purposeful play

Heart Salt Painting

STEAM activity for kids

purposeful play

Heart Salt Painting

Valentine's Day STEAM Activity

Heart Salt Paintings are so beautiful and and gives kids a hands on opportunity to explore art and science concepts. 
 
Through raised salt paintings, kids learn how salt is absorbent as they watch the colored water soak up and race along the salted glue lines! 
 
Heart Salt Painting is also an excellent hands on way to explore color mixing. 
 
Kids can see in real time how colors change when different color lines connect and mix together. 
 
Continue reading below for full instructions and details!
 

heart salt painting

Materials Needed

materials

  • Cardstock Paper
  • Glue
  • Table Salt
  • Water color paints OR
  • Water colored with food coloring

heart salt painting

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heart salt painting

purpose

  • Engages imagination
  • Explores cause and effect
  • Experiment with color mixing
  • Allows child to express themselves
  • Exploration of water and salt properties
  • Hands on learning  
  • Experiment with water colors
  • Allows for child to start and finish a project independently

heart salt painting

Step by Step Directions

gather materials

  • Gather all the materials needed
  • Lay materials out
  • Place cardstock paper inside a tray or dish

create glue heart

  • Ask your child to create a heart outline with glue. 
  • Then invite your child to draw glue lines inside the heart.
  • For younger children-trace a heart for them and ask them to cover the heart outline with glue.
  • You can also create the glue heart outline yourself

Pour salt

  • Pour table salt over the heart
  • Be sure to completely cover the glue with salt
  • Pour off the excess salt
  • Save the salt for other projects

add watercolors

  • Fill pipette with colored water  and squeeze onto salted heart OR
  • Dip paint brush in water colors and gently tap the salted heart with the paintbrush
  • Watch as the color spreads!
  • Continue until the heart is fully covered

let dry and display

  • Lay painting flat and let the raised salt painting dry.
  • This will take a long time-likely a full day.
  • Once fully dry-proudly display!

purposeful play

More Valentine's Day Activities

Hello there! I'm Sarah Britton and I am so excited you stopped by! Join me as we explore simple yet effective ways to create purposeful play opportunities for your child.

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