Kids activities
Kids activities don’t need to be difficult or expensive and this homemade recipe for finger paint will get them exploring different textures and colours without exposing them to any harm ingredients.
You can introduce finger painting from about six months onward. It is more interesting when their attention span is a little longer – about 18 months is good.
Make sure you have really big pieces of paper and be prepared to get down and have fun with your little person.
And don’t forget to allow time for a bath afterwards. That’s another fun activity!
Happy painting.
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons of corn flour (corn starch)
Cold water
1 Cup of boiling water
Liquid food colouring
Method
You’ll get a great consistency for the homemade paint using this method.
- In a medium saucepan, mix the cornflour with enough cold water to make a paste. (Not too runny).
- Pour in 1 cup of boiling water and stir thoroughly so there are no lumps.
- Turn on medium heat on the stove and mix. The mixture will start to change and you will notice some clear streaks forming in the mixture. Once you see this, turn off the heat and continue stirring. It will start to thicken and turn into a wonderful, custard-like consistency.
- Spoon equal amounts into empty jars, cups or containers and add food colouring. Mixing until completely combined. For each colour, add 3 drops of yellow, green, red and blue. To make orange, add 1 drop of red and 2 yellow and to make purple, add 1 drop of blue and 2 red.
- Store in the fridge covered with cling wrap for up to 2 weeks. This paint recipe does not have any preservative in it, so it is important to check that the paint has not expired before giving it to children.
Tip: If the mixture has harden from being in the fridge, adding a little bit of boiling hot water or leave the paint our for a few hours will return to its smooth consistency.