Online Resources for Children and Teens During Social Distancing: S.T.E.A.M. Projects

Painting with balloons is a great way to build fine motor skills.  Blow up balloons slightly smaller than your child's hands and let them squish, squeeze, roll, and dab in paint.

Fill small bowls or cups with paint.  Place one piece of string in each bowl.  Let kids drag string across paper for Jackson Pollack-esque works of art.

Punch "confetti" from different color paper using a single-hole punch.  Let kids sprinkle on paint.  Shake off excess when dry.

Squeeze some lemon juice in a bowl, add a few drops of water, and mix.  Dip a cotton swab into the mixture and use it to write a message on white paper.  Wait for the juice to dry so it becomes completely invisible.  To read, hold paper over a 100-watt light bulb.

Use masking tape or painter's tape to make designs or spell their name.  Paint, and when dry, carefully remove the tape.  We used a canvas for painting to avoid ripping, but cardboard works well, too.

Kids don't always like to eat their veggies--but they'll love painting with them.  Cut apples, lemons, pears, potatoes, and corn in half, and let kids experiment making prints on paper.

Raid the junk drawer for materials in different sizes, colors, and textures to create crazy faces and silly self-portraits.  Glue on heavy paper or cardboard.  Click below for a list of items to try.

Click the link below for instructions!

Gather cups, bottle caps, yogurt containers, K-cups--anything round--and place them in paint.  Kids can use both ends to stamp circles and experiment with size, colors, and patterns.

Cut sponges into shapes and let kids experiment with print-making.  Rinse sponges and let dry to reuse.