Eschewing the action format of Smurf Rescue in Gargamel's Castle, Smurf Paint 'n' Play Workshop lets the player manipulate the blue cartoon characters and their environments in an artistic manner. The game encourages children ages four to eight to play, paint, and place objects on blank or pre-drawn screens. Children can also stage and record plays, and create animated cartoons. Animations feature characters jumping across a river, apples falling from trees, and clouds moving across the sky.
Object categories include indoor and outdoor, as well as letters, numbers, and shapes. The objects can be manipulated in a number of different ways to fit the narrative, such as making a diving board longer or turning a tree house into a spaceship. A palette is available for selecting a variety of colors and there are four characters from which to choose: Painter Smurf, Smurfette, Papa Smurf, and Gargamel (who has been shrunk to Smurf size).