Toddler activities with a paintbrush
4 activities in the library use a paintbrush, for toddlers aged 14 to 36 months: 1 starting 12–17 months, 2 starting 18–23 months and 1 starting from 24 months. A thick brush makes bold strokes with paint or plain water. Water brushing on walls and paving lets toddlers paint freely with no mess.
Updated
Paintbrush: 4 activities to try
Safety: Supervise so brushes are not mouthed, and check bristles are firmly attached.
4 activities
- Water Painting Walls and Steps 14–24 months · 5–12 min · Outdoors · Calm Your child paints a fence, wall or patio with a brush and plain water, watching dark marks appear and fade, early painting with no mess.
- Big Paper Brush Painting 18–30 months · 5–15 min · Indoors · Calm Your child paints with a chunky brush on a big sheet taped to the floor, starting with one color, to explore strokes, dots and covering space.
- Brush and Hands Wash-Up 20–36 months · 3–8 min · Indoors · Calm After painting, your child swishes the brushes clean in a basin, squeezes the sponge, and then washes and dries their own hands at the sink.
- Chalk Lines and Water Brush 28–36 months · 10–20 min · Outdoors · Calm Your child draws with jumbo chalk on the sidewalk, then brushes water over the marks to make the colors bright and runny, mixing drawing and painting.
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Paintbrush at a glance
| Activities | 4 |
|---|---|
| Ages covered (corrected) | 14–36 months |
| Focus time | 3–20 minutes |
| Main domains | 3 creativity & pretend and 1 practical life |
| Where they happen | 2 indoors and 2 outdoors |
| Quickest start | Brush and Hands Wash-Up, 3–8 minutes |
Every activity with a paintbrush
Sorted by the first month each one fits (corrected age for children born early).
| Activity | Ages | Minutes | Domain | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Painting Walls and Steps | 14–24 months | 5–12 | Creativity & pretend | 2 min |
| Big Paper Brush Painting | 18–30 months | 5–15 | Creativity & pretend | 5 min |
| Brush and Hands Wash-Up | 20–36 months | 3–8 | Practical life | 2 min |
| Chalk Lines and Water Brush | 28–36 months | 10–20 | Creativity & pretend | 2 min |
How each activity uses a paintbrush
- Water Painting Walls and Steps (painting, 5–12 minutes): A chunky paintbrush.
- Big Paper Brush Painting (painting, 5–15 minutes): A chunky paintbrush.
- Brush and Hands Wash-Up (hand washing, 3–8 minutes): The paintbrushes from painting.
- Chalk Lines and Water Brush (painting, 10–20 minutes): A chunky paintbrush.
By age
12–17 months: 1 activity, 5–12 minutes. 18–23 months: 2 activities, 3–15 minutes. From 24 months: 1 activity, 10–20 minutes.
Starting 12–17 months
Starting 18–23 months
Starting from 24 months
Words that come up
Across these activities you will model “paint”, “wet”, “gone”, “long line”, “swish”, “dot”, “more paint?”, “wash”, “squeeze”, “all clean”, “bright” and “circle”. Say one at the moment it happens, then pause for your child's turn.
Safety with a paintbrush
- Supervise so brushes are not mouthed, and check bristles are firmly attached.
- Use non-toxic, washable paint only.
Prep tips
- Pick a short, thick handle that a fist can grip.
- Give a cup of water for water painting outside.
No paintbrush? Use instead
- A sponge on a stick or a clean sponge.
- Fingers in paint.
- A pastry brush.
Combine it with
A paintbrush is most often paired with large paper (1 activity), painter's tape (1 activity) and sidewalk chalk (1 activity). The skills practised most: painting (3), scribbling and early drawing (3) and colors and shapes (2).
Often combined with
Skills practised
Frequently asked questions
What can a toddler do with a paintbrush?
4 activities here use it, for example Water Painting Walls and Steps (14–24 months), Big Paper Brush Painting (18–30 months) and Brush and Hands Wash-Up (20–36 months).
Is a paintbrush safe for toddlers?
Use it only with an adult close by. Supervise so brushes are not mouthed, and check bristles are firmly attached. Use non-toxic, washable paint only.
What can I use instead of a paintbrush?
A sponge on a stick or a clean sponge, fingers in paint or a pastry brush can stand in for most of these activities.
What ages are activities with a paintbrush for?
They cover 14–36 months of corrected age: 1 starting 12–17 months, 2 starting 18–23 months and 1 starting from 24 months.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.