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  • Hi, I'm Vicky, the founder and content creator at Mess For Less. If you are looking for family-friendly recipes, recipes that kids can make, and play and learning activities for kids, you will find them at Mess For Less. I invite you to learn more about me. Thanks for stopping by!

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    Home » Painting Activities

    Dripping Salt Painting

    Published: Jul 28, 2017 · Modified: Jun 27, 2022 by Vicky · This post contains affiliate links.

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    If you are looking for a simple art activity to do with the kids, this Dripping Salt Painting is perfect. We had some unexpected results with this dripping salt painting which I think turned out pretty cool. Judge for yourself. When you are done be sure to check out our Drip Watercolor Painting and this Bubbling Glitter Paint which is just as fun.

    Dripping Salt Painting is an easy art activity to do with kids. You already have all the items you need at home.

    Dripping Salt Painting

    Supplies you will need:

    • Paper (white or black)
    • Salt
    • Water mixed with food coloring (we made 4 colors)
    • Droppers or pipettes

    You can use liquid watercolor paint if you have any on hand or use food coloring mixed with water like we did.

    supplies for Dripping Salt Painting

    Have your child squeeze some glue all around on a piece of paper. An older child can do a more elaborate design, but with younger kids, just squeezing the glue on random parts of the paper is enough. Younger kids also find the glue squeezing incredibly fun.

    child squeezing glue on paper

    Next, have the child pour some salt over the glue. You will want to be sure to have a tray under the paper so it can catch the extra salt. I put the salt in a cup and my kids spooned it on. Pouring straight from the container works too.

    child pouring salt on paper

    Next, have your child squeeze some of the food coloring and water mixture into a dropper and deposit it on the salt.

    child dropping colored liquid on glue

    This is where things got interesting for us. The color started to spread on the salt but the water also helped to dissolve some of the salt so that it started to run.

    Dripping Salt Painting

    I decided to just go with it and had the kids pick up their papers to make some trails and designs.

    child holding paper with paint

    It was fun for the kids to discover which way the paint would go and how it would go in different directions depending on how you turned the paper.

    child doing Dripping Salt Painting

    The kids had a blast and I was happy that even though this dripping salt painting didn't turn out like I planned, it was still a fun experience that created some colorful art.

    Dripping Salt Painting

    In the finished products below, you can see how the texture of the salt really comes through and leaves a trail even in the places where they had not glued. I am excited to try this again with liquid watercolors.

    Dripping Salt Painting
    Dripping Salt Painting

    Looking for more creative activities for kids? You will enjoy Green Kid Crafts, an earth-friendly monthly craft subscription box that helps kids learn to respect the environment while inspiring creativity.

    If you liked this dripping salt painting, you'll love:

    13 Salt Painting Activities

    Black Glue and Salt Watercolor Rainbow

    Black Glue and Salt Leaves

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sapana V

      July 30, 2017 at 10:06 am

      I haven't about this type of painting style. It looks great for kids.

    2. Ness @ One Perfect Day

      May 19, 2012 at 12:01 pm

      Thanks so much for linking back to our post and I'm so happy you and the girls had fun with this! The finished pieces are beautiful! I actually bought liquid water colors specifically for this project but I honestly wouldn't bother next time. Even though they are liquid, you still have to add water to them so the result wouldn't be all that different than using water with food coloring. Our salt meled away in parts too. I think it may have to do with how much you let the glue dry before painting and how thick the layer of salt is.

    3. School Sparks Renee

      May 09, 2012 at 10:57 pm

      Those turned out great. Looks like the girls had a ball! They are really adorable. Thanks for the pictures, Renee

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    Hi, I'm Vicky, the founder and content creator at Mess For Less. If you are looking for family-friendly recipes, recipes that kids can make, and play and learning activities for kids, you will find them at Mess For Less. I invite you to learn more about me. Thanks for stopping by!

    St. Patrick's Day Activities and Recipes

    • Irish Soda Bread Recipe
    • St. Patrick's Day Activities for Kids
    • Black Glue and Salt Watercolor Rainbow - Salt Painting for Preschool
    • 15 Shamrock Activities for Toddlers

    Spring Activities

    • How to Make a Mother's Day Card
    • DIY Seed Starter for Kids
    • Flower Craft Idea
    • How to Make a Paper Butterfly - Easy Craft for Kids

    Popular Recipes

    • Crack Chicken Casserole
    • Overnight Egg Casserole
    • Toasted Italian Sandwich - Food Fun Friday
    • Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Bake

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