In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to master cyanotype printing for kids, using simple ingredients and the power of UV light.

What is Cyanotype Printing?

Originally used by architects to make “blueprints,” cyanotype is a 180-year-old photographic process. It uses two iron salts that react to sunlight, turning paper into a deep “Prussian blue.” It’s safe, easy, and feels like a magic trick every time!

The Supplies You’ll Need

• Ammonium Ferric Citrate (Brown) and Potassium Ferricyanide
• Tap water
• Watercolor paper (thick paper works best!)
• Cyanotype printing flowers, leaves, or twigs
• A sunny day!

DIY Cyanotype Tutorial

1. Mix Your Magic Potions

To start cyanotype printing for beginners, you need to create two stock solutions. Mix 25g of ammonium ferric citrate with 100ml of water (Solution A) and 10g of potassium ferricyanide with 100ml of water (Solution B).

2. Coat Your Paper

In a dimly lit room, mix equal parts of A and B. Use a brush to coat your paper. Let it dry in a completely dark place. Once dry, your paper is “active” and ready to catch some rays!

3. Design with Nature

This is the best part of cyanotype printing for kids. Head outside and gather your supplies. Flat items work best—think cyanotype printing flowers, delicate ferns, or even interesting-shaped twigs. Lay them on your paper in a cool design.

4. Let the Sun Bake

Place a piece of clear glass or plastic over your design to keep the wind from blowing your leaves away. Take it outside in direct sunlight. Watch as the paper changes from yellow-brown to a dark, stony grey. Usually, 10–15 minutes is all it takes!

5. The Big Reveal (The Wash)

Take your paper back inside and rinse it in a tray of cold water. Watch closely! The yellow chemicals wash away, and a stunning, bright blue image of your flowers appears. Rinse until the water runs clear, then hang it up to dry.

Tips for beginners

Fresh is Best: Use freshly picked flowers for sharp edges or dried flowers for a vintage, ghostly look.

Watch the Clock: Over-exposed prints will look too dark; under-exposed prints will wash away. Experiment to discover your ideal balance.

Safety: While these chemicals are used, always wear gloves, and adult supervision is recommended for the “little alchemists.”

Are you ready to try your first print? Tag us in your creations and let us know what you decided to print first!

This week at our drawing and painting class, we hit that exact sweet spot. We just wrapped up our classroom module on landscapes, but I didn’t want to end it with a traditional test. To me, art classes in HSR Layout should be about more than just following instructions; they should be about finding a voice.

Instead of a worksheet, we conducted an art-based assessment. I gave my 6–8 year old students a simple, open-ended topic : “My Fantasy World / My Dream World.”

The energy in the room shifted immediately. This wasn’t just another kids’ art class exercise; it was an invitation to build something personal. The results were breathtaking. Our walls are now covered in creative artworks that go far beyond what I could have taught in a step-by-step lesson.

Seeing these young artists use the landscape techniques they’ve learned to build their own unique universes reminded me why I love what I do. We aren’t just teaching them how to use a brush; we’re giving them the tools to bring their dreams to life.

Watching this display come together reminded me why teaching art matters.

Not because of pretty walls or applause—but because every artwork here represents a child thinking independently.

That is the real success of an assessment.

Not only did this clay modeling project introduce kids to ancient art but also taught the kids to develop fine motor skills, patience, and storytelling through form and design. Now let’s examine more closely the way this activity was set for younger and for older age groups and what kids had learned from this activity.

Indus Valley Clay Activity for Techniques

We first had a short session of storytelling before jumping into the clay. I displayed to the children photographs of pottery from the Indus Valley region—plain earthenware decorated with designs made using coiling and braiding. We discussed the use of these pots in everyday life, where they were used to store grains, water, or offerings. This made children feel like they had a purpose and were connected to the past.

And, as I witnessed the kids in their moment of glory, sliding their clay pots from legs to layers, their raised pots shaped tall and twisty or short and wide, one could not help smiling. They weren’t just modeling clay; they were reminiscing about a civilization that had lived thousands of years before. History was therefore made alive in their hands with this simple clay activity for kids.

Old methods of coiling and braiding do not only teach craft; they encourage curiosity, concentration, and observation for the world around them. I recommend all educators and parents implement such projects in their classrooms or houses. Let clay create such a beginning for storytelling, discoveries, and creativity that lives much longer than the drying of the pot.

