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February 3, 2014 | 25 Comments

Easy Finger Paint Recipe

best finger paint recipe When I was a teenager, my older sister and I both worked as day camp leaders. I worked at a nice rec center with a huge wave pool, rock climbing wall, skating rink and lots of art supplies. She didn’t. She worked at a tiny rec center with a few multipurpose rooms and a small neighborhood pool. She made these finger paints for her camps all the time. On a rainy day, I decided to bust out her old and easy finger paint recipe and have fun with my three-year-old who loves to cook and finger paint. The result was a fun day with my favorite three-year-old and a surprisingly clean kitchen. So often we just make the paints or playdough or cloud dough but involving the kids in the making creates a deeper level of learning and exploration.

The recipe:

1/4 cup of cornstarch
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 cup of water.
food coloring or a little washable paint if you are concerned about staining.

This recipe is easily doubled or tripled for bigger groups.

Food color will stain hands/ clothes if not washed right away but the experience of making paint from scratch was worth pink hands for a few hours. You may not want to do this with nice clothes on or before family pictures. The alternative is to use some tempera paint in the place of the food coloring.

 

Gather your materials. You will need cornstarch, water, sugar, food coloring, a pot, a bowl, measuring cups, spoon, spatula, finger paint paper, containers and toothpicks for stirring. non toxic finger paint recipe

 

Start by mixing the dry ingredients. I measured out the ingredients for my daughter so she could do this independently and because I had JUST enough cornstarch that if we spilled too much, the recipe would have flopped. Planning ahead is not my strong suit. With a slightly older child getting them to do the measuring would be rad.  home made finger paints

” All of it Mama?” Her face lit up when I said yes. So glad she likes to cook because by the time she is old enough to do it herself I will be so so over making dinner every night.cooking finger paints

Mix. Your kids will probably notice what she did which is that sometimes the spoon gets stuck while mixing. That’s the cornstarch. If you have extra cornstarch while the paint is cooling, grab some and explore it in a shallow pan with some water. It’s a fun sensory activity. how to make finger paint

Once it’s well mixed, pour it into the pot and warm over medium heat. I had it on low while she was stirring and then turned it up and stirred it myself.  Also, I used a big spatula for her to stir with so she wouldn’t be too close to the warm pot. When it starts to thicken take it off the burner and stir. It will get even thicker as it cools. easy finger paint recipe for kids

I let it cool mostly in the pot then spooned it into the containers until it was completely cooled.

Add a few drops of food coloring. I asked her how many and then we counted together. Math and cooking are best buddies! homemade finger paints for kids

Mix! food coloring finger paintsAs you can see I popped a bib on her since food coloring stains but it was way too small…. So when it was time to paint I grabbed an apron for her. Worked much better!

Time to paint. I covered the kitchen island with a paint drop cloth and gave her some finger paint paper and let her go for it. finger painting with homemade finger paints

And go for it she did.

finger painting

When she started painting her arms it was time for one last picture and to move on to washing up in the sink.finger painting turns to arm painting Not only did this help get the excess off her hands it also got the dishes clean too. She had a blast cooking, painting , and cleaning. She was so excited to tell her dad that she made a painting with paints she cooked and I loved that she told him all about each step hours later. My intention wasn’t to have her do a retell of the activity but it happened naturally. I love watching kids learn!cleaning up finger paints

Filed Under: finger paint recipe, For Teachers, Preschool Activities, Sensory Activities | 25 Comments

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25 Comments

  1. vihaara says

    February 3, 2014 at 7:50 am

    Is it 1/4th cup of cornstarch?

    to vihaara" aria-label='reply to this comment to vihaara'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      February 3, 2014 at 9:57 am

      Yes exactly. Thanks for the comment – I missed the cup part of that ingredient didn’t I?!

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  2. Jennie says

    February 3, 2014 at 8:18 am

    We made this today. First time finger painting for my grand-daughter! It was a big success. I put a few drops of peppermint EO for an extra sensory experience. Thanks for the great idea.

    to Jennie" aria-label='reply to this comment to Jennie'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      February 3, 2014 at 9:57 am

      Fun! I am so happy it worked so well for you. My daughter LOVED the feeling of the paint too… if those pictures aren’t evidence enough!

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  3. Gidgets Bookworms says

    February 3, 2014 at 10:28 am

    aw yes I worked for a non profit low income Pre-K and we had to make everything even colored construction paper (if you ever want to know about that email me, your kids would have fun).

    love your little soap dispenser that got into the last picture!

    to Gidgets Bookworms" aria-label='reply to this comment to Gidgets Bookworms'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      February 4, 2014 at 8:33 pm

      Thanks Shannon! It’s a jam jar.

