If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you probably know I’m a huge fan of spin art, one of the best no mess art activities for kids ever. You can check out this post on spin art rocks and this one about our spin art buffet. I recently took a trip to Ikea, one of my favorite spot for art supplies, and restocked on paint and salad spinners. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, tis the season to spin your heart out.
Can you tell this kid is ready to go. “I’m ready to make my spin art hearts!”
What you’ll need…
Supplies
a salad spinner
tempera paints
cut out hearts on card stock
big muscles
Steps
1. Place your heart in the spinner
2. Squeeze paints all over it. I tell kids to make a spider web all over their heart. That helps them not to make one big pile of paint, which works, but not as well as when you spread it all over.
3. Cover the spinner and get spinning. This is where I like to mention that I hope the kids have eaten a lot of broccoli so they can really get their muscles into it.
4. Slowly lift the lid off your spinner and reveal your spin art heart. Wait for oohs and ahhs. They will come, for sure.
*Note*
Occasionally a heart will spin to the side while spinning. I warn the kids about this ahead of time so they don’t get bummed. I explain that if that happens they still might love the design, and if not, they can just add a bit more paint and spin again.
The spin art hearts come out crazy gorgeous, like this.
Soon your older sibling will want to get in on the action.
Ages 4 and up can pretty much do this independently. Younger kids just need a little help lifting the lid.
It’s really fun to peak inside and see if your heart is ready.
This spin art heart was was the designated favorite.
Soon you have some pretty great team work happening, which is always a fun aspect of a successful art project. Kids are chatting away, discussing color palettes, strategies for where to place the paint, and complimenting each other’s work. And did I mention this is a no mess art activity? All the paint just stays in the spinner. You just rinse it out when you’re done and pop it in the dishwasher.
Before long you just leave the kids alone to do their own thing. “Mama, we got this,” I believe were their final words to me before I went inside.
Spin your heart out everybody! Happy Valentine’s Day. xo Meri
If you’re in need of any art supplies, here is a list of my all time faves. Thanks for reading along!
What a cool idea! I’ve never even heard of spin art.
Thanks for sharing.
If you put a curled up piece of masking tape under the heart and stick it to the center of the spinner it should stay put. You can also try that blue tape made for covering trim when painting walls…less chance of it sticking to the paper and tearing it when pulling it off.
Do you have to wash the salad spinner after every use?
Thanks!
No way : ) That would take all the fun out of it. Spin spin spin and have fun!