• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

LEARN PLAY READ

  • ABOUT
  • Get Ready for Kindergarten
    • How to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten – With Activities!
    • 27 Books Perfect for Introducing Kindergarten Concepts
    • How to Run a Kindergarten Readiness Class for Preschoolers
    • The Get Ready for Kindergarten Handbook
    • The Get Ready for Kindergarten Calendar
  • Process Art
  • Book Resources
    • Picture Book Reviews
    • Chapter Book Reviews
    • Non-Fiction Book Review
    • Book & Cook
  • Parenting Resources
    • Health
    • Nature Play
    • Need Hope?
  • Program Plans
  • Workshops
  • Shop
    • Cart
    • Checkout
    • My account
  • CONTACT
You are here: Home / Process Art / Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ Wax Paper Painting

Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ Wax Paper Painting

August 31, 2017 by Librarian

Van Gogh has an art piece “Starry Night” that is a great way to introduce even the youngest of children to art.  

*This idea is from Messy Little Monster and The Imagination Tree.    

*We use affiliate links and may earn commission from purchases made through those links. All opinions are our own.

By simply showing toddlers and preschoolers photos of the piece and then giving them the tools to replicate it is beneficial in showing little ones that art is a creative process anybody can love. Talk about the colors mixing (Blue and yellow make what? Green!), what the sparkles represent (stars, of course), and how the paint feels cold and wet (ewww!).  

You can even throw in additional information about how the wax paper painting transfers to the canvas (how cool is that!) and how everybody’s starry night looks different (just like we all look different)!  

Have fun with this simple activity that will inevitably leave your kids smiling in pride of their very own masterpieces.  

Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' Wax Paper Painting

Supplies:

  • Wax paper or tinfoil
  • Washable fingerpaint in blue, white, and gold
  • Canvas, canvas board, poster board (I used 12×12 canvas boards.)

Directions:

First, the kids should spread blue paint out all over the wax paper.

Second, squirt white paint onto their wax paper for them to mix in.

Then, add gold paint for the kids to lightly incorporate.

Finally, turn the right side of their canvas onto the wax paper and press down. When the kids pull up the canvas boards, they will have their own versions of Starry Night by van Gogh on their canvases!

This Ends Soon! 4 Great Magazines 50% OFF with Promo Code: SAVE50

Kids LOVE to finger paint! For more finger painting fun, try this Monet finger painting activity!

*For little ones who don’t like to have even the tiniest speck of paint on their fingers, squirt paint directly onto the canvas, cover the canvas with the wax paper and let the kids spread the paint around through the wax paper. Mess free painting!

Van Gogh is just one of many iconic artists. Check out some more ideas for Seurat, Monet, Kandinsky, Matisse, and Picasso!

Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' Wax Paper Painting

Check out this post for more art history ideas:

Also, check out our Butterfly Collage Inspired by Damien Hirst craft:

Filed Under: Process Art Tagged With: Colors, Famous Artists, Finger Painting, Paint, Painting, Preschoolers, Process Art, teach kids at home, Toddlers, Vincent Van Gogh, Wax Paper, Young Artists

Primary Sidebar

Welcome! I'm Jaime, and I'm so happy you're here to learn, play, and read with me!

I'm a children's librarian in the midwest. I have a Master's in Library Science, with a Youth Services specialization. I like to think of myself as a professional reader of children's books, a sensory enthusiast, and a play activist. Which is great for working with children because kids' days are full of learning and playing (and in my dream world, reading books)!

I hope you're able to find some inspiration for teaching the littles in your life!

SEARCH

Want More?

Shop on Etsy

LESSONS

Get to Know Learn Play Read

Get to know Learn Play Read by browsing some of our favorite posts and products, from baby activities to art projects to book lists! Check out our Etsy page to use your discount code! If you don’t have a discount code and would like one, email info@learnplayread.com with the subject “Discount Please!” Stay up to […]

Daily Summer Activities for Preschoolers

Looking for daily summer activities for your families? Look no further! Find 93 activity ideas to keep your summer fun. *We use affiliate links and may earn commission from purchases made through those links. All opinions are our own. Daily Summer Activities for Families Three months with no school are ahead, and all of those empty […]

School Library End of Year Checklist

Use this school library end of the year checklist each year to make sure you finish all necessary tasks before summer break. Of course, modify and add/delete as it fits your library and district requirements. School Library End of Year Checklist Download PDF copy of the end of year checklist More School Library Resources Graphic […]

Learn Play Read, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to LearnPlayRead.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.


Footer

RECENT

  • Realistic Fiction Chapter Books for Ages 8-12
  • Get to Know Learn Play Read
  • Best Natural, Simple, and Quality Baby Items
  • Daily Summer Activities for Preschoolers
  • School Library End of Year Checklist

Tags

art art history babies book club book review books butterflies circles Claude Monet Colors Crayola elementary family Famous Artists Finger Painting Flowers glue Henry Matisse kids kids books Messy Messy Painting non-fiction non-fiction book review non-fiction picture book Paint Painting picture book picture books preschool Preschoolers Process Art Programs read scissors Shapes stickers teacher resources teach kids at home Toddlers Vincent Van Gogh Water Lilies Wax Paper Yarn Young Artists

Archives

  • February 2024
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • December 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • February 2022
  • October 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in