Summer Popsicle Painting Tutorial For Kids

This is a quick painting that you can do with your kids anytime this summer that will make anyone happy. The summer popsicle painting tutorial for kids is so perfect for everyone because it can be customized in so many fun ways. So let their imaginations run wild!

JUMP TO VIDEO TUTORIAL

* This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase, I could make a small commission at no charge to you. Please read my Disclaimer and Privacy Policy HERE.

Of course, this tutorial isn’t just for kids! I truly enjoyed painting it too.

If adults could paint more as kids do, we would have a lot more fun. We’d be more able to stop putting pressure on ourselves to make it perfect and enjoy the process of creating.

Kids get so excited to have a canvas, brushes, and paint. Let them enjoy it! Don’t let them worry about being perfect. Let them do it all on their own, and wait and see if they ask for your help before offering any tips.

I shared more tips for painting with kids stress-free HERE. It’s important for us to let them have fun and do it on their own. 

Art is about enjoying the process. So I don’t want anyone getting rulers out for this art lesson. It’s about simplicity, imperfect lines, and fun!

You don’t need fancy supplies for this fun summer activity for kids. I used my mixed media pad, a few inexpensive brushes, and acrylic craft paint.

Sketch a Simple Outline

The first step in this summer popsicle painting tutorial for kids is to roughly outline three little rectangles in a row on your painting surface.

These are just guides, so they don’t have to wait too long for paint to dry before painting in all the fun and colorful summer popsicles.

You don’t even have to draw the popsicle stick. We will just paint that in later. 

Paint in the Background

I like to start by painting in my background all around the rectangle outlines. I am using orange and white paint and my 1″ flat brush and start filling in around the shapes. The peachy tone the paint mixture makes is very summery and will keep the popsicles the focus. 

Make it messy, with the strokes going in all directions. A background like this is really easy for kids because there is no right or wrong! Also, using the mix of two colors on your brush creates texture and relieves some of the pressure some might feel to have a perfectly smooth background.

No need to stress if paint makes its way inside the lines! Let it dry, and we will paint right over it next.

Watermelon Popsicle

Watermelon means summer to me! So I knew I wanted to make a bright watermelon popsicle right in the center of my trio. 

Begin by painting the popsicle a bright pink, leaving enough space bare for the watermelon rind. Then, at the base, create a white stripe for where the rind meets the watermelon flesh. If you want to blend it into the pink a little, just lightly brush the edge where the two colors meet for that ombre effect.

Next, go underneath that with a little bit of green following the same steps as the white to finish the watermelon rind.

Now you can add your popsicle stick. Just pull some brown down in a straight line building its width slowly. Since you have brown on your brush, You can add the popsicle sticks where the other will be or wait until later.

Once the pink flesh of the watermelon is dry, use a small round brush and black paint to add seeds. I had a little accident with my black paint. Assure the kids that accidents happen to us all and not to worry about it!

We are here to have fun painting. All you need is a little patience for it to dry and then paint over the top. I quickly blend it into the the vertical lines. 

Bomb Pop

My second popsicle was my personal favorite growing up, a Bomb Pop! These have three thick horizontal stripes of red, white, and blue. 

First, I start at the base, working up the bottom third with red paint. Make sure to rinse off the red before dipping your brush into the next color! I want that soft blended line as we created in the watermelon rind, but I want to work more with white so it doesn’t blend too pink. 

With white paint, blend the edge of the red stripe. Just like the popsicles, the colors mix a little in transition from one to the next. Rinse your brush off before finishing the rest of the center third with white.

The top section is a vibrant blue. I did a little bit of blue shading in my white paint so it didn’t look too flat. You can also use some of that to create those classic vertical lines on the popsicle.

Chocolate-Dipped Banana Popsicle

When I was painting this Live on my Facebook page, you all suggested a chocolate-dipped treat, so a chocolate-dipped banana-flavored popsicle is the final in our summer popsicle trio!

Start by filling in the whole popsicle with your favorite yellow paint. Then, pull a little bit of orange and white in to create those ridges the popsicle mold imprints.

When the yellow paint is dry, use brown to cover the top of the banana popsicle with a pretty curvy bottom line resembling drips.

If you find your chocolate is looking a little too much like Frankenstein’s hair ?, elongate those drips some.

Finishing Details

I love to go around my paintings and add white or black accent marks to pull it all together. You only need the lightest touch, which can be challenging for little hands. Another option would be to use a Sharpie or acrylic paint pens to create those sketch-like accent lines. I have fallen in love with this set and use them all the time in my painting tutorials.

How cute would this painting be with “Hello Summer” written across the top?!

Watch The Full Summer Popsicle Painting Tutorial for Kids!

If you love all the paintings in the background, they are from a previous Kids Art Camp. You can find all the tutorials available now in my shop!

It would be so fun to make it a family challenge to see who comes up with new flavors and designs. Kids are so creative I am sure they could come up with a million different flavor combinations!