What Is Papel Picado?

Papel picado, or ‘perforated paper‘ in Spanish, refers to a traditional Mexican folk art consisting of cutting designs into colored tissue paper. Delicate paper banners, strung together, serve as decorations for celebrations, holidays, and festivals such as Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and the Mexican Independence Day celebrations.”

Why We Chose This Craft for Summer Camp

I hoped to have the children experience the essence of Mexican art through hands-on creation. Papel picado was the ideal craft to achieve it for the following reasons:

• It’s lively, cheerful, and simple to adjust to for all ages.
• It imparts symmetry, patterning, and scissor skills.
• It enables children to play with colors, shapes, and repetition — all the basics of art.
• It provides access to studying Mexican holidays and family customs.”

Wrapping Up Our Mexican Art Journey

It was not just an art endeavor — it was an appreciation of culture, art, and people. Working on the papel picado, we bonded to the happiness of the Mexican festivities and realized how art can be used to bring people and traditions together.

If you are organizing a cultural activity for your very own classroom or summer camp, I strongly suggest that you include papel picado. It is a lively, participatory, and enriching activity for children to learn about the world — one vibrant cut-out at a time.

Macrame for Kids

Recently, there was a hubbub in the studio where children came together with us for a macrame activity, learning simple knots such as the square knot, spiral knot, and many more. Macrame knots for beginners activity: the part I enjoyed the most was seeing them change so suddenly and become confident. Fumbling fingers at first—but before long, pieces of string became keychains, little wall hangings, and plant holders, all of them made with pride.

In addition to the lovely take-home projects, macrame also imparts valuable life skills to the child. It enhances hand-eye coordination, refines concentration, and develops spatial awareness, all while allowing them to creatively express themselves in a hands-on manner. A few even began experimenting with their own knot patterns and color schemes by the time the class ended!

At BrainArt, we think that learning should be both immersive and nurturing rather than just instructive. Macrame is just that: accessible, creative, and fine motor skill-building, with a bonus dose of confidence.

Stained glass painting serves as an entertaining artistic process that enables children to employ intense glass paints on translucent sheets (plastic or acrylic) to reproduce stained glass effects. In place of hazardous glass and lead materials, children work with safe products that let them produce stained glass effects through their creation of bold sketches and bright colors.

This activity suits children between 8 and 15 due to their ongoing developmental stage in design abilities and their growing appreciation for artwork that displays both creativity and storytelling. Young kids create such spectacular art pieces from this activity that it appears as though they achieved expert status.

The students had a wonderful educational experience that opened their eyes when we taught them Spanish culture through stained glass painting. Standing as an art teacher affords me the greatest professional joy when my students develop an emotional bond with a distant place through basic pictorial elements and creative thinking.

The ongoing Art Around the World series operates as our educational journey, which enables children to discover different countries by exploring art as their primary navigation instrument.

Next stop? Children will have to wait for the upcoming destination, but students can anticipate the same vibrant and enchanting experience.

✂️ A Simple Piece of Paper, A Whole New World

Most students from ages 8 to 13 lacked knowledge about Lithuania and Lithuanian artistic traditions when I started our session about Karpiniai. The moment the children held scissors and folded the paper followed by precise cutting, the atmosphere changed fundamentally. They weren’t just crafting. The children experienced an ancient meaningful and magical connection during this activity.

Karpiniai requires more than attractive cuts since it represents an ancient art form of storytelling. In Lithuanian society people incorporated papercutting into window decoration as well as wall art and home furniture design. Throughout each made crease and trimmed piece lies a heritage of hundreds of years which showcases symmetry in addition to rhythm alongside aesthetic value.

What Children Gained from Karpiniai

This activity proved significant to me as an education professional because of three key reasons. The activity enabled development of fine motor skills that included using scissors and performing small cuts and managing paper carefully.

Patience, along with concentration, proved essential while creating symmetrical designs because they demanded total attention.

Educational activities showed us Lithuanian cultural heritage specifically through creative practical work.

Each child acquired creative confidence by taking home personal artwork they had created by their own hands.

Watching students learn through basic paper cutting provided me genuine satisfaction about the educational value contained in this straightforward activity.

📍 Right Here in HSR Layout

Parents are often surprised to know that their child can travel the world—artistically—without leaving the neighborhood. Our studio in HSR Layout is a space where children not only make art but also build memories, friendships, and global awareness.

