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Kid-Friendly Craft Project: Salad Spinner Art
Get crafty with paint and a salad spinner and make colorful works of art with your little ones. Spin art is perhaps the most fun, well-contained type of mess that you can make — even toddlers can easily participate. Consider this activity on a rainy day or during arts and crafts at an outdoor summer camp.
Emily Fazio
What You'll Need
- salad spinner
- paper
- scissors
- washable paint
Set Up Your Art Space
Prepare an area where you can lay your finished art, and get your paint canisters opened and ready for use. You may be reluctant to destroy your kitchen salad spinner — rightfully so — but the washable paint should easily come off the tool if you soak it after use. If you’re planning on making spin art all summer long, consider sourcing an inexpensive or secondhand spinner that you can dedicate to this craft.
Cut the Paper
Cut pieces of paper that will fit into the base of your salad spinner. Large squares and freehanded circles work best. Too small, and the paper may flip up when you activate the spin cycle.
Emily Fazio
Drizzle the Paint
With a piece of paper positioned in the center of the salad spinner basket, pour assorted pools of paint directly onto the paper. A quarter-sized dollop will do, but feel free to explore with less or more.
Emily Fazio
Let the kids make their picks, and experiment with primary colors, the addition of white or black paint, and whether or not the paint colors sit separately or flow together on the paper.
Emily Fazio
Spin, Spin, Spin
Put the lid onto the salad spinner and activate the tool. The basket and the paper inside will spin fast, and the paint will immediately force across the surface of the paper, splattering beyond the edges to coat the walls of the spinner. This is a good opportunity to point out to the older participants that centripetal forces are at work, and an interesting opportunity for younger kids to learn about the mechanics of the tool.
Emily Fazio
Let Your Project Dry
Remove the paper from the salad spinner and set it in a flat space to dry.
Emily Fazio
Take a moment to observe the wet paint and see how the colors have flowed together. If your child selected primary colors, they might see a rainbow. If they opted to experiment with red and white, they might be amazed at the shade of pink they created.
When dry, display!
Emily Fazio
