Free Canvas Painting Templates for Kids: 10 Easy Templates (Printable PDF)

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Last Updated on October 13, 2026 by Dee

Here are 10 easy canvas painting templates for kids, from a rainbow and smiling sun to a whale and hot air balloon, in one free printable PDF.

Canvas painting with kids is one of those activities that sounds lovely in theory and chaotic in practice. You buy the canvases, you set out the paints, and then you stand there at the kitchen table going “okay… what do we paint?” while three small hands hover, ready to splash. The “what do we paint” gap is where most kids painting afternoons fall apart — not because the kids don’t want to paint, but because nobody has a plan.

So I made you 10 easy canvas painting templates for kids — a printable pack of bold, simple, black-outline designs your kids can trace onto a small canvas and paint with acrylics. A rainbow with clouds, a smiling sun, a beach wave, a happy flower, a whale in the waves, a cactus in a pot, a hot air balloon, a mountain sunrise, a strawberry, and a moon with stars. All ten templates are kid-friendly, beginner-easy, and ready to go in under a minute. Pop your email into the box at the top of this post to grab the pack.

Quick Answer: These free canvas painting templates for kids are 10 easy designs in one printable PDF, from a rainbow and smiling sun to a whale and hot air balloon. Trace one onto canvas and paint.

Why Templates Make Kids Canvas Painting Actually Work

Quick answer: A template removes the “what should I paint” decision and gives your kid an outline they can paint inside with confidence. Pre-built outlines (rainbow, sun, whale, strawberry) let a five-year-old sit down with a chunky brush and start painting in thirty seconds — which is the only way kids’ canvas painting actually happens on a busy afternoon.

Free-form canvas painting is wonderful for the kids who already love painting. For everybody else (the cautious ones, the perfectionists, the under-fives, the “I don’t know what to paint” ones), a blank canvas is genuinely intimidating. Templates change that. Suddenly the canvas already has a plan. The rainbow is already a rainbow. The whale is already a whale. The kid’s job is just to fill it in with cheerful colour — which is exactly the part they actually want to do.

That’s the gap these kids canvas painting templates are meant to fill. Each design is a single, cute, beginner-friendly motif drawn with bold thick black outlines. You print the page, trace the outline onto a small canvas with carbon paper or a soft pencil, and your kid paints inside the lines with acrylic paint. They feel proud of the finished piece because it actually looks like something. You feel proud because nobody cried.

If you’re looking for grown-up-friendly painting prompts too, my sister post on cute canvas painting ideas for beginners has a longer roundup for slightly older painters — same friendly approach, slightly more detail.

What’s Inside the Free Canvas Painting Pack

The pack is 10 pages, one template per page. Every template uses the same bold-black-outline-on-bright-white look: thick confident lines, simple shapes and plenty of breathing room. They feel like the kind of pages a friend would draw for your kid, not a sterile clipart sheet.

• Rainbow with Clouds — an arched rainbow with a smiling cloud at each end, perfect for primary colours
• Smiling Sun — a big happy sun with petal-shaped rays
• Beach Wave — a curling wave under a smiling sun and fluffy clouds, with a sandy beach in front
• Happy Flower — a smiling flower with big petals and two leaves
• Whale in the Waves — a cheerful whale with a water spout, swimming in swirly waves
• Cactus in a Pot — a smiling cactus in a pot with a little flower on top
• Hot Air Balloon — a striped balloon with two little passengers in the basket and clouds either side
• Mountain Sunrise — a smiling sun rising over snowy mountains with a pine tree in front
• Strawberry — a happy strawberry with a leafy top and lots of seeds
• Moon and Stars — a sleepy crescent moon with smiling stars

Each template prints cleanly on A4 paper. The line work is hand-drawn with bold thick strokes (about 4-6px wide) so the outlines stay visible even after your kid paints over them with thick acrylic. The bright white background means the colours pop the moment the brush hits the canvas.

How to Transfer the Templates onto a Canvas

Quick answer: Print the template on A4 paper, lay it on top of your canvas with a piece of carbon paper underneath (or rub the back of the printed page with a soft pencil), then trace over the outlines with a pen — the outline transfers onto the canvas in light grey lines your kid can paint over.

Three methods that all work, depending on what you’ve got in the house:

Method 1 — Carbon paper transfer (easiest)

Print the template, lay a sheet of carbon paper (waxy side down) on your canvas, lay the printed template on top, and trace over the outlines with a ballpoint pen. The carbon transfers the outline onto the canvas in clean grey lines. Five minutes start to finish. Carbon paper is cheap and lasts for years — a single packet will do dozens of templates.

