2D Shape Painting for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Get stuck into this shape activity and have fun learning shapes and creating patterns using shape stamps made from cardboard tubes. This 2D shape painting for toddlers and preschoolers is not only a fun process art, it is also a great way to learn shapes and colours. An added bonus being that the finished shape painting could be used to make colourful gift wrap, greeting cards or wall art! 


2D shape painting activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Learn shapes and colours using shape stamps made from toilet roll tubes. An easy DIY gift wrap idea for kids.


Painting is so much fun, and this shape painting for toddlers and preschoolers takes painting to the next level by using shape stamps instead of paint brushes. We love process art so this painting activity is right up our street! 

Not only is this painting activity fun, it will help your toddlers and preschoolers to learn their shapes and colours, whilst also working on their fine motor and creative skills. 

Are you looking for more shape activities for toddlers and preschoolers? You could focus on one shape at a time like we did with our circle painting for toddlers or explore lots of shapes like we did with our shape art for toddlers

Other fun ways to explore and learn about shapes are to make shape bird feeders, paint with shape cookie cutters or make fairy houses with shape windows. 


We also have a selection of shape pictures:



2D Shape Painting for Toddlers


Shape painting activity supplies



  • Toilet roll tubes
  • Paint
  • Plates 
  • Large paper
  • Tape



2D shape painting for toddlers and preschoolers


Toilet roll tube shape stamps


To make the shape stamps fold the toilet roll tubes into your desired shapes. We made a circle, square, triangle and heart stamp.

The circle is easy to make as the toilet roll tube can be left as it is! To make the square flatten the toilet roll tube, open it up and then flatten it the other way. You should have created a square. 


To make the heart stamp flatten the toilet roll tube and then tuck one of the folded edges into the centre of the tube to create the curved part of the heart. A little tape holds it in place. For the triangle create three folds around the tube.

cardboard tube heart stamp . shape painting for toddlers.

Once you have made your shape stamps squirt some paint onto plates. We used red, blue, green and yellow paint. We matched the paints to the colours of the plates and then added one shape stamp to each of the plates of paint. 


2D shape painting activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Learn shapes and colours using shape stamps made from toilet roll tubes. An easy DIY gift wrap idea for kids.


2D shape painting for toddlers



Invite your toddler or preschooler to use the shape stampers and make shape prints on a large sheet of paper. Talk about the colours and shapes they are printing.

shape activity for toddlers and preschoolers.


Daisy (aged 2) started very carefully printing each shape and making sure that each shape stamp went back into the correct colour paint. She loved naming the colours and shapes as she painted. 


learn shapes with 2D shape painting for toddlers and preschoolers

After a while she decided to mix the shapes and colours up a little. 


2D shape painting activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Learn shapes and colours using shape stamps made from toilet roll tubes. An easy DIY gift wrap idea for kids.

As always our painting activity ended with a bit of hand painting. 

Painting for toddlers. Learn shapes with process art,

Daisy was delighted with her green painting! 

painting activity for toddlers and preschoolers

This shape activity is totally about the process rather than the end product, but you could make some great gift wrap using the shape stampers. 


2D shape activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Learn shapes and colours using shape stamps made from toilet roll tubes. An easy DIY gift wrap idea for kids.

You could use a variety of shapes, or just pick one.  


2D shape painting activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Learn shapes and colours using shape stamps made from toilet roll tubes. An easy DIY gift wrap idea for kids.

Have fun with this 2D shape painting for toddlers and preschoolers. It is a great activity for learning shapes, but also a great art process that can become as messy as you like!

2D shape painting for toddlers. Easy shape activity to learn shapes.

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