If you’ve been in the world of elementary art education for any length of time, chances are you’ve come across the classic story Mouse Paint. This sweet and simple tale has been a favorite in classrooms for decades, and art teachers love using it as the perfect springboard to teach color mixing to young artists.
Over the years, I’ve seen and taught so many fun Mouse Paint art projects—from mice “jumping” into painted puddles to big collaborative murals. That’s part of what makes it such a timeless lower elementary art lesson: it’s adaptable, engaging, and students absolutely light up when they see the magic of colors mixing right before their eyes.
I've been teaching this lesson for almost 10 years and it's just now dawning on me that I never shared my version of this project on my blog, so here we go! First, this project is perfect for students in K-2, in fact I usually teach it as my color lesson for kindergarten. It emphasizes hands-on discovery of color mixing, playful storytelling, and a chance for students to see themselves as little “color chemists.” In my lesson I’ve built in structured steps so that even your youngest learners can find success, while still leaving room for creativity and imagination.
This lesson connects beautifully to early discussions of:
- Primary vs. Secondary Colors
- Color Mixing Through Play
-
Illustrating Movement and Storytelling
And, best of all? It’s a project your students will be begging to take home and share.
If you’d like to see exactly how I teach this lesson, I’ve put together a complete lesson with step-by-step instructions, visuals, art history connections, literacy connections and more. Just click the link for the full Mouse Paint Art Lesson .
Whether you’re a fellow art teacher looking for something fresh, or a parent wanting to try an art activity at home, I hope this lesson will spark creativity with your little artist while sneaking in color theory, and play!
Happy Painting!
