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Ms. Michelle approved!

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Download these free bookmarks for language goals using summer books in Speech Therapy. 6 summer themed books with expressive and receptive language goals.

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An activity every kid will love

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Easy Homemade Ice Cream | Full-Time Kid | PBS Parents

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never ending fun

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Funky shirts for the summer

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Tie Dying T-shirts With Kids

Looking for a fun summer activity for kids? Tie dyed t-shirts are fun to make and fun to wear. Kids can express their creativity through their choice of color and design, or just have fun with lots of different colors. Adults will want to get into the act, too, so be sure to have a few adult sized t-shirts on hand. My granddaughters, ages 9 and 19 were with me for a week. We were looking for something fun to do that would be of interest to all of us, and decided on tie dye t-shirts for ourselves and for them to take home as gifts for their parents. It turned out to be a great family project!

Indoor or Outdoor Activity

Tie dying can be done indoors or outdoors, but either way, you should plan to cover the table with plastic and use paper towels or newspapers to soak up any drips or spills.

Materials You Will Need

Fabric dyes

Plastic bottles with an applicator tip

Rubber bands (about 4-6 for each shirt)

Plastic gloves

*Wire rack (cake cooling rack works well)

*Paper towels

*Plastic table cover (some kits come with a small plastic cover.)

*t-shirts (100% cotton) or other cotton items to dye

Note: Tulip kits contain all but the starred (*) items.

Supplies and Preparation

Although you can use regular fabric dyes for tie dying t-shirts, I recommend purchasing a kit when working with kids. The 12 Color Tulip Tie Dye kit I purchased had all materials except t-shirts and starred items. Using this kit makes the process a little less complicated, and you don't have to hunt down things like rubber bands and applicator bottles separately.

You can find the Tulip Tie Dye kits at Amazon or in craft stores. Kits come in varying sizes that will dye anywhere from 9-100 items. I purchased a Tulip Tie Dye kit capable of dying 36 items. They list for around $30, but you can find them discounted at Amazon or use coupons to get a better deal. You will find that if the kids are overly enthusiastic when applying the dye, you won't get as many shirts out of it as they say. Younger children will need some guidance about how much dye to apply.

* Choose a kit that will do only the amount of items you plan to dye in one session as the dyes lose their potency once you add water to them.

Any plain colored 100% cotton t-shirt will work. We tried some green and pink T-shirts as well as white ones and found that we liked the clarity of the colors on white the best. It's a matter of personal preference. Since we were planning to do a lot of t-shirts, we purchased some individually and also bought a couple of multi-packs of men's t-shirts. I also picked up a couple of t-shirts at the thrift store for a dollar each. My grandson and I also tie dyed a couple of faded and stained t-shirts that we already owned and loved how they came out. *Hint: although you can use colored t-shirts, the white t-shirts come out the brightest when using the colors included in the kits.

How to Prepare for Tie Dying

Wash all the t-shirts using only a small amount of detergent to get out any sizing. If you dry them, do not use fabric softener as it will hinder the absorption of the dye.

We did our dying indoors, but went outside when it was time to rinse out the dyes. We rinsed out the shirts with a hose onto a grassy area to avoid staining sidewalks and patio blocks. When folding and rubber banding the t-shirts, you'll need a table large enough to lay the t-shirts out flat before folding.

Step-by-Step Tie Dye Instructions

Cover the table with a plastic drop cloth, and have all other material on hand.

Wet the T-shirt. Wet cloth accepts the dye better and colors will blend nicely. Either put shirts in a basin of clean water and wring out excess water before folding or use them directly from your washer. My washing machine spun out too much water, so we had to re-wet the shirts before dying.

Fold and Rubber Band the T-shirts. We found it easiest to fold all of our t-shirts and rubber band them before mixing the dyes. That way, we didn't have to take the plastic gloves off and on but once. Kits come with directions for folding in order to get different designs.

Prepare Dye. Put on protective gloves and add water to the dye bottles according to instructions. Carefully shake over a sink to mix. Be sure to rinse off the outsides of the bottles so that dye doesn't drip on the floor. We put dye bottles on a small cookie sheet to keep drips contained.

Prepare Dying Area. Put a couple of layers of newspapers or paper towels under a cooling rack for each person to use as a dying area. Have extra paper towels ready to replace used ones.

