You know how it goes. You come home from the store with a jumbo-sized toilet paper bag, and instantly everyone shouts, “Are we out of toilet paper?” behind closed doors. Someone, please tell me I am not the only one. On the flip side, once the paper is gone, we can use the paper tubes for a painted paper roll color maze your preschooler will enjoy. It is truly one of my favorite painting activities for kids.
RELATED: What can we do with all our paper rolls? I put together this list of 40+ toilet paper roll crafts and activities.
Paper rolls are a gift for preschoolers
There. I said it. My confession is that I am a paper roll hoarder. I have accumulated so many that I could make this color maze and still have some to spare. – Let’s keep this collection habit between just us, okay?
I loved this DIY color maze puzzle because it gave my three-year-old some guidelines to improve his fine motor strength.
My preschooler had to only paint on one side of the paper roll, which allowed him to focus and paint more carefully than usual. This encouraged steady hand and hand-eye coordination.
As we painted, there was no exact number of each color. We just painted a few of every color and mixed up the color combinations on the paper rolls.
Setting up the color maze
Setting up this fun art activity is easy, and the painting process takes time. (which makes the perfect activity to take you right into naptime) First time painting with kids? No problem. I wrote this guide on how to paint with kids to offer step-by-step help.
- Gather paper rolls of different sizes.
- Add a color of paint to each muffin tin section for your child.
- Paint the ends and let the tubes dry.
- When the tubes are dry, flip them over and paint the other side.
- After painting and letting your paper rolls dry, you can now play with your DIY color maze puzzle.
PRO TIP: I noticed that by the time we finished coloring one of each side, the first set was dry and ready to paint the other side.
Supplies
Art supplies should be kept simple. I’ve been using the same supplies for years. Collect your paper tubes and keep these other supplies for another painting activity.
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Kid’s paintbrushes
Toddlers and preschoolers benefit from a chubby handle on a paintbrush. I like how there are two different brush styles for children to explore.
Washable Paint
This is the best paint for walls with kids. If this is your first time painting, start with this variety pack of washable paint and upgrade to larger bottles when ready.
How to play
After painting, it’s time for color-matching fun. Begin by connecting like colors. Allow your preschooler to decide how they can begin. Every color maze design will be different.
Want to add a variation? Try moving a ball through each tube once your maze is connected.
Color activities are a great way for toddlers and preschoolers to learn through play!
Pro Tips
Stumped with how to begin matching the paper tubes?
I see a lot of red ends. Let’s see what happens when we connect the two similar colors.
Look! Now the end is blue. Show me which tube we can connect to the blue side.
Take turns placing the correct color tube on either end. Extend the game by talking and creating different designs.
What’s the BIG idea behind Preschool Color Matching?
Some children will be asked to classify objects into given categories by kindergarten. Here, your preschooler is beginning to classify by color. This painted color maze will also encourage problem-solving and critical thinking.
Ready? Let’s make our paper tube color maze today!
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FAQ
Yes! Toddlers can paint. I like to start by offering one or two washable paint colors that mix well. Protect your tabletop with paper bags and roll up their sleeves before adding a smock. An alternative is to paint without a shirt. When your toddler finishes, you can head right into the bath.
We store our art supplies in an art cart. Keeping supplies in one place helps children know where to put markers, crayons, scissors, and paper when finished using them. Keeping everything in one place also helps keep cleanup more productive. I keep paints in our laundry room on a high shelf.
Watercolor paints and washable tempera paints are suitable to use with kids. Before painting, I always cover my table with kraft paper or a tablecloth to protect the table. Here are my favorite art and paint supplies for kids.
Such a cute idea! I used to collect toilet paper rolls all the time when I was homeschooling my twins for preschool. There are so many fun and educational things kids can do with them.
This is an excellent idea! What a great use of things that we already have at home! Excellent preschool activity – fun and really educational. I’ve pinned this to make for my little one!
WE homeschool our 3 boys this is a great project for us to try! Cant wait to do this with them thanks so much for sharing!
This looks like a great project! Fun and beneficial!
What a fun and educational project! I love that you’re making use of what you already had at home 🙂