• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

ARTBAR

raising creative thinkers

  • MY BOOKS
    • Art Workshop for Children
    • Cardboard Creations
  • ART SUPPLIES
  • SHOP
    • Art Bar on Etsy
    • Art Class Poster
  • ABOUT
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Painted Wooden Blocks

November 17, 2014 by Barbara Rucci 9 Comments

283 shares
  • Facebook

When the kids walked into art class last week and saw wooden blocks and paint, they couldn’t believe it! Were they really allowed to paint on them?

artistic DIY blocks make a beautiful gift

artistic DIY blocks make a beautiful gift

One little girl told us a story about how she once drew on wooden blocks. She said her mom didn’t get mad. Then they all started to chat and share more stories, saying “me, too!” whenever they recognized familiar parts of someone else’s narrative. This block painting party was very much of a collaborative art experience, with all of the kids working towards one end and sharing the same experience. It was a beautiful thing!

artistic DIY blocks make a beautiful gift

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support!

Here’s what you’ll need for your own block painting experience:

Supplies

Wooden blocks (I got 1 1/2″ and 2″ cubes)

Liquid watercolor paint (this is a good starter kit, but we also used gold and fluorescent pink)

Recycled jars or glasses

Brushes

artistic DIY blocks make a beautiful gift

Focus was intense from the beginning as they realized that each block has six sides!

artistic DIY blocks make a beautiful gift

Some kids are just inherently neat. Some are not.

artistic DIY blocks make a beautiful gift

This boy was the champ. He never stopped painting for an entire hour. He also discovered that you could print with the blocks if you put enough paint on and stamped it on the paper. It’s so exciting to watch discovery and creativity in action.

artistic DIY blocks make a beautiful gift

artistic DIY blocks make a beautiful gift

I can’t recommend this art experience enough! The results are so beautiful. You can keep the blocks for yourself, or give them as a gift. The holidays are coming soon!

xo, Bar

{Warning: These blocks are not safe for babies and toddlers who are still teething. The paint could come off in their mouths.}

Here are lots of ideas for using liquid watercolor paints with kids, and another fun way to use watercolor on wood pieces.

Filed Under: Process Art, Art for Toddlers, DIY Tagged With: liquid watercolors, painted wooden blocks, wood

Previous Post: « Sensory Art Play with Easy Dough
Next Post: Gift Guide // Top 10 Basic Art Supplies »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. meri cherry

    November 18, 2014 at 12:18 am

    This is just too good!!! Can I please pretend I never saw it and post it from my blog like it was my idea? That would be ok right? I just love it all so much!!!! BAR!!!!!! I really love this one.

    Reply
    • Barbara Rucci

      November 19, 2014 at 8:49 pm

      thank you thank you meri cherry! can’t wait to see yours 🙂 xoxoxo

      Reply
  2. Learn Play Read

    December 21, 2018 at 11:52 am

    What an amazing idea! I’m definitely doing this with my preschool art class this summer. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  3. Randy

    February 4, 2019 at 7:46 am

    What episodes do I need to order to get the ones with painting wood blocks

    Reply
    • Barbara Rucci

      February 20, 2019 at 3:03 pm

      hi Randy – not sure I understand the question….?

      Reply
  4. Jaime

    April 19, 2020 at 8:51 am

    Hi! What’s that vibrant pink? Is it acrylic? I have the Sargent watercolor but I don’t think it includes neon pink. I love neon pink!

    Reply
    • Barbara Rucci

      April 24, 2020 at 8:52 am

      hi Jaime, I just added the fluorescent pink watercolor link! but here it is just in case: https://amzn.to/3ayQEnf

      Reply
  5. Kathy Alley

    December 5, 2021 at 11:33 am

    Is there a way to seal these after painting and drying? And what would I use?

    Reply
    • Barbara Rucci

      December 8, 2021 at 9:16 am

      hi Kathy, here is some information on eco-friendly sealants/finishers: http://www.paintwoodentoys.com/sealers.php

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

The Creativity Project
RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS
Join our course!
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Yes! I want to raise thoughtful and creative children. Send me more inspiration, please!

artbarblog

i make things✖️
creativity facilitator✖️
design as a lense✖️
author✖️✖️
mom✖️✖️✖️
blog at artbarblog✖️
teacher resources ⬇️
@the.creativityproject

I have been thinking lately about so many big idea I have been thinking lately about so many big ideas. They seem to be stuck, though, in the cogs of my brain. I need to articulate and connect these ideas together, but I can’t find the right words, or medium. It feels like trudging through thick mud, and then making the choice to set up camp in the muddy place. Maybe this is always what motherhood + living a creative life will be. And I am ok with that, too. Life is mucky, and even though I crave clarity, I am also acutely aware that this is why I also crave art. Music, books, museums, film, gardens… these are the mediums humans turn to when they need to find connection and, if we are lucky, clarity. But I feel more protective of my human-centered ideas these days and less willing to share them in spaces like this where they are open source. I don’t even know what is real sometimes. And how am I contributing to this landscape of creative and intellectual robbery. I think I am headed in a different direction but I don’t know what that is yet. Meanwhile, I am camping in the mud and looking for beauty where I am. 