Dye T-shirts. Be sure t-shirts are still wet (not dripping) and that each person is wearing protective gloves. Place the tied shirt on the cookie rack and start dying a section at a time. The dye will come out pretty fast so apply it carefully to one section of the shirt at a time. The colors look best if you limit them to 3 or 4 colors to each shirt. If you mix too many colors, you'll get a muddy look. Some colors when mixed together will make brown (ex: red and green, purple and green) so try not to have them next to each other without some white between them. Turn the shirt over and do the backside. It's o.k. to have some white showing. Much of that will go away as the dye soaks into the shirt.

Wrap dyed shirt in plastic. We used plastic grocery bags, one for each shirt.

Let wrapped shirts sit for at least 6 hours. We piled ours into a dishpan and left them overnight.

Rinse t-shirts one at a time under running water. Wear protective gloves to avoid getting dyed hands! With kids, the rinsing works best if done outdoors with a hose. We draped our shirts over a low wall and rinsed ours with the hose first, then dropped in a bucket of water and rinsed some more.

Wash t-shirts in a washing machine. Once excess dye is rinsed out, wash shirts in a washing machine. Use hottest water available and a large load setting. You may add a small amount of detergent. T-shirts can be dried in a dryer or hung on a clothesline. We enjoyed hanging them on a clothesline so that we could see all the different colors and patterns!

Tie Dying Techniques Used for Centuries

As far back as the sixth century, ancient craftsmen in Asia and Africa evolved many ways of painstakingly folding and tying fabric to create detailed designs. Although tie dying techniques have been used for centuries with many intricate variations, modern day tie dying in the US only became popular in the 1960s during the hippie movement. It was a cheap and easy way to create bright, original designs on T-shirts and other clothing that fit in with the renewed interest in fabric arts and crafts.

Today the availability of better and cheaper dyes and tie dye kits make it easy for anyone to create a beautiful T-shirt with one-of-a-kind designs.

A Few Traditional Tie Dye Designs

Spiral Design

Our favorite was the spiral or double spiral. To get a spiral, lay the shirt out flat, pinch a spot where you'd like the eye of the spiral and twist. As you twist, the shirt will fold into a rough circle that you can push together a little with your hands. Use rubber bands evenly placed to hold the shirt together. Lay the shirt aside and go on to the next one.

Bulls Eye Design

The bull's eye design was another of our favorites. This one is even easier as you just lay the shirt flat and pick it straight up by a spot where you'd like the center of the bulls eye. Rubber band starting about 2 or 3 inches from the top and place rubber bands every few inches.

The Crunch Design

This one is easiest of all as you just crush the shirt into a mass and band together using 4 or 5 rubber bands.

The bull's eye design was another of our favorites. This one is even easier as you just lay the shirt flat and pick it straight up by a spot where you'd like the center of the bulls eye. Rubber band starting about 2 or 3 inches from the top and place rubber bands every few inches.

Let Your Creativity Flow With Tie Dye

If you've never tried tie dying, you'll find it a fun and rewarding project...especially if you do it with kids! Each shirt will be unique, even if you use similar tying techniques. The new tie dying color kits are easy to use and much less messy than the more involved methods of using fixatives.

Do have fun with your tie dying experiments!

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How to Tie Dye T-Shirts With Kids: A Fun Family Activity

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Looking for a fun summer activity for kids? Tie dyed t-shirts are fun to make and fun to wear. Kids can express their creativity through their choice of color and design, or just have fun with lots of different colors.

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create art

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By Melissa Lennig on . This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Inside: Bust summer boredom at home, school, or camp with Squirt Gun Painting, an amazing art experience for kids of all ages.
Yesterday I received the first official "Mom...I'm bored!" of summer. Frankly, I'm surprised it took two weeks! Of course, it was from my oldest son, who is almost always bored when no one is playing with him.

I gave him my old digital camera and sent him outside to photograph the elusive albino squirrel known to munch on cracked corn at our bird feeder every morning. My other kiddo can happily entertain himself for hours on end. In fact, not once in his 4-years of life, has he ever proclaimed boredom.

