Comments on: Recipe for totally non-toxic finger paint?

By: RookieMom Heather

RookieMom Heather — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:59:55 +0000

Yeah, it’s a sensory thing, I wouldn’t really want to keep it.

By: kim

kim — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:45:38 +0000

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?

By: Heather

Heather — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:54:18 +0000

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

By: RookieMom Heather

RookieMom Heather — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:27:56 +0000

Dare I ask, how does it clean up?

By: Becky

Becky — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 04:33:41 +0000

Yogurt and food coloring! Take a photo before composting the art. Eat the leftover paint!

By: Christina

Christina — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:42:32 +0000

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!

By: Noelle

Noelle — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 05:39:00 +0000

Vanilla pudding with food coloring. Super simple and works really well.

By: rebecca

rebecca — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 01:41:24 +0000

Equal parts cornstarch and water. Plus food coloring. Think of it as sidewalk paint that washes off. (Eventually).

By: BethAnne

BethAnne — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:06:54 +0000

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.

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 20:13:42 +0000

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.

By: Kirsten

Kirsten — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 19:19:43 +0000

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.

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 17:54:56 +0000

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.