Paper towel dot art activity for kids

Looking for a simple, budget-friendly and mess-free craft that sparks creativity and engages your kids in a calm and mindful way? This paper towel dot art activity is super simple to prepare and uses supplies you already have at home. Read along as I show you a fun way to create art out of a simple paper towel!

What you’ll need

White paper towels (with an embossed dotted pattern)
Felt tip markers (fine tip works best)

Colouring the paper towel

Prep your surface

Start by placing the paper towel over a washable placemat or a piece of paper, to protect your table, as colours can transfer to the surface underneath.

Add colour dots

Most paper towels have embossed patterns and grooves marked onto them to make them more absorbent. Use felt tip markers to trace the patterns or paint each dot, bringing the patterns to life. Encourage kids to experiment with colour combinations and placement.

Paper towel dot art is a great calm down activity for any age that encourages creativity, concentration and mindfulness, as you take your time to choose which colours to use and carefully colour each dot to make colourful designs.

Adjusting the activity for different ages

One of the benefits of this paper towel dot art activity is that you can make it as simple or as complicated as you like. Younger kids can simply trace lines in the pattern, while older kids can use fine tip markers to colour each dot one by one.

You can choose to use just one colour, or combine a few different colours in a pattern. There’s also many different ways you can follow the textured design printed onto the paper towels, so the possibilities are endless.

Being creative with dot patterns

Another fun thing about this activity is the subtle variety between paper towel brands. Some have unique embossed designs like swirls or flowers, while others have simpler geometric patterns, like circles or squares. They all work beautifully for this activity!

I love seeing how differently each of my kids approaches their art project, using different colour combinations and styles, which make each piece unique.

Every once in a while I set this activity up for them on a rainy day, or as a quick after-school activity while I cook dinner. The variety in designs between brands makes each paper towel sheet a little different and gives the activity a fresh novel feel each time.

Make it a tie-dye

If you’d like to expand on this activity, you can turn your beautiful patterns into tie-dye, by using a dropper or brush to carefully drop water onto the coloured dots on your paper towel. The colours will instantly spread and blend like tie-dye!

Hang your art work to dry and enjoy your colourful creations!