Fun Painting Projects to Try as a Family

If you’re looking for a fun thing to do as a family, consider dabbling in painting. The household is often considered to be the safest space for a child or parent to tap into their creative skills, making the family environment a great place to harness their artistic prowess. 

Besides granting them a nice-to-have skill, painting is also a fun and social activity that both parents and kids can enjoy and bond over. It can be quite social, and you can be flexible on how involved you want to be with your family member’s painting journey.

That said, it can be understandably challenging to introduce their loved ones to this hobby, especially for those who haven’t painted since their schooling days. Thoughts like what supplies to buy, what paint style to opt for, and how involved you should be can all come to mind before starting the project. 

That said, if you’re ready to break into the scene with your family, then we’ve got some excellent painting project ideas lined up that you can enjoy alongside them. Whether you’re a returning painting aficionado or a greenhorn painter, these painting project ideas can be a great way to get your kids or parents into the scene.

Let’s jump right into it!

1. Paint Over Drinks in a Paint-and-Sip Studio

Keen on bringing your parents or adult siblings out on a fun and creative weekend artistic experience? Consider going to a paint and sip studio like Pinot & Picasso with them.

This art studio is not like your traditional art class; it sets itself apart by serving each of its patrons with a glass of wine or an alcoholic beverage of their choice. Of course, the standard art studio offerings are a part of the package: Think things like a proper class, an art instructor, canvas, and painting supplies. 

But with the social atmosphere being elevated to an experience for adults, this painting class provides a unique experience that can get you and your older loved ones the chance to enjoy painting without the responsibility of watching over kids.

Moreover, the wine isn’t a secondary element to the experience; instead, it allows adults to unleash their creativity in a way that stifles any feelings of anxiety or pressure they may initially feel towards their artwork. This can help them break away from negative feelings and paint how they see fit, which can make for a more enjoyable experience overall.

Paint-and-sip studios can be found in many cities across the developed world, particularly in larger metropolitan areas. To join, you simply have to book a schedule online and list how many participants are joining. Then just show up—you’re sure to have a blast with your family trying something new and exciting like painting and drinking at the same time.

2. Bring Kids to a Family-Friendly Paint Workshop

On the contrary, if you’re more keen on facilitating your children’s painting journey, then you can consider enrolling them on a family-friendly art class. Most art classes are beginner-friendly and kid-friendly, granting your child a suitable environment to improve their skills in a safe and productive manner.

If you want to involve yourself too, then consider enrolling in the workshop yourself. You can look for any open classes in community centres and art studios; the best way to find leads is by exploring your local Facebook or Meetup group to see any available art classes in the upcoming weeks.

By experiencing an art class together with your kid, you can nurture their painting skills and simultaneously help them make nice and happy memories. The fact that it’s done in a public setting also means you don’t have to deal with any cleanups afterwards, which is always an appreciated plus.

3. Create a Collaborative Artwork on a Canvas

A fun way to get the entire family on board with the painting hobby is by getting together to create art on one canvas. A collaborative artwork is one wherein each family member contributes to painting an entire artwork. 

The way tasks can be divided is something that can be agreed upon beforehand, but this collaborative effort helps create a sense of teamwork and progression that can be fulfilling to both you and your loved ones.

Ultimately, the painting can be anything you and your family wish to create. Whether it’s an abstract work of art, a portrait of the family pet, or individual grids of art that loosely get tied together—anything goes, and that’s the beauty of painting in this way.

By collaborating on a single canvas, you can encourage creative problem-solving and guide your family into creating art that’s worthy of display in the household. Through this activity, there’s also a shared sense of ownership that you and your family can attain once you’ve finished the piece, making it a great activity to do together.

4. Follow a Daily or Weekly Painting Challenge

One fun painting project that the entire family can participate in is a painting prompt challenge. 

This challenge is one wherein everyone creates a painting based on an overarching prompt or theme for the time period. You can make the prompts yourself or get one from the Internet, the call is yours.

This prompt challenge can be a great way to motivate you and your entire family to paint. If you decide to give rewards for the “best” painting, that can also boost everyone’s motivation and get them to improve their skills naturally.

In any case, a painting challenge can be a fun way to encourage the family to paint. It can shift their attention away from bad habits like constantly checking their phone and instead encourage them to spend their time more meaningfully. Plus, the collection of artworks your family can amass and display can be nice to look at and be a nice story to tell in the future.

5. Paint on Unique Surfaces

Painting doesn’t have to be done on canvas or paper. One of the joys of the arts is breaking away from the usual mould of things. And what better way than to experiment with different materials and watch art manifest in the most unexpected ways?

There are many alternative canvas forms you can try to paint with your family. For instance, a safe but unique surface to paint on is wooden boards. If you’re crafty with woodworking, you can even sculpt the wood base and allow your family to paint on it, equipped with nothing more than art supplies, watercolour paints and their own imagination. 

No worries if you’re not proficient with woodworking either. There’s an entire world of products you can use to paint on—even recyclable ones like toilet paper rolls and old tin cans can be viable bases. If you want to go the extra mile, you can purchase miniature figures or props and have your family paint on them, then use them as playthings later on. 

If you want to paint and create something practical, that’s possible too. You can also get them to paint their own tote bag or plant pots for personal use or use around the household. 

In truth, there are endless surfaces that you can consider as your base before letting your art come to life. Consider experimenting with various ones and collaborating with your loved ones on their painting journey as well; this way, they’ll gain the confidence to create art and break moulds while having a great time.

All the best in getting your family to paint!