Cardboard painting tools are a great addition to your preschool crafts toolkit. They're easy to make with some recycled cardboard. Provide opportunities to explore and create with painting tools you make with the kids.

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A homemade painting tool is easy to make with recycled cardboard. It only takes two simple steps to create this awesome alternative to a paint brush.

Cardboard is a readily available material to use for crafting - from cereal boxes, pizza boxes and other packaging.

Use sturdy cardboard to make these paint tools, so they will hold up when the cardboard gets saturated with paint.

While these paint tools are easy -and fun - to make, a similar set of plastic paint scrapers is available to purchase online. You might also find them in craft stores or toy stores.

This simple DIY will provide lots of opportunity for process art! Set up the activity with a few different paint colors as an invitation for kids to create.

Get ready for some awesome painting experiences with your preschoolers. Minimal instruction is required to provide oodles of creative fun!

Related: Painting with recyclable containers

Cardboard painting tools DIY

Cut out a piece of cardboard in a square or rectangle shape.

Cut notches in one side of the cardboard.

• Vary the notches to create different results.

Drop a dab of washable kids paint onto construction paper or card stock.

Glide the painting tool through the paint to create a design.

Related: Painting with wood blocks

Learning through play

1. Create a wall mural. 

• Make "grass" as shown in the photo above.
• Make wavy, fluffy clouds in the "sky".
• When the paint is dry, draw and cut out trees, flowers or animals to glue into the picture.

2. Place a long sheet of paper on a table.

• Put dabs of different paint colors at intervals along the length of the paper.
• Place a paint spreader one one end of the paper.
• Walk along the full length of the paper without lifting the spreader from the paper.
      

Awesome ideas for painting tools from other bloggers:

• How to Make Your Own Potato Stamp - Emma Owl

• Pipe Cleaner Heart Print Making - Where Imagination Grows

• Painting Ideas for Kids Using Rubber Bands - JDaniel4's Mom

• Nature Paint Brushes - Messy Little Monster

Find more painting activities on our Pinterest board.