Seashell Painting Art for Kids

Seashell painting was one of our recent invitations to create. It turned out to be a wonderfully soothing activity with a beautiful product.

Get a full week of summer learning! Try our beach theme, shell theme, or ocean theme lesson plans.

Before setting up this activity we read Sherman Swaps Shells. In the story Sherman, a hermit crab, and his mom are out looking for a new shell, so we decided to help decorate shells in case Sherman wanted to pick out one of ours.

Materials

• Shells-We used some from our collection, but you can also purchase them at craft stores and tourist shops if needed.
• Crayola Washable Kid’s Paint
• Paint Brushes

The girls painted and painted and painted some more. I think they would have painted every shell in our collection if I would have let them.

Possible uses for your painted shells

Although our focus was process-based art and creativity, when possible I do like to use the kids’ creations in some way when we are done with them.

Here are a few projects you might use your painted shells for:

• Glue to a picture frame for a summer keepsake
• Add to small world play (but not water-based unless you choose to use different paint)
• Make a seashell collage
• Add them to your sand table for a splash of color
• Use them for counting activities
• Use them to make mermaid jewelry–that’s what we’ll be doing if Lovey still wants to be a mermaid when Halloween comes around!

What else would you add to this list?

Get a Full Week of Beach Theme Learning and Play

Save time and get right to the playful learning with our printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes over 30 playful learning activities related to the theme, and we’ve provided different versions for home preschool families and classroom teachers so all activities are geared directly toward your needs.

This set includes active hands-on learning ideas and the following printables:

1) Beach 5 Senses Recording Sheet
2) Initial Sound Clip Cards
3) Seashell and Bucket Rhyming Game (-en, -at, -et, and -ug word families)
4) Seashore Counting Mats for Numbers 1-15
5) At the Beach Emergent Reader (2 Versions)
6) 1-35 Beach Theme Calendar and Number Cards
7) Beach Pattern and Counting Seashell Cards
8) Sand Castle Shape Matching Game
9) Uppercase and Lowercase Alphabet Matching Flip Flop Cards

Get Your Lesson Plans

Home Preschool Beach Theme Lesson Plans

Preschool Classroom Beach Theme Lesson Plans

Find more inspiration in our ocean theme.

Products We Used

For more great beach and ocean activities visit our Ocean Theme Pinterest Board. You’ll find crafts, snacks, books, learning activities, and play ideas.

Have you ever painted shells with your kids? What kind of paint did you use? Did your kids find it as soothing as mine did?

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