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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 » Sensory Activities

    Sensory Art with Cotton Balls

    Published: Feb 16, 2015 · Modified: Jun 1, 2022 by Vicky · This post contains affiliate links.

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    So many of my projects are inspired by things I find at the dollar store. On a recent trip, I bought a bag of cotton balls. I had no idea why, but I knew that if I thought hard enough, I could think of a kids activity that would use them. I wanted to dye the cotton balls to make them more interesting and because we had such success with dying q tips in the past. I used a similar technique and the kids added their colorful cotton to contact paper to create beautiful Sensory Art with Cotton Balls. For more ways to have with contact paper check out 20 Ways to Use Contact Paper with Kids.

    Sensory Art with Dyed Cotton - Such a fun way to create touchable art!

    To dye cotton balls you will need:

    • Cotton balls
    • Plastic cups
    • Liquid watercolors
    • Paper plate
    • Tongs
    how to dye cotton balls

    Allow a day between dying the cotton balls and creating the art. They need some time to dry.

    Mix a few drops of liquid watercolor with some water in a small plastic cup.

    liquid watercolors

    Dip the cotton ball in the liquid watercolor. You can use tongs to turn it over to make sure it is completely saturated with liquid watercolor.

    child dying cotton balls

    Using the tongs or your fingers (you will need to wash them well afterwards) squeeze the excess liquid from the cotton balls back into the cup. Set the cotton balls in a sunny place to dry. Ours took a day to dry. If yours are taking longer to dry, try separating the cotton to make the balls thinner.

    dying cotton balls

    When the balls are dry, pull them apart to create what looks like cotton candy. Cut some contact paper and tape it to a work surface.

    dyed cotton

    Kids can use the colored cotton to create pictures.

    kids making sensory art

    One of my daughters made a nature scene complete with flower, sun, sea and grass.

    art with dyed cotton

    My youngest made an ice cream cone. My kids could not get over how much the colored cotton resembled cotton candy.

    colored cotton

    When they were finished with their pictures, they removed the colored cotton, and stamped the contact paper with it. The contact paper would grab bits and pieces of the colorful cotton making a beautiful effect.

    sensory art

    This activity is a fun way for kids to make sensory art. My daughter could not stop feeling her artwork as she just loved the texture.

    child touching cotton

    The kids called their creations "fuzzy art" and proceeded to make a gallery to display their creations.

    fuzzy art sign

    My three kids ended up putting their pieces together to create a large wall of sensory art that they can touch whenever they walk by.

    sensory wall

    For more ways to use contact paper with kids check out:

    DIY Shape Stickers

    Contact Paper Crafts with Q-Tips

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    More Sensory Activities

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    • Calming Bottles and Sensory Bottles

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jen M

      March 03, 2015 at 4:06 pm

      Vicky,

      Thank you for this, as a Daycare in Langley, we are continually looking around trying to come up with great new fun ideas that the kids will like and we just found another great idea here! We love the use of the cotton balls, the colours and can only imagine the engagement it will create.

      Thank you!

      Jennifer
      Rainforest Daycare Langley

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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!

    Easter Activities and Recipes

    • Stained Glass Easter Cookie Recipe
    • How to Make Spotted Easter Eggs
    • M&M Easter Cookies
    • Shaving Cream Easter Eggs

    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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