Isn't it funny how two children, raised almost identically, can be entirely different?
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Squirt Painting
Boredom is an Opportunity for Adventure

Well, my aspiring photographer apparently needs to work on his stealth and shutter speed. He came back 5-minutes later and admitted defeat, "The white squirrel is in the tree hiding. I didn't get a picture of it."

Then he informed me, once again, that he was bored. I told him that boredom was an "opportunity for adventure" and that I was sure he would think of something to do and if not, he was welcome to fold laundry. He asked for my iPhone.
I passed him a basket of socks.
The morning went on and on like this, but eventually, he found markers and a coloring book and settled quietly in the family room. Later that afternoon while the boys were eating lunch, I slipped out the side door to arrange a creative art activity on the lawn.
Related: The Best Sand Toys for Kids
Enter Squirt Gun Painting

Squirt gun painting is a thrilling summer art experience for kids and is the ultimate boredom buster! For our paintings, we used Nerf Super Soaker Alphafire Blasters.

I like to avoid the super cheap multi-pack squirt guns typically found in dollar stores because they seem to end up breaking within hours. The Alphafires are still inexpensive, but have the quality one can expect from Nerf products.

If squirt guns aren't your thing, use plastic spray bottles! They work just as well.

Materials Needed for Squirt Gun Painting

Squirt Gun Painting Directions

1. Arrange the easel in the yard, then clip two sheets of watercolor paper to each side.

2. Invite your kids to fill their squirt guns with liquid watercolors, then let them go to town painting!

Tip: No Easel? That's okay! Kids can use a thumbtack to secure their paper to a tree.

3. Allow the paintings to dry in the grass. We found it helpful to weigh each one down with a rock so they wouldn't blow away.

Each painting was bright, unique, and as beautiful as the child who made it. My son (the one who had complained of boredom that morning) spent the entire afternoon creating independently with this super easy art activity.

With a little cleanup and minimal direction from me, I call it a win!

We've now placed the squirt guns in a box where the kids can access them easily so the next time he comes to me saying "I'm bored," I'll point him towards the squirt guns!

Video Tutorial: Squirt Gun Painting

Watch the video below to be guided through each step of this art activity. You can view more easy kids arts and craft tutorials on our Facebook Page, Teachers Pay Teachers Page, or right here on our website.

Save This Activity

Don't forget to save this craft on Pinterest for later! Be sure you are following along with Fireflies and Mud Pies here.

More Summer Art Ideas for Kids

Summer vacation is a great time to get crafty with kids! Click the images below to see more creative summer art ideas.

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Thrill Your Kids with Colorful Squirt Gun Painting

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By Melissa Lennig on . This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Inside: Bust summer boredom at home, school, or camp with Squirt Gun Painting, an amazing art experience for kids of all ages. Yesterday I received the first official "Mom...I'm bored!" of summer.

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Try out this activity

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All winter our daughter wanted to fill her kiddie pool with water and go swimming. She even put her swimming suit on a couple of times in hopes of convincing us. We held her off until it reached the high 70s. While she finds the kiddie pool fun still, the boys are not too impressed.

As the temperature gets warmer and our local pool is still not open, I've been looking for ways the kids can cool off. This sponge toss water activity has been a great way to keep all the kids active and cool until our pool opens.
This post contains affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for details.
It's a super inexpensive and easy activity to put together for the kids.

Supplies for Sponge Toss Water Activity

2 Big buckets (we used 5 gallon buckets)

Big sponge (like the kind you use to wash your vehicle)

Water

Willing participants

Playing Sponge Toss

1. Fill buckets with water (we filled our 5 gallon buckets about 2/3 of the way with water).

2. Place the two buckets in an open area so participants will be facing each other and close enough that they can toss and catch the sponges.

3. Dip sponge in the bucket of water and toss to person on opposite side. That person can dip the sponge in their water or just toss it back.

This water activity is a great way to cool off on a hot summer day. This one will definitely be on repeat this summer.

This sponge toss would also be fun as a group or family activity. Form teams and make it a competition. Which team can keep the sponge going the longest without dropping it.

You also might like:

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All winter our daughter wanted to fill her kiddie pool with water and go swimming. She even put her swimming suit on a couple of times in hopes of convincing us. We held her off until it reached the high 70s. While she finds the kiddie pool fun still, the boys are not too impressed.