and let your child’s imagination run wild with this deliciously artistic journey! Happy painting and exploring!
Age Suitability
This activity is good for toddlers aged children 2 years old and up with adult assistance.
Mess Level
The mess level for this activity is medium.
Difficulty to Create
Low.
Skills Developed
Language development, shape recognition, color recognition, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, imaginative play, creativity.
Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles that show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 airs in the summer of 2023! We were also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
WILL YOU TRY ICE JELLO PAINTING WITH YOUR CHILD? Pin it for later!
