Get creative on rainy days and snow days with this gorgeous color-filled list of winter art projects and winter painting ideas for kids (and adults, too)!
Keep children busy creating art this winter with any of these fun winter art projects and painting ideas for kids. Each winter art project on this list of winter painting ideas includes a complete tutorial with a materials list and step-by-step instructions. This post was first published in December of 2015, and originally contained 10 children’s winter painting ideas. However, we have continued to update it over the years to include even more winter art ideas for kids (and adults, too)!
This fun collection of winter art ideas for children will continue to be updated each winter to add all of the best winter art ideas created by young artists and art teachers from all over the world. So, bookmark this page and check back each year to sew the NEW winter art ideas you can try! Scroll down to find the best winter tree art, snowman art, winter animal art, snowflake art, winter landscape art project ideas, and more!
Related: The Best Fall Art Projects for Kids
Related: Winter Solstice Books for Children
Winter Art Ideas for Kids
I hope you find some inspiration to create some beautiful winter art after seeing this fantastic list of winter painting ideas for kids and adults. Toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners will need guidance from a parent or teacher to complete these winter art projects while older children, teens, and adults can complete most of these winter painting ideas on their own.
The winter art projects below are placed into categories so it is easy to find the type of winter art ideas for kids that you are looking for. Click on the creator of each winter art project tutorial to see the complete instructions for each winter art idea. Have fun creating winter art with any of these fun painting ideas for kids!
Related: Winter Bucket List
Winter Tree Art Projects for Kids
Kids and teens love painting winter art for kids with trees and landscapes. This list of children’s winter art ideas contains several different types of winter tree art projects including winter silhouette painting ideas, alpine tree art, birch tree painting, etc. More winter tree art projects can be found in “Winter Landscape Art Projects” below.
- Colorful Winter Tree Art | Rhythms of Play (not pictured)
- Winter Handprint and Fingerprint Tree Art | Rhythms of Play (create all four seasons or just a winter tree.)
- Silhouette Winter Tree Art | Buggy and Buddy
- Stunning Winter Tree Silhouette | Inner Child Fun
- Easy Birch Tree Painting for Kids | The Educators’ Spin On It
- Birch Tree Winter Art project | How Wee Learn
- Colorful Abstract Winter Trees | Mary Making
- Alpine Trees | Painted Paper Art
- Oil Pastel Alpine Tree | Buggy and Buddy
- Bubble Wrap Snowy Tree | Glued to my Crafts
- Winter Tree Painting Ideas | Crafts on Sea (not Pictured)
- Aluminum Tape Winter Tree Art Project | Forget Him Not (not pictured)
- Watercolor Tree Cards | Rhythms of Play (not pictured)
- Fingerprint Christmas Tree Cards | Rhythms of Play (not pictured)
Winter Landscape Art Projects for Kids
The winter art projects for kids listed below share how to paint a winter landscape. There are so many gorgeous winter tree art projects available that I had to separate them into “winter tree art projects” and “winter landscape art projects.”
Each of the winter landscapes listed below, with the exception of two art projects, consists of landscapes that include trees. Many of the tree painting ideas listed in the section above could also be considered landscapes or painted as a winter landscape should the artist choose to do so.
- Snowy Alpine Tree Landscape Watercolor Resist Art | Rhythms of Play
- How to Draw a Winter Landscape | Art Projects for Kids Blog
- Northern Lights Winter Landscape Art Lesson | Katy’s AnelNik Designs & Art Project Ideas
- Winter Watercolor Pine Tree Forrest | Craftsy
- Newspaper Winter Landscape | I Heart Crafty Things
- Winter Holiday Tree Squeegee Painting | Hello Wonderful
- Snowy Day Landscape Collage | Krokotak
- Snowy Town Watercolor Landscape | Adventure in a Box (not pictured)
- Winter Landscape Reflection Art | The Pinterested Parent (not pictured)
Related: Easy Flower Art Projects Kids LOVE!
Winter Animal and Snowman Art for Kids
What could be more fun than learning about winter animals and then working on a winter animal art project? Any of these winter animal art ideas is a great addition to a winter-themed homeschool unit.
Bird and animal Winter Art: Penguin, Cardinal, Owl, and Polar Bear Art Projects
This list of winter art projects for kids includes winter painting ideas for winter animals commonly seen during the season of winter.
- Mixed Media Winter Birdhouse | The Pinterested Parent
- Penguin Art Project | Deep Space Sparkle
- Handprint Cardinals | Artsonia Art Museum
- Cardinal Art Project | Runde’s Room
- Thumbprint Owls in the Night Sky | Kids Artists
- How to Paint a Snowy Cardinal | Family Focus Blog (not pictured)
- Mixed Media Winter Birds | The Pinterested Parent (not pictured)
- Polar Bear Art | That Artist Woman
- Colorful Polar Bear Pattern Art | The Crafty Classroom
- Easy Polar Bear Process Art | Play to Learn Preschool (not pictured)
Snowman Art Ideas
Here’s a list of snowman painting ideas for kids and adults. Learn how to paint a snowman, or use your fingers and thumbs to make fingerprint art snowman cards for Christmas or Valentine’s Day!
