On the lookout for a fun, easy craft idea for your baby or toddler? Plastic bag painting is one of my favorite crafts to do with Sophie, my 3-year-old. I love it because it’s a fun sensory activity, and when finished, you have a cute canvas painting to display or a gift for the adoring grandparents, aunties, and uncles.
As soon as your baby can safely sit in their highchair, they can try this craft. All the supplies are inexpensive and available on Amazon. This post contains affiliate links, so I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure here. I’ll have everything linked at the end so you can easily find the supplies you need to try this at home.
First you’ll need small painting canvas. You can use whatever size you want as long as they fit inside your ziplock bag. I think it’s fun to have a variety of sizes. There’s something so special about paintings done on a real canvases. Over time, canvas hold up better and are easier to display unlike some paper crafts.
The next supply you’ll need is a quart or gallon storage bag. I think the freezer bags like this hold up a little better, but traditional ones will work as well. If you are using really small canvases you could get away with a quart bag, but gallon bags are the most versatile in my opinion. It’s also easier to get the bag off when your toddler is finished if you have a little extra room.
Once you have your bag and canvas, you are ready for the fun part, the paint. Acrylic paint is my go to. This set has 16 different colors and will make dozens of beautiful paintings. Paint like this is more liquid making it easier for younger children to move around and blend the colors. If you are looking for a wider range of colors a set like this is perfect. There are 24 mini tubes of highly pigmented color. My preferred method is to mix both types of paint.
Once we pick a canvas and a bag, I’ll poor the more liquid paint onto the canvas. I like to choose a more neutral color like white or light gray and then let Sophie choose 3-4 other colors to go with it. I put little dabs of the more pigmented paint on the canvas and then slid the canvas in to the bag. Next push most of the air out of the bag and seal it up tight.
TIP: make very sure the bag is sealed properly. It won’t be “no-mess” painting if the bag isn’t sealed, just saying.
A highchair, I’ve found, is the best place for my little ones to do this activity. I like to use some heavy duty tape, like this, to tape it to the tray so it won’t end up on the floor. Having it secured to the tray helps the project last longer since the canvas isn’t sliding around or falling on the floor. Once assembled this keeps them entertained for anywhere from 20-45 min or longer depending on their level of interest that day.
If you are doing this activity with a baby, they probably won’t want a paint brush. When Sophie was little, she loved smooshing the paint around with her hands through the bag. It’s a much more tactile experience just using hands. Older toddlers would definitely enjoy using a paint brush to help spread the paint. Brushes like these or these are inexpensive, easy for toddlers to hold and make the project feel more like actual painting.
This project can be as open ended as you and your child would like. Don’t overthink it. Relax and let your child play and have fun. Once the paint is spread over the canvas and or your child loses interest, simply open the bag and slide the painting out. Lay it flat to dry. These little paintings make adorable gifts for grandparent’s day, mother’s day and more. I love a tactile craft that doubles as a gift, keepsake or home decor.
Is this a project you would try with your baby or toddler?
Here is some of the paintings my girls have done:
