Playing with your food has never been more fun! These super simple spaghetti paintbrushes will delight your toddler and won’t break the bank. Whenever I find an activity that utilizes items I already have in the pantry, I’m extremely pleased. This activity is cheap, easy, and fun, so I just had to share it with you. Have fun creating art with spaghetti paintbrushes today!
Let’s get to it. Here’s what you’ll find in this post:
- Gather Your Materials
- Prepare The Spaghetti Paintbrushes
- Create Art And Have FUN
- Create An Art Gallery
- Cheap Paint Hacks
Gather Your Materials
You don’t need many things to create these spaghetti paintbrushes, and that’s the beauty of this activity! Nothing irks me more than an activity that has 10+ components. I don’t have time or extra money for that. No mom does.
You’ll need the following items:
- One package thin spaghetti noodles
- Rubberbands
- Deep pot for boiling water
- Cooking oil
- Paint
- Painting canvas such as paper, paper plates, or cardboard
That’s all you need! Easy peasy. Now let’s get to the magic. Time to make spaghetti paintbrushes!
Prepare The Spaghetti Paintbrushes
I prepared these spaghetti paintbrushes while my son napped. When he woke up, he was delighted at what he saw.
- The first thing you’ll want to do is fill a deep pot with water leaving about 2 inches of room at the top. Add a dollop of cooking oil to the water and turn heat on high. Pro tip: if you put a lid on the pot, it will boil faster.
- While the water is heating up, open the spaghetti noodles and separate noodles into small bundles. Put a rubberband around each bundle, about 3 inches from the end of each bundle (see the photo below for clarity).
- When the water has come to a boil, grab two noodle bundles and hold them in the water, swirling the bundles around to pick up some of the oil (this ensures they will not stick after boiling).
- Boil the noodles until they are very soft and flexible.
- When noodles are soft, put them on a plate to cool.
Create Art And Have FUN
After your spaghetti paintbrushes have cooled, it’s time to have fun!
I didn’t want to make too much of a mess with the paint, so I simply took a sheet of white paper (colored construction paper also works great) and poured a small amount of paint directly onto the paper.
My son grabbed the spaghetti paintbrushes and got straight to slapping, swinging, and shaking the brushes. I’ll be honest with you. Things got messy, as usual. But I’m here for it! I embrace the mess because it’s really connected to fun and exploration. The paint is water based, so it comes off of things easily.
It’s normal for some of the noodles to break off and stick to the paper, depending on how aggressively your little one goes at it. My son takes all activities seriously, so we were definitely on the more aggressive side of things. But gosh did he love this! He was giggling so hard, the paintbrushes in his hands were shaking from his giggles. We do love a good giggle fest.
When you’ve had your fill of painting madness, simply drop the spaghetti paintbrushes in the trash. The simple cleanup process is a major perk of this activity.
Create An Art Gallery
We’ve all got tiny Picasso artists on our hands, no matter how jumbled or modern-art-looking the finished product might be. You’ve gotta showcase their work!
I like putting my son’s artwork on the fridge, but I also really love laminating his works of art and putting them up on his bedroom wall. He is so proud of his work, and he insists to show all of our guests his bedroom art gallery.
Cheap Paint Hacks
I just have to share these paint hacks with you!!
First, did you know that the Dollar Tree sells Crayola washable nontoxic paint?? Alert the presses! This was a magic find. I definitely stocked up on paint there.
If you want to stretch the paint out even more, pour 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and add a small amount of paint. Mix the paint and water together. Voila! You’ve just extended the life of your paint.
The Wrap-Up
How much fun was that?
Did you try this activity?
I hope you and your toddler loved it. I’d love to see the art you created. If you feel comfortable, post a photo of the finished piece of work in the comments below. Let’s fill the comment section with noodle art!
Till next time!
Be Sure To Check Out These Other Fun Activities!
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