- Fingerprint Snowman Art | Rhythms of Play (not pictured)
- Profile of a Snowman Winter Painting Idea | Housing a Forest
- Snowman Directed Drawing | Proud to be Primary
- How to Paint a Simple Snowman | Flower Patch Farmhouse
- Loose Parts Snowman Art for Preschoolers | Teaching 2 and 3-Year-Olds (not pictured)
Related: Under the Sea Art Projects & Painting Ideas
Winter Sky Art Painting Ideas for Kids
Create winter sky art on a blustery day with these fun painting ideas. Winter skies may not be regarded as the most beautiful of the year, but the winter sky art projects and winter painting ideas for kids listed below will put that idea to the test. Learn how to paint snow on canvas, watercolor paper, and more with these fun winter sky painting ideas!
- Windy Day Winter Sky Art (and STEAM experiment) | Rhythms of Play
- Bleeding Tissue Paper Winter Skies | Art Projects for Kids
- Winter Sky Art Mosaics | ARTventurous
- Sparkly Mixed Medium Winter Sky Art Paintings | Stay at Home Educator
Related: Three Color Wet on Wet Watercolor Painting
Winter Rain, Snow and Ice Art Ideas for Kids
Most of the winter art projects featured below use real rain, snow, and ice to create beautiful winter art! Snowflake art projects and painting ideas are listed in their own category below.
- Rainbow Rainy Day Art STEAM | Rhythms of Play
- Painting Rain Art Prompt | Adventure in a Box
- Snowy Day Tissue Paper Art | Fireflies and Mudpies
- Winter Rain Watercolor Resist | SmArt Class
- Ice Painting | Messy Little Monster
- Painting on Ice Winter Art Project | Nurture Store
Related: 20 Ways to Play in the Rain
Winter Snowflake Art Projects for Kids
Snowflakes are like winters butterflies. Help your children learn about symmetry and create gorgeous patterns making winter snowflake art with the kids. Try any of the winter snowflake painting ideas below, or make beaded snowflake crafts and ornaments!
- Watercolor and Oil Pastel Resist Snowflake Painting Ideas | Arty Crafty Kids
- Winter Watercolor Resist Art with Free Printable Snowflake Template | Fun at Home with Kids
- How to Draw a Snowflake Tutorial and Coloring Page | Art Projects for Kids
- Winter Snowflake Stamp Art | The OT Toolbox
- Bleeding Tissue Paper Winter Art Project | The Pinterested Parent
- Sugar Paint Snowflakes–Winter Sugar Painting for Kids | Kids Craft Room
- Watercolor Doily Snowflake Art | Kitchen Table Classroom (not pictured)
- Salt Painted Snowflakes | The Best Ideas for Kids (not pictured)
Related: Black Glue Rose Watercolor Resist Art
Winter Handprint and Fingerprint Tree Art
Another fun seasonal project is this Four-Season Hand and Fingerprint Tree. Create all four seasons using four mini-canvases or simply create a winter handprint tree with fingerprint snow on one piece of paper or upon a single canvas. Another option is to make a regular tree trunk with fingerprints for snow. Or, try any of these Fingerprint Art Ideas for Kids.
Christmas Art Projects for Kids
Since Christmas occurs at the beginning of the winter, we have decided to include a link to several Christmas painting ideas in our Christmas art round-up. Pop over to have a look at this collection of fun and easy Christmas Art Projects for Kids!
We have collected lots of fun Christmas art ideas including cute Christmas handprint, footprint, and fingerprint art ideas complete with fingerprint lights, handprint carolers, and fingerprint snowmen. Invite children to have fun creating any of these fun Christmas art projects and painting ideas.
Valentine’s Day Art Projects and Painting Ideas
Finish off the winter with some fun Valentine’s Day art ideas! Click on the link to see this awesome collection of Valentine’s day painting ideas including handprint, footprint, fingerprint, and heart art projects, and painting ideas for kids! Or, try any of these Heart Art Projects.
Winter Art Projects for Kids
Painting winter landscapes and creating winter art of all kinds is a fun way to connect with nature and the great outdoors during the colder winter months when we begin to spend more time indoors. For more fun winter ideas for kids and adults be sure to check out winter solstice celebration ideas and our winter bucket list filled with fun winter activities.
You might also enjoy this list of fun art and craft ideas for kids. Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!
Related: Homemade Gifts Kids Can Make
More Painting Ideas for Kids (and adults, too!)
- Painting with Foam Blocks
- Single Color Wet-on-Wet Watercolor Painting
- Painted Votives Kids Can Make
- Rainbow Art Projects Kids LOVE!
These are beautiful!That birch tree project is going to be first on my list to try out!
I love them all too! It was hard narrowing this list down to 10. There are several amazing birch tree winter art projects. I picked the simplest one with the best tutorial. 🙂
Thanks! I would love to see how it turns out. I’d love to see a photo if you would be willing to share. 🙂
I am very excited to try the Northern Lights with my older adults in skilled nursing and rehab. It’s a neat little project that is simple, promotes creativity, hard to do wrong, and isn’t too childish for adults. Several of these others are going in my bookmarks, too. Thanks for the compilation!
So glad you appreciate the resource Di! Yes, although I have created this post for kids many of the projects are wonderful for adults too. My daughter and I love doing art together. It’s a great way to spend time connecting. 🙂 Enjoy the projects!