Fun Littles

Fun and easy kids activities

Lazy Day Electronic Toothbrush Painting

Jul 2, 201312,901 views
Painting
Ages3–7 yrs
Prep5 min
Activity20 min
Leveleasy
MessMedium
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

Dip an old battery-operated toothbrush in liquid watercolors, set it face down on butcher paper, and watch its vibrating bristles paint circles and swirls almost by themselves. A low-effort art project for a lazy summer day.

⚠️ Safety first

  • Use an old toothbrush that is only for painting. Never put it back in anyone's mouth, and remind kids not to mouth the painty brush.
  • Keep the battery compartment closed and supervise so little ones can't get at the battery.
  • Liquid watercolors can stain hands, clothes and surfaces. Work outdoors and cover the table.
  • Supervise art play at all times.

Steps

  1. Cover a smooth, flat outdoor table with a single sheet of butcher paper.

  2. Set out the liquid watercolors and the old electronic toothbrush.

  3. Dip the toothbrush bristles into a liquid watercolor.

  4. Switch the toothbrush on and place it bristles-down on the paper.

  5. Watch it move. When it starts a semi-circle, gently nudge it to finish a full circle.

  6. Re-dip the brush every now and then to keep the color going.

  7. Try new colors and make overlapping circles.

  8. Use very small, gentle nudges to steer the brush into swirly lines.

  9. Step back and admire all the circles, swirls and lines on the paper.

Tips

  • For this to work you need a very smooth and flat surface. Keep the cover on the table minimal, because too many layers of paper make it harder for the brush to move.from the author
  • Thin paints work best, and liquid watercolors are your best bet.from the author
  • The top bristles make most of the marks.from the author
  • Very minimal, gentle movements give the best result.from the author
  • A couple of times the brush moved around and formed a perfect circle all by itself.from the author
  • The child can be as much or as little involved as they like. Of course most kids want to be VERY much involved.from the author
  • This one is really amusing. My older child was actually cheering for a while.from the author
  • A reader planned this as an outdoor birthday activity with all her daughter's friends, painting a giant card together.from readers

Make it your own

  • Collect many electronic toothbrushes and let them ALL spin at the same time with different colors.
  • Paint a giant group card for a birthday party outdoors.

The story behind it

By TurkeyMom · July 2013
materials for the tooth brush paint project
You will need only liquid water colors, a table (outdoor) and an electronic toothbrush. We used an old Oral-B Pulsar toothbrush to make the little guy paint for us.
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Lazy Day Electronic Toothbrush Painting: the original post

If you try this art activity, you will witness some tricks an electronic toothbrush can do - the way it can paint. Yes, toothbrush painting done by a toothbrush. Continuing with the toothbrush art activity, we did another art project using motorized toothbrush - the battery operated one with vibrating bristles. Accidents that turn into art activities are simply the best. Yesterday the spilled water on the black paper gave us a better colors. Few weeks ago the kids left a motorized toothbrush on during an art activity and that gave us an idea for another project. An idea I saved specifically for a lazy day! You know summer has been great with play dates, park, beach, ice creams and movies. After a while I burned out and wanted to take it easy at home in our backyard. But the kids are a different story, they want to do something fun and I really did not want to create elaborate art activities. I whipped out this easy project for that kind of day alone. You will need only liquid water colors, a table (outdoor) and an electronic toothbrush. We used an Oral-b Pulsar toothbrush to make the little guy paint for us..

In case you are wondering we used an old pulsar toothbrush.

materials for the tooth brush paint project Notes: For this to work, you need a very smooth and a flat surface. Too many layers of paper will make it harder for the brush to move. I covered my outdoor table with a sheet of butcher paper and started this fun art activity. My preschooler dipped the brush into liquid water colors and placed he brush face down on the paper and watched it in excitement. The brush vibrates and makes a nice smooth movement around the table.

moving art actvity The brush would begin to form a semi-circle and she would slowly nudge it to form a full circle. Couple of times the brush moved around and did form a perfect circle all by itself. Here are the three beautiful circles we created.

circles made with pulsar tooth brush She explored with many colors and tried forming overlapping circles.

concentric circles tooth brush art It was truly FUN to watch the toothbrush move around and paint by itself. She also re dipped her brush with paint every now and then to keep the color going. You will see that the top bristles are the ones which are mostly making the marks.

moving around the tooth brush She got the brush to make swirly lines patterns.

painting with tooth brush The child can be as much or as little involved in this electronic painting art activity. Of course most kids would want to be VERY much involved. It also showed my kid to make very minimal and gentle movements to get the best result.

lines made with tooth brush A cool variation: Try to collect many electronic toothbrushes and let them ALL SPIN at the same time with different colors. OOh I’d love to try that! I would consider this as one of Easy Art Activities (or lazy!)

brush marks Recap of notes: Flat. smooth surface with minimal cover on the table Thin paints- best bet liquid water colors Dip with colors during the process to keep the continuity of colors.

Thanks for reading

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What readers say

💬 6 comments ✍️ 2 answered by the author

✨ Readers' twist

Giant birthday card with friends

A parent of a 4.5-year-old plans to make it an outdoor activity with all her friends, painting a giant birthday card together.

“we might even add this to an outdoor activity with ALL her friends as a Giant Card for her Birthday upcoming!!!!”
JayNine, Apr 2014

✨ Readers' twist

Third graders let live snails paint

A third-grade teacher shares a related idea: live snails wander over paper leaving slime trails, which kids then trace with markers and glitter.

“We let the snails paint. They wander all over the paper leaving a slime trail.”
Karen Ganon, Aug 2014

🎉 Worked for us

Older sibling cheered it on

TurkeyMom adds that the activity is really amusing to watch; her older child was cheering for a while.

“This one is really amusing..My older was actually cheering for a while.”
TurkeyMom, Jul 2013

🎉 Worked for us

A surprising, fresh idea

A reader loved the idea and says she never would have thought to paint with an electric toothbrush.

“I never, ever would have though to try this!”
jackie, Jul 2013

Tried it?

Reviewed before it appears. No links, and please no children's names.

Read all 6 comments
  1. Karen Ganon · Aug 2014

    My third graders study live snails. We let the snails paint. They wander all over the paper leaving a slime trail. Afterwards, we go over their random trails with markers, glitter, etc... Fun!

  2. TurkeyMomAuthor · Apr 2014 · replying to JayNine

    A giant card with toothbrush painting is such a fun idea..We got to do this again. Thanks for reading :)

  3. JayNine · Apr 2014

    Ok, you've seriously got me SOO excited for warmer weather! I just showed my 4.5yr old the pictures your girl made and she's super excited! I think we might even add this to an outdoor activity with ALL her friends as a Giant Card for her Birthday upcoming!!!! I LOVE your blog and ideas. Thank you so much,

  4. Brooke (siayla) · Feb 2014

    I absolutely LoVe this idea! Shared it here

  5. TurkeyMomAuthor · Jul 2013 · replying to jackie

    This one is really amusing..My older was actually cheering for a while.

  6. jackie · Jul 2013

    Heehee! I love it! I never, ever would have though to try this!

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