Homemade Edible Finger Paint (No Cornstarch Needed)

Posted on April 14, 2013 by christiekiley

Today I wanted to try some finger painting with my little guy (20 months old). Unfortunately, I didn’t have any paint and I wasn’t able to go to the store to buy cornstarch or any of those other ingredients commonly used in homemade paint recipes.

Thankfully, I did have flour and food coloring.

So I simply mixed equal parts water and white flour (I did one cup of each) to make a nice painty paste. I put the water in the bowl first, then slowly mixed in the flour to avoid lumps. I divided up the paste into separate compartments of a toddler plate and then mixed in food coloring.

Voila! Easy homemade edible finger paint!

We took our supplies outside and tried it out. Not bad!

I liked this mixture because it was super easy for my little guy to wipe off himself and didn’t smear around on his skin like regular paint would. If he wanted it off, it came off. It also easily washed off with warm water after it had dried on his (and my) skin. Plus, it was no big deal if it got in his mouth. It’s just flour and water.

I wouldn’t recommend using this mixture for “serious” art. It became grainy and bubbly on the paper and wouldn’t be great for making detailed masterpieces. However, it’s perfect if you’re just looking to give your little one easy access to a low-maintenance, low-cost painting experience, which is exactly what I wanted.

Remember to provide tools such as paintbrushes and sponges for kids who are nervous about touching the paint. Also, please, don’t encourage your kids to eat the paint. Just because it can be eaten doesn’t mean it should be eaten, especially if your kiddo has a gluten allergy or Celiac Disease.

What is your favorite homemade edible finger paint recipe?

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Intro to Messy Play: Painting with Shaving Cream

Posted on March 3, 2013 by christiekiley

If you have a kiddo who is hesitant to dip their little fingers into messy sensory materials, or even outright HATES it, try giving them a tool such as a paintbrush or spoon. This will allow them to engage with the tactile media without actually having to touch it. It also serves as a nice introduction to messy play! Then as the child becomes more comfortable engaging in sensory play with the tool, she can gradually begin to explore the messy stuff on her own terms, when she feels ready.

When it comes to messy play, shaving cream is perhaps the most classic medium used by pediatric occupational therapists. Some kids LOVE the stuff and could bathe in it from head to toe every day if their mommies let them (like the kids in this picture). Others, like those mentioned above, probably wish it was buried in a deep dark cave far, far away.

So what do we do? Give ‘em a tool!

My toddler son got to try this activity last week since he’s still not so sure about things that are goopy or foamy. All we needed was a baking sheet, some old paintbrushes, a big piece of paper (bought a whole pad from the dollar store for future projects!), and three drops of food coloring.

I squirted the cream onto the pan, showed him how I swirled in the food coloring, and then demonstrated how to brush, brush, brush! on the paper since he was a little nervous about it at first. But once he saw that it was okay and we could sing fun songs while we brushed, he reached for a brush and joined right in! He remained engaged in this process for about five minutes before he decided he was all done. It was a good start!

As mentioned previously, if you have a child who is nervous about or avoidant of tactile sensory experiences like this one, don’t force them to touch it or “just be fine” with it. Gauge their comfort level, offer demonstration and gentle encouragement, allow them to watch peers or siblings engage with it while positively reinforcing them for doing so (but DON’T punish or shame the one who doesn’t engage), sing songs or count or rhyme while doing it, make shapes and faces and sound effects as appropriate, and provide plenty of opportunities for exposure over time. Make it fun! Praise them when they try it and allow them to wipe their hands or take a break when they need to in order to keep it as positive an experience as possible.

Have fun!

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Easy Sensory Bags for Babies and Toddlers

Posted on September 23, 2012 by christiekiley

I have been experimenting with sensory bags lately for my one-year-old and have been pleasantly surprised at how ridiculously EASY they are to make!

For a basic sensory bag, all you have to do is 1) open a plastic bag, 2) squeeze in some cheap hair gel and 3) drop some small items in the bag. That’s it! You can reinforce the zipper seal with some packing tape for added security. The dollar store will be your best friend for this project!

Here are a few ideas for sprucing up your sensory bag and making it even more fun for your little one. Do it yourself or have your little helper give you a hand!

Add a handful of beads.

Put seashells in blue gel for a look that will make you long for the Caribbean.

Mix some body wash with hair gel and throw in a dash of sparkles for some sudsy, sparkly fun. The more you squeeze it, the more bubbly it becomes.

Or see how your little one responds when you give them a sensory bag that glows! (Five-pack of glow sticks also found at the dollar store.)

These are just four quick, easy ways to expand your child’s sense of sight and touch in a fun, non-messy way…do you have any idea how fun it is to squeeze those squishy bags?!

Not only can sensory bags be fun for teeny tiny ones, they can also be helpful for older kids who are always wanting to touch EVERYTHING. Help them make their very own sensory bag and offer it to them when they feel like they need something for their hands. Be sure it’s sealed and reinforced, and provide appropriate supervision for their own safety. I’m thinking about using these sensory bags with some of my very own therapy kiddos. We’ll see how it goes!

If you’re as excited about these sensory bags as I am (and I hope you are!), then come back on Wednesday morning…I will be featuring a round-up of LOTS of different kinds of sensory bags from amazing bloggers around the world. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out on the fun!

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This post was shared on Tuesday Tots at Rainy Day Mum. Click the badge below for more fun kids’ activity ideas!

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No-Mess Fingerpaint for Toddlers

Posted on September 18, 2012 by christiekiley

Yesterday I shared how excited I was to find five great “no-mess” arts and crafts supplies for kids while wandering the aisles of Target over the weekend. Well, I decided to try one of them out and – I guess you can already tell – we went with the no-mess toddler fingerpaint!

My little helper was eager to see what all the fuss was about.

I squeezed the yellowish goo onto the magic Crayola paper…

…and let my little guy go to town! He did ~~attempt to~~ successfully eat a fingerful of goo at the very beginning and I had to occasionally bat his hands away from his mouth after that.

Even though he’s still intent on putting everything in his little mouth, he was eventually able to complete his first ever masterpiece with this magic, mess-free (and non-toxic, might I add) fingerpaint. So cool!

We’ll probably set this one aside until our little guy is a tad older, but I’m so glad I found this totally great magic fingerpaint. It doesn’t show up on your furniture or clothes, and it’s a great introduction to arts and crafts. I hope you will be able to give this a go with your little ones, too!

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Click on the following buttons for more great kid-friendly craft ideas!

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Messy play with homemade puffy paint

Posted on July 18, 2012 by christiekiley

One of my favorite things about being a pediatric OT is that I get paid to play with kids! Obviously we do more than just “play”, but one aspect of our playing that I get a kick out of every time is messy play.

The other day, on a whim, I decided to whip together a messy play concoction in preparation for a session, and it actually turned out pretty well.

Here’s a picture of what was used:

It’s a simple mixture of cornstarch, water, and finger paint.

To be honest, I didn’t really measure things out. It was more like “a handful of this” and “a splash of that”. Simply swirl it all together by hand until it reaches the desired consistency.

Once the slimy bowls of paint are ready, you can dip your hands in and go to work!

You (I mean…your child) can simple dribble the mix all over the page, or they can make a drawing first and then fill in the spaces with their paint by hand.