Edible Finger Paint for Babies and Toddlers

I think most toddlers’ favorite thing to do is make messes, and my apartment can attest to that. Sometimes you just need to let them do their thing in a controlled environment.

My daughter Violet loves to watch me paint and gets upset when I don’t allow her to touch my very toxic non-baby safe supplies. Although I would love for her to join me, she is fifteen months old and not quite ready for big girl paint. Especially since she still thinks everything needs to be taste-tested.

What you Need

• Cool Whip
• Kool Aid

I wanted to try out some safe edible paint for her and let her have fun making a mess.  There are a few different versions out there, but I went with the easiest option that uses just cool whip and kool aid, which also happened to be what I had on hand.

You need to use a ton of it to get a bright color which makes them taste ridiculously strong and sour, but since I didn’t actually want Violet to eat all the paint I thought it was a good deterrent, without doing any harm.

*If you are unsure if your child is allergic to artificial coloring, I’d try out some natural food dyes. 

This is such a fun activity to keep babies and young toddlers busy for a while, and its also a good sensory experience for them. Outside is a good place to do this so you don’t need to worry about cleanup.  Just lay down a posterboard or white butcher paper and let your child go to town!

I had to show Violet what to do at first, because initially she was just like “thanks for the weird tasting meal mom,” but once I smeared some on the paper she got the idea.  She is well on her way to getting this artistic expression thing down!

 What’s your favorite sensory activity for toddlers?

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