Ask Ollie
Raised Salt Painting
Here's one to try together!
Watch color zoom along a salty glue line all by itself, like magic!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- food coloring can stain hands, clothes and surfaces
- salt should not be eaten and can irritate eyes
- wet painting may be bumped or tilted before drying
What you need
- Paper, 1 sheet of card stock per artist
- Salt, about 1/2 cup
- Food coloring, a few colors, mixed with water (or use watercolors)
- Water, 3 tablespoons per color
- Plate or tray, 1 tray
- Clear cups, 3 or 4 for the colors
- White glue, 1 bottle
- Paintbrush, 1 per artist
- Newspaper, a few sheets, or a wipeable cloth
- Paper towels, a few
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Cover the table with newspaper or a wipeable cloth, and set out everything within easy reach so kids can work on their own.
- Squeeze white glue onto your card in a simple drawing.
- Pour a big pile of salt over the wet glue.
- Tip the card and tap the extra salt into the tray.
- Dip your brush in a watery color.
- Touch the brush tip to the salty line and watch! Ask: What do you think the color will do when it touches the salt?
- Touch a second color further along the line. Ask: What will happen when the two colors meet?
- Add more colors and dots until your picture glows.
- Slide it flat to dry overnight, then hang it up. Who will you show it to? Ask: Which part surprised you most, and what would you draw next time?
Play it again
- Rainbow lines: use one color per line and see how many rainbow blends you can make.
- Name that shape: draw a secret shape in glue and let a friend guess it when the color shows.
- Salt vs. sugar: try the same painting with sugar and compare how the color travels.
Kids loved this? There are more where it came from.
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