Toothbrush Paint Splatter Art

This week we’ve been reading The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. The weather has improved and I had the idea to do an art activity linked to the story that would take us into the garden but unfortunately for us it rained the moment we decided to go outside, so this goes to show that you can complete this activity indoors or out! It is a little messy so if you aren’t happy about mess in the house then definitely do this activity on a sunny day in the garden.

For this Toothbrush Paint Splatter Activity you will need:

1. Rabbit Silhouette Template
2. Newspaper or a wipe-clean table cloth
3. A tray
4. Apron for you and the kids
5. A toothbrush
6. Washable poster paint
7. Paper
8. Scissors
9. Masking tape

If you are doing this activity indoors then the first thing you should do is put down newspaper or a wipe-clean cloth as it can be a bit messy with young children. Then cut out the Rabbit template and stick it to a piece of paper using some masking tape (I stick the masking tape to my hand first and then rip it off before sticking onto the paper as this makes it less tacky and easier to peel off at the end). Then I put a clean piece of paper in a tray (I use cat litter trays from Wilkinsons as they are cheap and a good size) and put some blobs of paint into jam jar lids. Once the activity was all set up Burt put an apron on and the fun started.

To begin with I gave Burt a plain piece of paper without the rabbit silhouette so that he could experiment. He was very excited by the idea of painting with a toothbrush and eventually he decided that he wanted to touch the bristles and paint started to spatter. I took a toothbrush and showed him how to hold the brush with the bristles facing down and then flick or tickle the bristles and the paint splatters onto the paper.

Once he had the technique I swapped the paper for the sheet with the rabbit template stuck in the centre. There were a few blobs and splurges as well as splatters but he had great fun dipping the toothbrush in the paint and tickling the brush with his fingers. We used green, blue and yellow and that combination worked really well. If you use a tray then most of the splatters are contained inside the tray as long as the toothbrush is held close to the paper.  If you are outside you can try lots of different heights, techniques and ideas for splattering the paint. I didn’t put any water out as if you ‘clean’ the brushes in between each colour, then paint becomes quite watery and the finished effect isn’t as striking.

When Burt decided that he was finished we left the paint to dry fully before removing the rabbit template.

When we eventually peeled away the rabbit template to reveal the rabbit it was magic! We love the finished picture and it is proudly stuck on the wall with lots of other Spring and Easter artwork from Nursery.

Don’t throw the template away as you can stick it on a card for Easter or put it in a frame for a Grandparent. It looks so lovely in a frame that I am tempted to keep it for myself but we only have black frames at the moment so I will have to go shopping for something more Spring-like.

This is such a lovely activity as it is achievable for even very young children but it is also fun for older children to do too. You can experiment with different colours, shapes or even creating a splatter background for some splatter shapes. The possibilities are endless!

You can read more about the story that inspired us The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter or discover some more crafts and activities linked to the book.

Have you been inspired by a book to craft, go on an outing or do an activity this week?