Create vibrant neon cardboard sculptures with kids! A fun process art activity using recycled materials. Perfect for kids of all ages. Project and photos by Caitlin Mansfield from Messy Art.
This vibrant process art activity is a hit with kids aged 4-10, though older kids love diving in, too! Using recycled cardboard and neon paint mixed into glue, children build bright, messy sculptures that lean right into creative chaos. It’s bold, colorful, and it’s perfect for engaging kids’ imagination.
Neon cardboard sculptures have become one of my favorite workshop projects. Kids get completely absorbed in the process. The joy, the mess, the glow! It’s the kind of art activity that keeps them building and experimenting for ages, and reminds me why process art is so powerful.
Here’s how to make these sculptures with your kids!
How to Make Neon Cardboard Sculptures for Kids
MATERIALS
- Recycled cardboard pieces (cut into squares, triangles, strips, etc.)
- Neon tempera paint
- White school glue
- Empty glue bottles or squeeze bottles
- Plastic trays or drop cloth (it gets messy!)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prep cardboard
Prepare your cardboard pieces ahead of time using any scrap cardboard you have. Cut the pieces into a mix of shapes and sizes. Be sure to have a larger piece for each child to use as a base.
Cover your workspace or do this project outside!
- Mix paint and glue
Mix a small amount of neon paint into bottles of glue (this is a great way to use all of those half empty glue bottles!). Or you can pour some paint and glue into squeeze bottles and mix. A little paint goes a long way!
- Create sculptures
Let kids start building by stacking, gluing, and layering cardboard pieces. Encourage experimentation, there’s no right or wrong way!
As they build, they can squeeze the neon glue all over their creations. The messier the better!
- Let dry
Let the sculptures dry completely. They’ll harden into colorful, structural artworks.
This project is all about process, not perfection. Kids stay engaged for ages, and every sculpture is totally one of a kind!
We hope you try it with your kids this summer!
More Sculpture Projects for Kids
- How to Make Cardboard Building Discs for Kids
- Easy Wood Sculptures for Kids
- How to Make Painted Wood Blocks for Kids
- 3D Sculptures for Kids
- How to Make a Rainbow Cardboard Sculpture
- Colorful Cardboard Sculptures
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