An Invitation to Paint

Sometimes, it's all in the approach. I have found that if I present an activity to my kids in a visually appealing way, they are on board! This is especially effective if I set it up as a surprise - they go to bed for a nap, wake up and ... oh, look! It's a painting station!

Fingerpainting for Babies

Who says babies can't fingerpaint? A little ingenuity and a willingness to see your child (and floor, and any adjacent surfaces) covered in muck, and you'll have yourself a fun-filled half-hour or so with your little munchkin.
Although non-toxic poster paint/acrylic paint is, well, non-toxic, I still feel apprehensive about letting Ava anywhere near it. Especially whilst she's in the 'how-can-I-fit-everything-in-sight-into-my-mouth' phase. So I mixed a bit of plain flour with some water and food dye, and came up with my own version of fingerpaint which is safe for babies. It's not a substitute for actual fingerpaint though (ie: the stuff you would use for your toddler, or for use on paper), but it served my purposes just fine.

The paint:

Recipe - Fingerpaint

• 1 cup cornflour
• 1 cup cold water
• 3 cups boiling water
• 1/2 cup Lux (or similar) soap flakes
• Food colouring

1. Mix the cold water and the cornflour together.
2. Add the boiling water, stirring all the time. It should thicken as you stir.
3. Add the Lux flakes, and divide into separate containers if making more than one colour.
4. Dye each portion with the food colouring, and allow to cool before use.

Fingerpainting!

Whether it's feeling the paint on their hands, creating their masterpiece or getting the chance to do something different; for whatever reason, every toddler LOVES fingerpainting! As expected, it is a messy activity which entails a lot of clean up and a bit of preparation, so give yourself plenty of time. If you also have a younger child, this is the kind of thing you may want to set up as soon as bubba is down for a nap, to allow yourself as much time as possible.
If you don't have any fingerpaint on hand, you can make some - it's another way to get your child involved. I'll post an easy-peasy recipe shortly. Grab some paper (big rolls of butcher's paper are ideal, find it at IKEA or Riot Arts N' Craft), some paint and a smock/old t-shirt and get to it! Make sure you have somewhere to hang the paper as they finish with each piece, and a bucket of soapy water and a cloth wouldn't go astray either.
This is one of Eden's more recent efforts, a pink giraffe, and I think the giraffe shape is actually discernable!