How to Keep the Kids Busy This Summer Series Continues, Colored Corn Kernel Art Projects

Welcome back to our little "Patch-A-Heaven!" It's officially summer!! And we are loving it. Today I'm sharing a simple, inexpensive art project to keep the kiddos busy this summer. My kids love art projects of any kind. I have seen lots of kid projects using popcorn kernels glued to paper, but I've never seen anyone color them. So we thought we'd step up the art with some color!

To do this project you will need:
Popcorn kernels
Glue, we like Elmer's the old school white glue
Food Coloring
Card stock Paper
Zip Loc Bags and Paper towels

To make the kernels colored, just put about 1/2-3/4 cup of kernels in a Zip Loc bag, then put as much food coloring as you like into the bag also, just dropped onto the kernels. (We liked about 7-10 drops per bag) Then seal the bag, getting all the air out. Then squish and roll the bag (from the outside) around in your hands getting the color all over the kernels. The kernels absorb the colored liquid quickly and nicely. You can lay the kernels out onto a paper towel for a min. to absorb any excess color before using them for your project. And I would recommend that as it keeps little hands from getting colored too. In the pics my kids hands got colored because I let them do the dropping and then they put their hands into the bag to get kernels out and some color was on the inside of the bag. To avoid colored hands, just empty the colored kernels onto the towels instead of reaching in the bags.

Here she is adding the food coloring drop by drop. 

And now she is squishing the bag from the outside to coat all the kernels with color.

Working on his train tracks.

I love the look of concentration on his face!

Here are the kernels in the bag all colored.

Then allow the kids to use their imagination to draw what they want with the glue onto the paper and then push the kernels into the glue and allow to dry.

For my older kids I had them pick an object and then try to create it. One chose the shape of the State of Utah. I did the horse. And my youngest chose train tracks. It's also fun for the littlest ones to fill in a shape you outline for them. I outlined a balloon and my 3 year old filled it in. This is also a fun way to teach them patterns.

The best thing I find about doing these sorts of projects with kids, is that it encourages their imaginations and creativity, curiosity and they want to learn more!  When we were done they wondered what popcorn kernels look like when they are colored and then get popped....a project for another day I suppose!

He was pretty proud of his work!

Hope you are all having a super fun summer!

I had my cell phone there to remind her what the great State of Utah's shape looks like.

Until next time, much love from our little "Patch-A-Heaven!"