No-Mess Coloring Activities for Toddlers and All Kids

A big part of parenthood is cleaning up messes, especially when parenting a toddler. When toddlers discover coloring, it's time for parents to discover how to clean crayon off the wall. If your child makes a mess coloring or your children color on the walls, there are some products that can end your frustration. They are affordable, safe, and easy to use. Here are some mess-free activities that kids of all ages will love.

Aquadoodle

Made by Spinmaster Toys, Aquadoodle offers products of many styles and sizes. I purchased the Large Mat for $20 at Wal-Mart and the Wall Mat for $15 at Toys R Us. Both have small, simple art lessons around the edges to make drawing easier. They come with one marker which is to be filled with water, and you literally color with water. The light blue mats turn dark blue when wet, then lighten as they dry (within minutes). The pen can be flicked at the mat to create a paint splatter effect. You'll never need refills.

Go Paint

Made by Elmer's, well-known for its glue, the Go Paint! Basic Set ran me about $10 at Walgreen's. It came with a notepad of 24 pages and four brushes: red, orange, yellow, and blue. The marker-like brushes contain special ink that is invisible except on the special paper. It may take a few moments for the color to show up, and your picture will look very similar to a watercolor painting. Eventually you will run out of paper or ink and need a refill, but at only $10 a set, it's quite inexpensive.

Color Wonder

Made by Crayola, the Color Wonder line includes paints and markers. Like Go Paint, the color only shows on the special paper. The basic sets of paper and markers or fingerpaints run from $9.99-$11.99. Disney themes and jumbo paper cost more. You receive six fingerpaints or markers: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. As with Go Paint, you will need refills, but they are affordable.

Chalk & Water-based Colors

Chalk is easy to clean off of almost any surface. All you have to do is wipe it with a wet cloth. Water-based paints and markers are also easy to clean off of almost anything. Your toddler may make a mess, but it won't be difficult to clean up.

Paper the Wall

This is a very affordable solution to the problem of toddlers coloring on the wall. If your child just can't stop coloring on the wall, it may be that he just likes to color standing up. Instead of buying an expensive easel, just cover an area of the wall in paper for your toddler to color. Make sure the space is large enough that he won't accidentally color off the paper.

Color in the Tub

You can find bath markers, finger paint, and crayons at almost any place where toys are sold. These wash right off of your toddler, but it may take some scrubbing to get them off of the tub--especially if you have a fiberglass bathtub. Instead of cleaning after every bath, clean your colorful tub once a week.

If your toddler is entering the creative world of drawing and doodling, these are great toys to limit the mess. These are also good for older children who are prone to messes. Keep your toddler from coloring on the furniture and scribbling on the walls with these methods. Keep some Goof Off or Oops in the house (out of the reach of children) just in case, though!