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  4. jill says

    February 3, 2014 at 6:38 pm

    Could you use a crock pot for in the classroom?

    to jill" aria-label='reply to this comment to jill'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      February 4, 2014 at 8:32 pm

      I bet you could! Oh I need to get more cornstarch and try it.

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  5. Belen says

    February 5, 2014 at 10:20 am

    Thank you for all your great ideas! I´ll try after my babys nap! he´s 11 months! Greetings from Argentina!

    to Belen" aria-label='reply to this comment to Belen'>reply to this comment
  6. Tiffany H. says

    February 6, 2014 at 4:05 pm

    I will have to try this recipe. Any idea what the fabric is on the apron. Drooling over it!

    to Tiffany H." aria-label='reply to this comment to Tiffany H.'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      February 6, 2014 at 6:38 pm

      Not sure but I can find out!

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  7. ronnie says

    April 3, 2014 at 9:56 am

    how long does it last for ?

    to ronnie" aria-label='reply to this comment to ronnie'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      April 4, 2014 at 10:48 pm

      I would keep it no more than a day or two in the fridge. I have kept it longer but when it’s finger paint I just feel like it should be used up quickly.

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  8. Ali says

    July 20, 2014 at 5:54 am

    I know this is an older post but I found it looking for something to do with my 1 year old. How does the artwork holds up over time? I’d like to make something for my daughter’s room to hang. Once it dries does it attract buggies that you’ve noticed since it has sugar in it? Thanks!

    to Ali" aria-label='reply to this comment to Ali'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      July 21, 2014 at 12:27 pm

      Ours have but I can’t guarantee that it won’t.

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  9. Michelle says

    September 22, 2014 at 1:45 pm

    Fantastic idea 🙂 Thx! I livebin Europe and never hear about Cornstachd? Can I use anything else instead? Thanks

    to Michelle" aria-label='reply to this comment to Michelle'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      September 22, 2014 at 4:25 pm

      It’s called corn flour in Europe!

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  10. Christie says

    February 25, 2015 at 6:38 am

    I was wondering where you got the apron or the fabric? If you made it, would you be willing to make a few for sale? Thanks!

    to Christie" aria-label='reply to this comment to Christie'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      February 26, 2015 at 12:50 am

      It was a gift – I believe they got it on ETSY though.

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  11. Chiamaka says

    November 14, 2020 at 9:50 am

    You are stupid

    to Chiamaka" aria-label='reply to this comment to Chiamaka'>reply to this comment
  12. Chloe says

    November 19, 2020 at 4:23 pm

    Nonsense

    to Chloe" aria-label='reply to this comment to Chloe'>reply to this comment

Trackbacks

  1. CraftCrave | DigiFree | CraftCrave says:
    February 3, 2014 at 6:28 pm

    […] Easy Finger Paint Recipe – 1 freebie(s)? […]

    to CraftCrave | DigiFree | CraftCrave" aria-label='reply to this comment to CraftCrave | DigiFree | CraftCrave'>reply to this comment
  2. Early Learning & Creative Crafts { Add Your Post } - No Time For Flash Cards says:
    February 9, 2014 at 12:01 am

    […] and not nearly enough sleep. I had a lot of fun ideas planned and we did some of them like the Homemade Finger Paint and others got bumped for unplanned posts like our Printable Activity Sheets for sick […]

    to Early Learning & Creative Crafts { Add Your Post } - No Time For Flash Cards" aria-label='reply to this comment to Early Learning & Creative Crafts { Add Your Post } - No Time For Flash Cards'>reply to this comment
  3. 15 Fun Activities for 3 Year Olds! | Not Just Cute says:
    February 10, 2014 at 12:13 am

    […] fingerpaint recipe is super easy your kids will love helping you mix it up and create colorful […]

    to 15 Fun Activities for 3 Year Olds! | Not Just Cute" aria-label='reply to this comment to 15 Fun Activities for 3 Year Olds! | Not Just Cute'>reply to this comment
  4. 12 ENGAGING MONTESSORI ACTIVITIES FOR 18-MONTH-OLDS (THAT ARE EASY) says:
    July 7, 2021 at 12:58 pm

    […] I started finger painting with Asher when he was around 8-months-old. I didn’t trust any store-bought finger paint, so I made my own and using this recipe from Pinterest. […]

    to 12 ENGAGING MONTESSORI ACTIVITIES FOR 18-MONTH-OLDS (THAT ARE EASY)" aria-label='reply to this comment to 12 ENGAGING MONTESSORI ACTIVITIES FOR 18-MONTH-OLDS (THAT ARE EASY)'>reply to this comment

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