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Edible Finger Paint

November 15, 2012 by Kate 37 Comments

I love being creative and I especially love when I can get my little Possum creative too. This type of paint is wonderful because it’s non-toxic, unlike those that claim to be but still include weird numbers in the ingredients. 

So let’s make our own EDIBLE FINGER PAINT!!!!!

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Making your own finger paint can be a great activity to do with children.

The basics you will need are – 

1/4 cup cornflour
4 tablespoons white sugar
food colouring
2 tbsp water (add more if required)

Method
In a pot mix together the sugar and the cornflour. Add a splash of water and mix over a medium heat. Depending on your mixture, add more water or cornflour until you have a smooth and rather stiff consistency. 
I separated my mixture into small containers and added 4 drops of food colouring to each. I probably suggest not to add any more drops because it may start to stain fingers. 

I added a few finger scoops of each onto a large page of paper. Possum was very interested to touch (and taste!) the finger paint. I modelled (or demonstrated) how the mixture could be spread across the page. 

This is such a great sensory activity for babies. 

Possum loved opening and closing her hand and feeling the texture between her fingers. Gorgeous!
And here is Possum’s very first art piece!!! 
I’m such a proud mummy. 

N.B. This type of paint will not last forever as it is made from food items. It should last 5-10 days. I suggest if you wish to keep the artwork, take a photograph and have it blown up onto a canvas. How adorable!! 🙂 

I hope you and your little one enjoy this activity. 

Kate x

If you like this post then you’ll like some of these ideas too!
Click here for simple baby play ideas.
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Filed Under: 0 - 12 months, 1 - 3 years, Art, Art & Craft, Cook, Making, Play, Recipes, Sensory Play

Comments

  1. Joanna Spotts says

    January 7, 2013 at 1:17 am

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  2. Kate Lloyd says

    January 7, 2013 at 5:42 am

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    Reply
  3. Tj says

    January 7, 2013 at 7:07 am

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  4. alyria says

    January 9, 2013 at 6:53 pm

    Out of curiosity, will the resulting artwork mold at all over time? I’d like to share this with a friend of mine, but wanted to check that the artwork is something she could keep?

    Reply
    • Kate Lloyd says

      January 13, 2013 at 5:39 am

      Hi Alyria,

      Unfortunately this will not act like store-bought paint and will go moldy over time. You can always do this activity, take a photograph and then have it blown up as a canvas. That’s what I did and I have a lasting memory of her first painting. Best wishes with it.

      Reply
  5. Cassandra Fox says

    January 12, 2013 at 7:50 pm

    Amazing! Totally doing this for the kids at my daughter’s first birthday party in a few months. Thanks for the idea

    Reply
    • Kate Lloyd says

      January 13, 2013 at 5:40 am

      How wonderful!!! One year olds love this activity and are at a good age to get creative. Best wishes.

      Reply
  6. MICHELLE OGARA says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:13 am

    I have used applesauce adding a bit of food coloring and let my kids finger paint at their high chair. The idea here is the process not the product…giving kids hands-on opportunities to explore the world! So fun!

    Reply
    • Kate Lloyd says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:54 am

      Absolutely! There are so many great ways that you can make finger paint safe for children. I love the idea about the applesauce. Yes, I have posted about the process of making it. Thanks for your comment. 🙂

      Reply
  7. MICHELLE OGARA says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:13 am

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  8. tumbleweed says

    January 20, 2013 at 1:20 pm

    I make an assortment of edible finger paints even though my daughter doesn’t eat it. I just use what I have aroun the house at that time. With that said, what I’ve started doing is putting foil over the table and then just letting her have some sensory fun. That way she has a good time, the mess is easy to clean and I don’t worry about saving anything. I do like to save her paintings too, but I just save that for paint that will keep. I always love seeing others projects and ideas though so thanks for sharing! 😉 – via Pinterest

    Reply
    • tumbleweed says

      January 20, 2013 at 1:21 pm

      Oops, meant to say around the house. 🙂

      Reply
    • Kate Lloyd says

      February 8, 2013 at 4:11 am

      Thank you so kindly Tumbleweed! I love your idea on using foil because we don’t have to keep EVERYTHING! Thanks for taking the time to comment.

      Reply
  9. Meera Manu says

    April 11, 2013 at 5:29 am

    Hi,
    I am from india. i love ur ideas and experiments. and for the first time i had time to experiment one of urs. iam buy with my 1 yr old. i made the colours at home but instead of using food colours i used natural colours like beetroot juice, tamarind powder.