Method 2 — Pencil-back transfer (no carbon paper needed)

Print the template, flip it over, and rub the back of the page heavily with a soft graphite pencil (3B or 4B works beautifully). Then flip the page right-side up onto your canvas and trace the front of the outline with a ballpoint pen. The graphite on the back acts as carbon paper. Use a kid’s school pencil if you don’t have a soft art pencil — it works.

Method 3 — Freehand reference (best for older kids)

For kids over about seven, you can skip the transfer entirely. Print the template, prop it up next to the canvas, and let your kid sketch the outline onto the canvas freehand with a pencil while looking at the reference. It looks a bit wobblier than a carbon transfer — that’s the charm. Older kids actually prefer this because the painting feels more “theirs.”

Painting Tips That Make Kids Canvas Afternoons Easier

A handful of small tricks that genuinely save you (and your tablecloth) — gathered from a few too many kids’ painting afternoons.

1. Use mini canvases — 6×6 inch or 8×8 inch canvases are perfect for kids. They fill fast, finish in one sitting, and don’t intimidate. Skip the big 12×16 canvases until your kid is genuinely keen.
2. Pour paint in a palette, not straight from the tube — a wooden or plastic palette with dollops keeps the tubes out of small sticky hands. Squeeze a small dollop of each colour you actually need; refill mid-painting if you have to.
3. Chunky kid-friendly brushes only — fine pointed brushes are frustrating for under-tens. Use chunky flat brushes (size 8-12) and round brushes (size 6-10). They hold more paint and forgive shaky hands.
4. Two jars of water — clean and rinse — one jar to rinse the brush, one jar of clean water to load fresh paint. Cuts down on muddy colours.
5. Wait between layers — acrylic dries in about fifteen minutes. If your kid wants to paint a yellow rainbow band right next to a blue one, let the first stripe dry before they start the next. Otherwise the colours bleed together and you get an accidental green.
6. Stick the carbon-transferred template on the wall first — before you start painting, tape the original printed template up at eye level next to the canvas. Your kid can glance over and remember “the strawberry is red, the leaves are green” without you needing to direct.
7. Cover the table with newspaper or a plastic sheet — acrylic is permanent on most fabrics. A £2 plastic tablecloth from a supermarket saves you a load of regret.
8. Use a hairdryer to speed up drying between layers — set on cool, six inches away from the canvas. Cuts the dry time from fifteen minutes to about three. Helpful when a six-year-old’s patience is running out.

How to Paint Each of the 10 Templates

Quick colour suggestions per template, useful for nervous painters or anyone who wants a guide. Of course, the kids can ignore these completely and paint a purple sun if that’s the vibe.

1. Rainbow with Clouds

Six bands from outside to inside: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. The two smiley clouds stay soft white with a hint of grey underneath, and a dot of pink on each cheek. Let each band dry before the next so the colours stay crisp, or do a quick three-colour rainbow (red, yellow, blue).

2. Smiling Sun

A big sunny yellow face with orange petal-shaped rays. Leave the eyes white with black pupils, add rosy cheeks, and try a second, deeper orange on every other ray. One of the easiest templates for under-fives: big shapes, no fiddly bits.

3. Beach Wave

A curling wave under a smiling sun and fluffy clouds. Paint the sea in two or three blues (darker at the bottom), leave the foam white, and use soft sand colours for the beach dots at the front. Older kids love blending the blues into each other while they’re wet.

4. Happy Flower

Bright petals in one colour or a rainbow of colours, a sunny yellow face in the middle, and two leafy greens for the leaves and stem. A dab of white on each petal tip makes it pop.

5. Whale in the Waves

A soft blue or grey whale with a paler tummy and stripes, a white spout of water on top, and swirly waves in turquoise and navy. Add a pink cheek and it’s done.

6. Cactus in a Pot

Leaf-green cactus, a terracotta-orange pot and a little pink flower on top. The spine marks can stay white. A great template for practising staying inside the lines, because the shapes are simple and forgiving.

7. Hot Air Balloon

Paint every stripe of the balloon a different bright colour, the basket a warm brown, and the two little passengers however your kids like. Soft white clouds on either side finish it off.

8. Mountain Sunrise

A smiling sun peeking over snowy mountains, with a pine tree in front. Try purple or blue-grey mountains with white snow caps, a yellow-orange sun and a deep green tree. It’s the most grown-up looking piece in the pack.

9. Strawberry

Strawberry red with a leafy green top and pale yellow seeds. Leave a little white highlight on one side so it looks shiny, and give the face rosy cheeks. Kids always want to do this one first.

10. Moon and Stars

A sleepy yellow crescent moon with smiling stars around it. Paint the background navy or purple if the kids want a night sky, or leave it white for a softer look.

