Why not try some washable fingerpaints?

A couple of weeks ago I printed out a recipe for washable fingerpaints from one of my favorite family lifestyle blogs, Flipflops & Applesauce.

2 Tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 cups water
1/4 cup dishwashing soap
food coloring
Put the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan and then slowly mix in cold water. Cook the mixture over low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly until you have a smooth gel. Let this cool and then add dishwashing soap. Divide into as many containers as you would like colors and then mix in food coloring drops until you have you desired color.

Yesterday I was able to summon the wherewithall to actually attempt the project. I located a smock for Joe Joe that I had purchased before he was born, slapped it on him, and went to town.

I mixed up the sugar water and corn starch and set it on the stove to low heat. I stirred. And I stirred. Then I stirred some more. Then I got bored and went in to check on email. Five minutes later I returned to see that the mixture had gotten all gloppy and bubbly! I stirred again like a madwoman and got the consistency evened out. It looked sort of like Vaseline.



Since this was my first attempt at making washable fingerpaints, and well, I haven't tried anything crafty in ages, I decided to keep it simple and stick with two colors—red and green. I halved the batch into two Glad sandwich size plastic containers and brought it out to Joe Joe who had been patiently waiting for me. Then I realized I forgot to put the soap in, so I took everything back into the kitchen and put it back into the sauce pan and added the soap. Stir stir stir, back into the plastic containers and back out to Joe Joe who was giving me that big blue-eyed deer in the headlights look.

I took out the green dye. I dripped it into one of the containers. Joe went "Wow!". Suddenly he was engaged and enthralled. He of course wanted to try dripping and stirring so, like a fool, I let him.



He ended up with green dye all over his fingers, his face, his hair, and got it on his chair. All in the span of about ten seconds. After doing the same with the red dye, I gently ripped the food coloring out of his tiny little chubby hand and took it inside and out of harm's way. This set Joe to bawling. Next time I'll perform the dye procedure before presenting the paints to him. Live and learn. Who knew a toddler would be most attracted to the messiest aspect of the project?



I'll bet this type of thing never happens to the lady over at Flipflops and Applesauce!!!

Poor little Joe, I came back out, having remembered to grab some printer paper, and put it in front of him. I dabbed some green paint with my finger and put it on the paper in the shape of a glump of goo. Joe stopped crying. Whew. He played for a little bit, and ended up trying to eat both colors. He was not happy with the taste, but he just couldn't help his little toddler self.



He got bored after about ten minutes so we went to the side yard and I sprayed him and his clothing with a hose. THAT he loved. Until I turned the water off, which set him to bawling again. Fiddly-dee!

I will give this another try in a week or so! Perhaps in the bathtub?