Edible Paint!!

Painting with your little ones is a TON OF FUN, but as parents we often worry if materials are safe for our babes. Below are a couple of safe, edible paints that you can use with your children. And the ingredients are most likely already in your cupboards! You can paint on paper, wood or just about any other item you'd like your babe to decorate. Here in the pictures this babe is painting our Paintable Wooden Eggs. 

Here is a recipe from learning4kids.net:

INGREDIENTS:

4 Tablespoons of corn starch

Cold water

1 Cup of boiling water

Liquid food coloring

1. In a medium saucepan, mix the cornflour with enough cold water to make a paste. (Not too runny).
2. Pour in 1 cup of boiling water and stir thoroughly so there are no lumps.
3. 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.
4. Spoon equal amounts into empty jars, cups or containers and add food coloring. Mixing until completely combined. For each color, we added 3 drops of yellow, green, red and blue. To make orange, we added 1 drop of red and 2 yellow and to make purple, we added 1 drop of blue and 2 red.
5. 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 out for a few hours will return to its smooth consistency.

Here is another recipe that you can try from redtricycle.com:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup warm water
• food coloring

METHOD: 

1. Mix the flour and water together. Be sure to use warm water, as it will mix together more easily. We used a whisk to get all of the lumps out and ensure a smooth result. This is a good step for older kids to help with.

2. Divide the flour and water mixture. Pour the mixture into four bowls, cups or containers of your choice.

3. Add food coloring to each container. We stuck with the basics, making our paints red, blue, green and yellow. But you can get creative with purple, aqua, brown and more.

Pro tip: We used only three drops of food coloring for each small bowl and the colors are bright. If you go overboard with the food coloring, you may end up staining little fingers. But we promise it will wash off eventually!

4. HAVE FUN!

Your children will have lots of fun painting and you don't have to worry if they decide to give it a taste. Enjoy time with your children!!