Supplies for Kids Canvas Painting

The good news with canvas painting: you don’t need much. Mini canvases, washable acrylic paints, chunky brushes, a palette, a water jar, and the templates. Here’s what’s actually on my desk for the painting afternoons that go best — affiliate links so the blog can keep paying for itself, but I only flag stuff I genuinely use.

For kids canvas painting specifically I keep a set of Crayola washable kids paint on hand — washes out of clothes much more reliably than craft-store acrylic, which is non-negotiable with under-eights. For brushes, a basic chunky kids paintbrush set with round and flat brushes in sizes 6 through 12 is plenty — fancy brushes are wasted on a six-year-old.

This post contains affiliate links — if you grab something through one of them I earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend supplies I genuinely use myself.

Love Painting Too? Here’s What’s on My Patreon

Want to keep the painting going once the kids have finished? Try Easy Canvas Painting Ideas That Look Impressive for your own turn at the easel, or browse 10 Creative Ways to Use Your Acrylic Painting Palette to get more out of your paints.

Easy Painting Templates: Which One to Start With

All ten canvas painting templates in the free printable PDF are easy, but some are easier than others. For little ones or a first go, start with the smiling sun, the strawberry or the rainbow: big shapes, flat colours and no fiddly edges. Older kids usually love the beach wave, the mountain sunrise and the whale, where they can try blending one colour into another.

Printable canvas painting templates work on any size canvas: just scale the page up or down in your printer settings so the design fits with a little border.

Looking for more? These mini canvas painting ideas are perfect for small hands, and if the kids would rather paint on paper, try these easy watercolour projects for kids or free stained glass patterns for kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I get canvas painting templates free?

Pop your email into the box near the top of this post and the free pack, with all 10 canvas painting templates, comes straight to your inbox as a printable PDF.

What are the easiest painting templates for kids?

Simple, bold shapes with big areas to fill: a smiling sun, a strawberry, a rainbow or a cactus in a pot. They look finished even when the painting is a bit wobbly.

How do I get a printable painting template onto a canvas?

Rub soft pencil over the back of the printout, lay it on the canvas and trace over the lines, or use carbon transfer paper. The how-to section above walks you through both.

Are these canvas painting templates really free?

Yes — pop your email into the form above and the full 10-page PDF lands in your inbox. They’re for personal use (your home, your kids, your school class, a friend’s birthday party). Just don’t resell them or claim them as your own work.

What size canvas works best for these templates?

Mini canvases — 6×6 inch or 8×8 inch — are perfect for kids. They print to scale on A4 paper without any adjustment, transfer easily, and finish in one sitting. For older kids, 10×10 inch or 12×12 inch works too — just scale the printed template up on the photocopier first.

What age are these templates for?

Roughly four to ten. The simpler templates (smiling sun, strawberry, rainbow, happy flower) work beautifully with under-fives: big shapes, easy colour decisions. The more detailed ones (beach wave, mountain sunrise, hot air balloon) are a slightly better fit for six-and-up because there are a few more colours to keep track of. If you’ve got both ages painting at once, hand the under-fives the sun and the older kids the mountain sunrise. Done.

Can I use these templates without canvas — just on paper?

Yes, completely. Print the page and paint directly on the printed page with washable kids paint or watercolour. They also work as colouring pages with chunky crayons or markers. Canvas just makes the finished piece feel like a “proper” little artwork the kids can stand on a shelf.

What kind of paint should I use?

For canvas: washable kids acrylic. Crayola’s washable kids paint is brilliant for under-eights because it actually washes out of clothes. For older kids who can be trusted with permanent paint, basic craft-store acrylic works perfectly. Avoid watercolour on canvas — it beads and looks streaky because canvas isn’t absorbent enough. Watercolour is for paper only.

Where are the templates for grown-ups or older kids?

These templates are deliberately kid-friendly — bold thick outlines, simple shapes. If you want slightly more detailed canvas painting ideas, my sister post cute canvas painting ideas for beginners is aimed at grown-ups and older kids. Same friendly approach, more detail, longer roundup.

Pick a Template, Pour the Paint

Pick one template tonight. The rainbow if your kids want primary colours. The strawberry if they want something fast and satisfying. The mountain sunrise if you’ve got an older kid who wants something they can be proud of. Print the page, set up the mini canvas, pour the paint, and start. Some of the best kids’ painting afternoons happen in twenty quiet minutes after dinner — no big production, no big mess, just one cute finished canvas that they want to stand on the shelf.

If your kid paints one and you want to share it, tag me on Instagram @artsydee_inspiring_creations — seeing what the little ones make with these templates is the highlight of my week.

You can also find me on Pinterest for daily kid-friendly art inspiration, and on YouTube for slow-paced painting tutorials.

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