    Thank u and all the best.

    Reply
  10. Lego_Bunny808 says

    July 21, 2013 at 9:52 pm

    Definitely trying this one! Thanks!

    Reply
  11. molo says

    October 10, 2013 at 11:56 am

    the part that it’s edible

    great idea!

    Reply
  12. Taylor says

    February 7, 2014 at 8:17 pm

    Hey thedre I am so gratreful I found your blog, I really found you by accident,while I was searching on Askjeeve for something else, Regardless I aam here now and would just like to
    saay thanks a lot for a fantastic post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to browse
    iit all at the minute but I have saved it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please
    do keep up the great work.

    Reply
  13. Margaret says

    April 8, 2014 at 10:08 pm

    Loved this idea. My granddaughter is blind and loves to smell and taste what she is doing, so come Easter time I will have my grand children out in the garden finger painting.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      April 10, 2014 at 2:17 pm

      What a wonderful grandparent you are Margaret. I’m sure your granddaughter will love it. Be sure to check out my other scented activities, like this one – https://laughingkidslearn.com/2013/04/diy-strawberry-scented-playdough.html/

      Reply
  14. Jessica says

    August 8, 2014 at 1:30 am

    I love this idea! I just made this but instead of water I used Motts Applejuice to add flavor 😉 then I divided it up and added the color like you said. I had extra so I froze some in an ice cub tray. I’m hoping that I can de-thaw and use for future use.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      August 8, 2014 at 3:22 pm

      AWESOME Jessica. Thanks for sharing your experience. Love it. 🙂

      Reply
  15. Yolanda says

    October 8, 2014 at 7:46 am

    Thanks!! I’m from Mexico and this is just like I need!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      October 8, 2014 at 11:20 pm

      Wonderful to hear Yolanda! 🙂

      Reply
  16. dee says

    March 9, 2015 at 11:16 pm

    I used store bought cake mix and water. The kids at daycare loved it

    Reply
    • Kate says

      March 10, 2015 at 10:20 pm

      Awesome idea dee! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

      Reply
  17. Brittney says

    May 13, 2015 at 11:01 pm

    Hi Kate! This is a great idea, I have tried making this one time and followed your recipe exactly, adding extra water as needed, but mine completely solidified! Oh no! Is there something I missed? Thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Kate says

      May 13, 2015 at 11:42 pm

      Hi Brittney! Thank you so kindly for your message. I’m thrilled you gave it a go and very sorry you ran into difficulty. Sometimes ingredients from various countries behave differently. Can I suggest this alternative – https://laughingkidslearn.com/2014/09/homemade-edible-finger-paint-recipe.html/ It’s really delicious. Hahahaha
      Just remember that this type of paint isn’t something you’d keep for very long. It’s more about the experience than anything else. Best wishes.

      Reply
  18. Rose says

    June 23, 2015 at 12:48 am

    Hi, i tried to make this recipe, but the cornflour (cornstarch) acted weirdly. If i add a bit more water it liquefies. A bit more cornstarch and it solidifies. I thought i was doing a science project. I hold it in my hands and it becomes like a dough. I put it back and it melts down! I’m pretty sure it’s the cornstarch I’m using. I live in Canada. Do you think trying another brand might make a difference or all the cornstarch here will be different from yours?

    Reply
    • Kate says

      June 23, 2015 at 10:14 am

      Hi Rose,
      I’m so sorry that you’ve had some difficulty with the recipe. I can’t be sure why. Might I suggest this edible finger paint recipe instead? https://laughingkidslearn.com/2014/09/homemade-edible-finger-paint-recipe.html/ Hope that helps you. I appreciate you sharing your experiencing with me. I can go about double checking the recipe to suit my wonderful overseas friends.

      Reply
      • Rose says

        June 24, 2015 at 3:32 am

        Thank you for the fast reply. Actually i saw the other edible finger paint, but i decided to try this since i got all the ingredients and i don’t have condensed milk, but I’ll definitely give it a try!
        The one that i made wasn’t wasted after all! We had so much fun messing our hands, floor, walls you name it 🙂

        Reply

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Welcome
Hello and welcome!
My name is Kate and I am a mum to two little girls, Possum and Boo. We have lots of fun together learning with play at home and are pleased to share some of what we do with you.
Read my about page to find out more.

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