Edible Finger Paint Color Science: Toddler Activities

Children love to paint, explore and discover. Finger painting is a fantastic artistic activity for toddlers and pre-school aged children (2-5 yrs) to develop sensory aptitude. Finger painting can also serve as a scientific experiment when teaching your child about color combinations, color intensities, color schemes and palettes.

Edible Finger paint with Flour
If you are concerned with your child licking the paint off his/her fingertips, please cook up some edible finger paint using 1/3 cup of flour, 2 T sugar, salt, 2 cups of water, food coloring, and mini containers. As parents we prefer using edible paint options rather than purchasing Crayola non-toxic water based paint products. It's a comfort knowing using edible paint will prevent any possible upset stomach, vomiting, or diarrhea from children accidentally licking the Crayola paint.

Simply mix the flour, sugar, salt and water in a saucepan. Stir for 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat. Remove from burner. Place the mixture in mini containers and wait for the batter to congeal and thicken. Apply drops of food coloring to each container, and let your child play. It's baby and toddler safe. Try this other recipe using Kool-Aid.

Edible Finger Paint with Yogurt:
Just add food coloring, kool-aid or fruit coloring directly to Gerber baby blends yogurt. Add some water to the blend for easier consistency for mixing colors.

Science Experiment: What Color Combinations Are You?
Ask your child about color formations. Allow the child hypothesis first before playing or experimenting how different colors affect, create and intensify. Open the Adobe Color Wheel on your phone and discuss the differences between analogous colors, monochromatic, triad, complementary, compound and color shades. Using primary hues, explore light, medium and dark mixtures.

What do these combinations create?
Blue + Yellow = Green
Red + Yellow = Orange
Red + Blue = Violet
Red + Blue+ Yellow = Brown

For older children, demonstrate principles of the color wheel, color perceptions, what constitutes white light, photochromatic paint, and rainbow formations.