How to make fingerpaint the easy way

I loved messy play so much as a child. It was such a free feeling to experiment with the textures, to yell, ‘oh yuck!‘ with absolute pleasure, to have a moment in life where I could be silly, not worry, in short, to be a child in the rawest sense.  And the smell of finger paint just screams ‘kid’ to me. Suddenly, I’m back in the church hall of my old playgroup, squishing, smearing the cold, gluggy goo and giggling with my friends. Of course, the are some experiences we had as kids that we would just love for our own kids to experience, and for me, finger paint is right up there.

Finger paint is great for kids for many reasons, besides just being gooey, silly fun:

- Kids get to experience yet another texture in life, they can describe it: cold, slimy, smooth, sticky and so on.

- Childrens’ fine motor skills (the muscles in their fingers and hands) are encouraged, as they squeeze the paint and rub it onto the table or paper.

- Children can learn about colours by talking about them with each other or adults, naming them and/or mixing them.

- Finger paint gives the children a great opportunity to engage in imaginary play.

- Painting can be an activity a child can do in solitude, or with friends or other family children.

- Because this recipe is edible, it’s safe for all ages.

I don’t think of this as a recipe as such, because the measurements of ingredients aren’t exact. But making fingerpaint this way gives it a fantastic consistency. Once you’re found an easy way to make fingerpaint, you’ll find that there are many great activities that can stem from this. If you have some cornflour and food colouring on hand, you’re good to go.

Shake desired amount into a saucepan.  I have three kids using this paint, so I tend to work on the generous side.

Next, mix in just enough cold water to make a paste. Next, heat the mixture on the stove. Use a fork or whisk to keep it nice and smooth. Keep cooking it in this way until it thickens. If it reminds you a little bit of snot, you’re on the right track, my friend!

Next, I’ve separated the paint into four containers. I wasn’t very fussy or space-conscious because a lot of my containers are still packed away in boxes after the move, so I just grabbed whatever, as you can see. Then, I’ve added the food colouring.

I like to be generous with the colouring, to make the colours ‘pop’ and because when I’m teaching my little ones the colours, it’s confusing for them if the red looks pink, if you get my drift. Also, I find if the colours are brightly coloured, they are so much more appealing to the kids.

Let the mixture cool, then seal up and store in the fridge until it’s ready to use.

Over the next few days, I’ll show you a few fun things that kids can do with this paint.

If you need a printed copy to make this, or would like to save it to your phone, you can download this recipe along with the cooked and uncooked recipes for playdough