And the best part? Activities like these are woven into all our programs—from summer camps to regular sessions. If you’re a parent looking for art classes in HSR Layout or creative classes for your child in Bangalore, I invite you to join our little world of wonder, right here in HSR Layout.

The Art Around the World Summer Camp featured China as its destination, where children explored China through storytelling combined with paper crafting projects. Working as an art teacher means the most heartwarming experience occurs when children explore new cultural experiences with their full enthusiasm and curiosity.

Creating vibrant paper dragons served as our main activity because these dragons represent power and good luck in Chinese traditions. The dragon-making activity engaged children between 3.5 years old and 7 years old who assembled their dragons through paper strip folding and cutting with glue use. Children could detect delight as the eyes on their dragons moved in a festive way.

The activity provided more than basic crafting because it let children experience both artistic activities and sensory experiences. Through their activities the children devoted full attention to developing their fine motor skills and learned Chinese traditions simultaneously. Watching children display their handmade dragons with pride produced an invaluable sight of delight. The children made art that let them experience a global artistic tradition through their own individual creative approach.

“Fold, Glue, Create – Our Paper Dragon Adventure”

📍 If you’re looking to nurture your child’s creativity while introducing them to the world, come join us at BrainArt! Let’s keep the creative journey going—one country, one masterpiece at a time.

Learn Tanjore Painting Course at Our Studio

At our art studio, we offer a structured Tanjore painting course where students learn step by step—from preparing the wooden board to mastering gold leaf application. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced artist, our classes help you understand the traditional methods while allowing room for creativity.

We also specialize in customized Tanjore painting projects, creating unique artwork tailored to personal preferences. Whether it’s a deity painting for your home, a wedding gift, or a contemporary adaptation of this historic art, our studio ensures exquisite craftsmanship and authenticity.

Join us in preserving this royal South Indian tradition and experience the magic of Tanjore painting firsthand! Contact us today to enroll in our courses or commission a customized masterpiece.

In general for children of ages 5 to 7 years, the resist effect presents envious opportunities for making beautiful and colorful artwork, which more often than not has an underwater context. Now let’s get down to the specifics of how one can explain the resist effect to one’s young artists, and observe them at work.

Why Use Oil Pastels and Watercolor for Resist Effect?

I love using Oil pastel and watercolour for children. Children age 5 years can hold the oil pastels easily and they could also easily move on the paper thus making the children freely use it to produce whatever they desire, encouraging children to experiment with colors and strokes. 

Watercolor on the opposite makes colors to look a bit wet and when the kids watch as the ink spills on the paper they get delighted. Together, these materials form a resist artwork that is fun and jazzy in colors, and that suits children artists. Watercolor, on the other hand, adds a fluid and dreamy effect that kids enjoy watching as it spreads across the paper. When combined, these materials create a resist artwork that is bold, colorful, and playful – perfect for young artists.

Apart from beautifying and decorating fabric items it is also a good resistance technique since it develops the different artistic parts of the human being, the hand and eye coordination and the motor ability of the kids that are involved in the task. This way children understand what it means to do layers in art and easily get to differentiate between the rough pastel colors and the softer watercolor ones.

Benefits of Resist Art for Kids

Creating resist artwork for kids provides them with several valuable learning experiences:

• Understanding Basic Science: Youngsters discover that oil floats in water and prepare them for science facts that are easy for them to understand.

• Building Fine Motor Skills: Using oil pastels for drawing and watercolor for painting help to improve children’s fine motor control and coordination.

• Developing Artistic Expression: Return from art is made with oil pastels and watercolours helps children demonstrate in large unhesitating gestures, fostering their confidence.

• Improving Focus and Patience: Every step of the resist technique assists children in learning patience since they cannot work until the watercolor is dry.

Wrapping Up the Underwater Art Adventure

Drawing with resist artwork using oil pastels and water colors is an interesting, informative and creative work that kids of five to seven years would enjoy.. Not only does it explain them basic science concepts, but it also let them to use their creativity to explore the underwater world. This project releases the artistic soul, enthusiasm and self esteem evident in each stroke they make. Of course, as an art teacher seeing them gasp at the resist effect and boasting about their underwater creations is a fulfilling moment.

Well, next time you decide on an art project, give this oil pastel and watercolor resist a try. It is both an art and a science in equal measures which helps every child to convert their artwork into beautiful fishes in an aqua painted sea.