Erupting Volcano Art Project for Kids

Make volcano art using a straw for a creative blow painting technique that’s sure to be fun for kids of all ages.

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Whether you’re looking for crafts to learn about earth science or dinosaurs, kids will love making this erupting volcano art. We used a fun technique called blow painting that uses straws to focus your breath and move the paint.

For little kids, this is a silly activity that will amaze them. How far can they blow the paint? What kind of patterns can they create?

Older kids can create the volcano art and add more to the scene. Draw trees and other plants. Draw your favorite dinosaur or use stickers to add them to the picture. You could even use black paint to add a cloud of smoke after the lava colors have dried.

Blow painting tips

• Blow painting can be messy! Dress kids in clothes that can get painted and protect your craft area. Put down newspapers or use a disposable tablecloth.
• Tell your child to only blow through the straw, not suck. If you’re worried they might suck up the paint, have them blow for a short count (2 or 3 seconds) and stop for a breath.
• You can do this activity in 2 ways: put dots of paint on the paper and blow or dip the straw in the paint. Dipping the straw creates smaller and messier splatters.

Additionally, you could do this project using any other painting technique! Try different tools, like a paintbrush, fingers, or cotton swabs.

How to make erupting volcano art

Supplies

• craft paper
• scissors
• glue
• paint – red, orange, and yellow
• straws

Instructions

1. Make a paper volcano.

Choose a background color paper. We used blue to look like the sky. Draw and cut out a volcano shape (a rough triangle with the top cut off) on a second piece of paper and cut it out. We used brown for this one.

2. Glue the volcano.

Add a small amount of glue to the back of the volcano shape and glue it to the background. Let it dry for a few minutes.

3. Paint the lava.

Add a small dot of paint in each color above the top of the volcano. Use the straw to blow the paint away, as if the volcano is erupting. Add more dots and blow the paint all over the paper. To create the smaller splatters, dip the end of the straw in a tiny amount of paint (just enough to go inside the straw) and blow.

You can also add a small amount of paint along the edge of the volcano and tilt the paper almost upright so that it runs down the volcano like lava.

Let the painting dry completely, about 15 minutes.

Hang your artwork up to display or use it as a background along with your favorite dinosaurs for playtime!

Printable instructions

More fun ideas from Backyard Summer Camp:

• 20 Dinosaur Books for Kids – Fiction and Nonfiction
• Painted Solar System Art Project
• Colorful Salt Art Watercolor Painting for Kids