One Mom’s trash is another Mom’s easy process art activity.

I am not above a good dumpster dive. Especially when that dumpster dive ends with my children playing nicely for nearly an hour, totally focused, completely engaged and loving life.

And that is why you need to try this easy toddler activity. Life doesn’t get much better than happy playing kids, even if you have to dumpster dive to get there.

One super easy process art activity.

I have a confession.

This is not the first time I’ve used trash in a toddler activity.

And it definitely won’t be the last.

There’s something about recycled trash that makes for the perfect toddler activity supplies.

Actually, I know what it is: it’s the fun of something “non-standard” that needs total imagination to come to life. It’s why box decorating will forever be the greatest toddler activity on Earth.

The most important supply (after the trash).

I need you to hear me out on the most crucial supply for this activity.

(this post contains affiliate links)

The most important supply for Paint the Trash is: a shower curtain liner.

Years ago, when I first started doing activities with my kids, I bought a super cheap shower curtain liner. It’s now my make shift Toddler Tarp and I use it for large scale messy activities.

Here’s why you need one:

1. It’s smaller than an actual tarp.
2. It can go in the washing machine.
3. It’s super cheap.

That tarp has saved my bacon more times than I can count – this activity included.

What else did I use?

I dug through the recycling to find interesting things to paint: mostly Amazon packaging, some empty egg cartons, a few disposable pie tins. I wanted a variety of things to paint.

Materials:

(affiliate links)

• Toddler tarp aka shower curtain liner
• Washable tempera paint – my favorite
• No-spill paint containers

And away we went.

This activity helped me drink a hot cup of coffee.

My kids actually played long enough for me to drink a whole cup of hot coffee without interruption. In other news, this activity is magic.

The kids (4 years old and 28 months old) played for nearly 45 minutes – so happy and content, painting their trash.

Once they finished, I carried them carefully to the bath tub for a scrub down. The trash went back into the recycling bin and the tarp went into the washing machine. Everything was tidy in about 5 minutes.

Totally worth it for the MORE THAN one hour of toddler play time this activity bought me (when you add together the painting and the bathing).

Try this easy process art activity at your house!

This was an easy one to set up and an easy one to clean up – and  the amount of time my kids played…. oh baby, this was a great return of investment even if I did have to dumpster dive to make it work.

Totally worth it.

Are you game to try this with your kids?