Little ones often love texture and color, and if making a mess builds their creativity and wears them out for naptime, so much the better.
Fingerpainting is an easy activity that builds motor skills while entertaining your child. Toddler age children may even be ready to identify colors, and painting is a great way to teach that red and yellow make orange.
This fun art project doesn’t have to be difficult, daunting, or even destructive! You can make your own non-toxic fingerpaint easily from items already in your kitchen. Then, if painting inside, lay down an old sheet and tape posterboard or craft paper to it so your child has a large canvas and a large splatter guard. For outside, you could tape paper to the driveway or side of your house, and on a warm day, let the water hose do all the clean up!
DIY Fingerpaint
3 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ c cornstarch
2 c water
Mix ingredients in saucepan and warm over low heat until thickened. Divide into jars and color as desired with a drop or two of food coloring.
Or if you want a tastier, edible fingerpaint for the baby that puts everything in his mouth, try:
½ c plain yogurt
½ packet Kool Aid (sugar-free)
The paint will be whatever color of Kool Aid mix you use.
Enjoy the creative process!
