Hi there fellow parents! Do you have a recipe for totally non-toxic finger paint you’re willing to share? One that you’d use with a baby or very young clueless toddler?
I went to a charming local art studio (warning: annoying music if you click!) with Sawyer and we played with some infant-friendly paints. He loved it, I loved it. I asked for the recipe and was told, “[The recipes are] intellectual properties, and as such cannot be shared with the general public.” I understand.
Of course I could google a thousand recipes and test them all, but that would take a really long time. Eventually, Sawyer would grow up and stop licking his hands while painting. I trust you guys. So please share any concoctions that you’ve actually used with success in this age range. Bonus points for ingredients I actually have in my home.
Thanks so much! If we’re lucky, the wisdom will be in the comments.
If you’d rather us tell you how to do fun DIY projects, see the rest of our fab makin’ it series.
Hi, this is not a non toxic color, but its just another way of using different colors. What I do is get the beetroot, pressure cook it and then puree it and then add to the yogurt and let the baby play with the non-toxic finger paints:)..you can add strawberry instead of beetroot..or blueberries..
It’s not edible, but do we really want to encourage eating paint? Found this online, don’t remember the site.
1 Cup flour
1 Cup water
1 cup dish soap (I used Seventh Generation)
Food coloring
Mix water and flour together until smooth. Add soap and mix. Divide into containers. Add food coloring.
Color was bright. Paint was thicker than anticipated but baby had fun with the texture.
I’ve made a recipe like this one (found all over the web):
Cooked Cornstarch Finger Paint 1
½ c. (.12 L) cornstarch
3 Tbsp. (44 mL) sugar
1/2 tsp. (2.5 mL) salt
2 c. (.47 L) cold water
coloring
Combine all ingredients except coloring in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Divide into containers and add coloring.
I used food coloring drops, but our favorite coloring method at home is with unsweetened cool-aid packs. Next time I would try those instead.
A note: mine kept for a few days but got really thick. I’d add a bit of warm water and mix really well to make it spreadable again. It ended up with gooey bits after our first use but my 2 yr old sure didn’t care.
Assuming it’s more the experience of painting, not any sort of long-lasting artwork you’re after, try plain yogurt & food coloring. My daughter’s “Edible Arts” class used this once when making ocean scenes and she definitely ate her share, considering the color of the contents of her diaper!
If you’re averse to using food coloring, maybe beet juice, pureed blueberries and pureed spinach could stand in for a (less smooth) color.
We did one that was essentially flour, water, and food coloring – but I don’t remember the exact measurements. The original recipe also called for sugar, but I left it out and it worked just fine.
We did it probably about a month ago and their paintings still look pretty good.
Equal parts cornstarch and water. Plus food coloring. Think of it as sidewalk paint that washes off. (Eventually).
Vanilla pudding with food coloring. Super simple and works really well.
I tried the Cooked Cornstarch Finger Paint 1 recipe from above. It came out great. My one note is that I had to put the heat up to medium (7 out of 10) to get it to thicken. I really liked the consistency. Not quite like traditional paint, but fun!
Yogurt and food coloring! Take a photo before composting the art. Eat the leftover paint!
Dare I ask, how does it clean up?
Hi Heather, I just found this on AT. It is edible & scented (“autumn inspired” memories) so your older boys might like it, too! http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/autumn-scented-finger-paint-almost-unschoolers-177584
I just had my 3rd baby this past Tuesday, and am now in a fog & desperately wanting to know how you & others got back into the game, taking care of 3? I have a 4 yo, 2 yo and a newborn. I know I can do it, but Ai-yi-yi! Overwhelmed!
Heather
Uh, pudding? That’s what I used as a kid. OK, so you can’t keep the artwork, but if they’re that little, maybe it’s OK?
Yeah, it’s a sensory thing, I wouldn’t really want to keep it.