One of my current goals is to get my baby more involved in art projects. He is 15 months, which is apparently a great age for finger painting, because he really enjoyed this art project. Here is what I did to make this craft easier with a baby:
- I made edible finger paint, because he likes to taste everything.
- I put his booster seat on the floor (our kitchen chairs are covered in fabric).
- I put a bib on him, but also planned this craft before bathtime.
I made three colors of edible finger paint by mixing a drop of food coloring with a few tablespoons of plain yogurt. The recipe is really that simple! You can also make edible finger paint using vanilla pudding. Not only was yogurt easier for me to find, I didn't want a more delicious incentive for my kids to eat the finger paint.
Basically, I worried needlessly about doing this craft with the baby. He carefully dipped one index finger in the paint and painted it on his paper. When we were finished and cleaned up, he had yogurt finger paint on one hand, and a little smear on his bib. He did try to taste it once, but he doesn't like the indian yogurt, so he spit it right out.
My preschooler, on the other hand, covered three papers completely with yogurt finger paint, and also dripped finger paint on the floor and her legs. It cleaned up very easily and didn't stain her hands at all.
UPDATE: We did this activity again and I wanted to add a few tips. I used an egg carton to divide the paint. At least it was divided before they played with it.
Also, we saved the finished finger paintings this time and they did not smell after they were dried. The finger paintings have been taped to our fridge for a week and they look great! We'll be doing this activity many more times. Both of the kids really enjoy finger painting, and I love how easy this is to clean up.
That looks like a fun idea! How did it dry when you were finished? Did it crack off? Did it start to smell?? Just wondering??
We actually didn’t keep them. I threw Maggie’s away because the paper fell apart, so my helper threw Dalton’s away as well. I am going to try it again, though, so I’ll post an update.