The Messiest — But Coolest — Outdoor Art Projects

If the thought of doing art with your kids makes you cringe (maybe because there’s still glitter embedded in the carpet from your last attempt), I get it. Kids are messy enough already — handing them cups of water and rainbow paint primed for splattering, spilling and staining everything within a 5-foot radius seems like a recipe for disaster.

The good news is that summer is here — which means my kids and I can take our art outside, where cleanup is as simple as turning on my garden hose (or waiting for the next summer rainstorm to blow through). So pack up your paint and head outside, because here are eight of the messiest art projects I love, perfect for the long, hot days ahead.

Use the list below to jump to the project you can’t wait to try:

• Bike spin art
• Flower pounding
• Colorful squirt gun painting
• Watermelon slime
• Paint-filled eggs on canvas
• Bubble painting
• Pendulum painting
• Salt art
• Gravity art
• Mud painting
• Bubble wrap stomping
• Erupting art
• Nature tie-dye shirts

Up first: Bike spin art

Editor’s note: This article was originally published several years ago and updated most recently on June 6, 2025, by ParentMap’s associate editor, Kari Hanson. New projects were added, and all other projects were fact-checked.