Fork painting: a new and fun painting technique for kids to try

For something different for easy art ideas, try a bit of fork painting. We had so much fun exploring different ideas for paintings we could make. Take a look at our video by clicking the image below.

When we think about organising a painting activity for kids, we think of paint brushes or finger painting. But there is a whole lot more to explore when other tools are used to paint with. In our video we show a range of paintings that could be made using a fork. We were surprised at how many different ideas there were to create specific pictures. The gallery below shows the finished paintings featured in our video. If you want to use these ideas as a starting point for your child’s fork art, the templates are available to download at the bottom of this page.

Ideally, kids should be given the freedom to create what they want. There are sure to be a whole lot of different ideas that kids could come up with, and it may be patterning or filling the paper with colours. Whatever it is, the novelty of using something so different might be enough to attract even the most reluctant artist!

Let’s take a closer look at how the fork is used. There are specific hand movements that are needed to make different effects. Rolling the fork gets the whole print of the fork shape. Great for hand strengthening and developing eye-hand coordination but if your child tries to do it differently then let the exploration happen. For example, what happens if the fork is dragged across the paper or what happens if the fork is used upside down? This is creative thinking that is valuable if your child has the opportunity to explore their thoughts and wonderings.

Broaden your child’s painting experiences by introducing different tools to paint with. Look around and find some household items that could be used. Toys like cars and blocks can be used. Use old household items and toys so there is no panic about the paint ruining them. So be creative with thinking about various painting tools that can be used to paint with. Offer them to your child and you are likely to see some your child’s creative thinking and possibly a few masterpieces that need to be framed and displayed!

Download and print the painting templates to create fork paintings like our video. Then allow your child to try some of their own ideas. We would love to see their ideas so please feel free to email their masterpieces to us at easyplayideas@gmail.com or post a comment below.