Some moments new and old, lately…

1. Painting at my easel, age 4 when we lived in England before moving to the US. 
2. I tried making a video of motherhood on mother’s day inspired by this song 🌙 but never finished. 
3. Planting dahlias 🌸
4. Year 2 of my veggie garden. It is not going well. 
5. We diagnosed our garden problem as not enough sun so cut down a tree to give the sun a little path but then the sun moved. Also failing at science 😳
6. When you see your habits in your children ❤️ 
7. My mom’s caretaker gave me a cake and now I am a whole year younger 🙏🏼
8. Thank you James for the treats, mom dreams of traveling to visit your bakery but this was the next best thing 🥐
9. Finding 50 bucks in jeans from 20 years ago 👏🏼 Always check the pockets!
10. The newly graduated makeup artist with her kit off to a job 💋 
11. When the birthday kid isn’t home it’s too sad. must make art. 
12. When I am so dumb and share it on the internet 🙃
13. My heart, my clarity ❤️
14. Another round of silkscreening! Things are happening. 
15. MUA by Ava, and hanging out with the help 😍
16. Reminder.
Happy Earth Day! Can we agree that every day is Happy Earth Day! 

Can we agree that every day is Earth Day? The older I get, the more I change my habits to be kinder to this beautiful planet. Lately, seeing the photos from Artemis II of Earth from space has really moved me to make even more planet-friendly choices. Here are some things we do at home, and of course, we could always be better, but I also think small changes are more doable and sustainable, and if millions of us did just one of these things, it would make a difference.

Ok, here goes! My hope is that someone reads one of these actions and thinks, I can do this! We cannot reverse the melting ice caps, but we can stop further global warming… humans can do this if we work together. It starts small and is community-driven, so share this with friends!

1. Eating less meat, eating more veggies (this is also called eating low on the food chain). A vegetarian or vegan diet is a low-carbon diet. Did you know switching to 2/3 vegan reduces your carbon footprint by 60%? 
2. Grow our own veggies. Save on emissions and packaging, and find joy in gardening.
3. Less food waste. Eat leftovers, clear the fridge.
4. Buy less. Buy local.
5. Repurpose, fix, mend, thrift.
6. Make homemade gifts.
7. Drive less, fly less. (This one is harder, but being conscious of it is really important.)
8. Moderate, steady thermostat settings can save so much energy. Try 67/68 F in the winter and 72/73 in the summer and don’t touch it.
9. No pesticides on our lawn. It may not be pretty, but we have never had a beautiful lawn, and I’m fine with that. We also live on a river so the thought of polluting that water so I can have a perfect lawn is crazy.
10. Using non-toxic cleaning products or making our own from vinegar.
11. This year, we will do “no-mow May” to promote biodiversity, help the soil, and reduce emissions.
12. Vote for candidates who take climate change seriously!

Add some things you are doing in the comments. This is a judgment-free zone, so no preaching! But for real, we all can do a little bit better. 

The blog post about these signs is on artbarblog.com, link in bio!
New blog post! It’s about time I share my favorite New blog post! It’s about time I share my favorite materials that I bring to the library. Read the post for links and tips for how to pair these materials to foster deep engagement. Children have always needed time in childhood to use their hands to make things and play, but now more than ever, the skills they develop through these experiences are imperative for their future well-being and success. I’ve been reading everywhere about children’s “lost skills” in this new ed tech world where screens have replaced so much hands-on learning in the classroom, even as young as preschool 😞 Communication skills, flexible thinking, regulating emotions, building empathy for others, innovating, even core strength and pencil grips are a struggle. Offering time and materials for making things and playing with ideas should not be a challenge; it should be as essential as filling bodies with fresh air and food. Play is how children learn! Anyway, I hope this post will inspire you to collect some things for making and maybe even join our Materials Matter course over on @the.creativityproject so that you, too, can become an expert at cultivating creative thinking through art making!
It’s almost impossible to concentrate or sleep or It’s almost impossible to concentrate or sleep or work or enjoy anything these days. I know joy is resistance, art is resistance, kindness and empathy are resistance, and I try and practice all of these things every day, and also boycotting and shopping local and volunteering and making calls and checking on my neighbors and bartering and keeping our big tree lit for the community. And still, it doesn’t feel like nearly enough. I know we probably all feel this way. And maybe the collective small things really do add up to bigger movements, I don’t know. It’s Sunday and my mom is in the hospital again and I miss my one at college and I had such a bad dream last night. My headspace is not in cheerleader mode which is my usual default. And yet… going through my camera roll to find photos of things I made did actually help today. And I have made a plan for future things to make. When I wake up in the middle of the night, the way I get myself back to sleep is by envisioning this one big installation idea I’ve had for years, it takes place in a forest and involves textiles. So maybe 2026 is the year for me to bring this to life, or begin the process. I think about this quote, and it helps, too: When you make art, you rebel against a world that fears vulnerability. Ok, I’m better. Thank you for listening 🤪❤️

Ps: It weighs on me that Meta should be part of the boycotts. If anyone has any ideas for building community and sharing somehow somewhere else let’s discuss.
Follow on Instagram

Categories

Archives

Copyright and Reposting

All content on this blog is copyright and owned by Art Bar Blog unless otherise stated. I would be flattered if you wanted to use an image from one of my posts! But please, ask me first. I would also ask that if it involves DIY instructions with a list of supplies that you don't repost any of that stuff because then nobody would have a reason to click back to my original post!

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

About Me

There are two things that I'm passionate about: Children + Art. As an art teacher, author, graphic designer, and mom to 3 creative thinkers, I get to explore my passions every day! Learn more...

I am dedicated to keeping your information safe. Please review my Privacy Policy.

Recent Posts

shibori tie-dying with kids in art camp

Copyright © 2026 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework