Edible paint that’s perfect for toddlers. Made with just 3 ingredients in less than 5 minutes, this is a homemade finger paint that’s a great activity to entertain your toddler. Includes gluten-free instructions.
Paint on paper or try painting on bread for a whole new texture. Toddlers will get a kick out of this edible craft as they have a blast mixing together the colors.
As a parent, you’ll love this food paint as much as your kids. It is easy to clean up, made with ingredient staples, and safe if tasted. It’s a win-win for everyone! Make this gluten-free by using gluten-free flour and using gluten-free food dyes.
Edible crafts are a great kid-friendly way to keep kids engaged after school, on the weekends or during the summer months when school is out. Our Preschool Snack Necklace, Cake Pops, Peanut Butter Playdough, Bread in a Bag and Pudding Slime are all kid-approved craft ideas.
To get started, grab the equipment and ingredients. Kids can help each step of the way or come running to the kitchen once the paint has cooled!
Equipment
- small saucepan
- measuring cups
- whisk
- mini muffin tin or regular muffin tin
- toothpicks or spoons
- paintbrushes
- paper or bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup flour or gluten-free flour
- 1 cup hot water
- food coloring
How To Make
This edible craft is thrown together in just three simple steps then left to cool before ready to use.
Heat the mixture
Add the flour and water to a saucepan then whisk over medium heat until you see the mixture start to thicken on the bottom. Then, turn the heat off and continue to whisk until thickened and smooth. The mixture should be the consistency of a thin pudding.
Divide and color
Next, divide the thickened mixture into a mini muffin tin or regular muffin tin. This is a kid-friendly way to prevent your toddler from spilling a bowl of paint. It also makes for a super quick clean-up.
Add drops of food coloring to the muffin tin and stir using toothpicks or a small spoon. If you have older kids at home, they can help stir together the colors for your toddler. Kids of all ages love watching the thickened mixture turn a variety of colors. Kids enjoy combining drops of different colors together to see what color it turns into!
Paint
Let cool in the muffin tin before painting.
Once cooled, children can use as finger paint or use paintbrushes on paper or bread slices. Sugar cookies and marshmallows are two other fun foods for kids to paint.
Paint Colors
Mix together a variety of paint colors for your kids. Here is a quick guide to creating colors. Adjust the number of drops of food coloring as desired to lighten or deepen the colors.
- Green = blue + yellow
- Purple = red + blue
- Orange = red + yellow
- Brown = red + yellow + blue
Tips and Tricks
- Prepare Your Workspace:
- Cover the table or workspace with newspapers or plastic tablecloths to catch any spills and make cleanup easier.
- Make sure you have all your ingredients and tools ready before you start, including flour, hot water, food coloring, a saucepan, a whisk, a muffin tin, and toothpicks or spoons for stirring.
- Use Warm Water:
- Use hot tap water or microwave the water for a short time to make it hot but not boiling. This will help the flour dissolve more easily.
- Whisk Gradually:
- Add the flour to the hot water slowly while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Gradual mixing will help you achieve a smoother consistency.
- Consistency Check:
- Keep a close eye on the mixture as it heats. It should start to thicken on the bottom. Once you see it thickening, turn off the heat and continue to whisk until it’s smooth and well combined.
- Divide and Color Creatively:
- After the mixture has thickened, divide it into separate containers, one for each color you want to create. Add a few drops of food coloring to each container and stir well using toothpicks or spoons. Experiment with different color combinations to create a variety of hues.
- Cool Completely:
- Allow the colored mixtures to cool completely before letting children use them as finger paint. This will prevent any burns and make the paint easier to work with.
- Provide Appropriate Surfaces:
- Offer a variety of surfaces for painting, such as paper, cardboard, or slices of bread. You can also let kids paint outside on a large piece of cardboard to minimize mess indoors.
- Supervise and Encourage Creativity:
- Supervise the children while they paint and encourage their creativity. Offer them paintbrushes, sponges, or even their fingers to create different textures and patterns
- Have a sink or tub nearby for easy cleanup. This paint is washable, but it’s best to clean up any spills or messes as soon as possible to prevent staining.
- Storage:
- You can store any leftover finger paint in airtight containers in the refrigerator for a few days. Make sure to label the containers with the colors inside.
Homemade finger paint is not only a fun activity but also an excellent way to engage children in a creative and sensory experience. Enjoy the colorful masterpieces your little artists create!
Frequently Asked Questions
This paint recipe is not meant to be eaten but is completely safe for kids to taste. As parents, we all know that it is almost impossible for toddlers to keep their fingers out of their mouths. With this kid-friendly paint, there is no need to stress if fingers (and paint) end up in your kid’s mouth.
Any leftover paint can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week. Keep in the muffin covered with foil or transfer to air tight containers or ziplock bags. If the paint hardens, stir in a few drops of hot water until smooth.
From our experience, this recipe does not stain hands. Kids can easily wash the paint off their hands with soap and water.
More Toddler-Friendly Recipes
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Edible Paint For Toddlers
Equipment
- small saucepan
- mini muffin tin or regular muffin tin
- toothpicks or spoons
- paintbrushes
- paper or bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup flour ✅ use gluten-free if needed
- 1 cup hot water
- food coloring ✅
Instructions
- ⭐️Heat the mixture. Add the flour and water to the saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until you see the mixture start to thicken on the bottom. Turn heat off and continue to whisk until thickened and smooth.1/2 cup flour, 1 cup hot water
- Divide and color. Divide the thickened mixture into a mini muffin tin or regular muffin tin. Add food coloring and stir using toothpicks or a spoon.food coloring
- Paint. Let cool. Children can use as a finger paint or use paintbrushes on paper or bread slices.
Notes
Nutrition
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Then follow us on social media and tag #createkidsclub if you make the recipe. We love seeing what you come up with!
Lo says
It turned into a very thick dough. I had to add over 2X the amount of water and it was still goopy.
Jodi Danen, RDN says
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. What kind of flour did you use? Make sure to turn the heat off as soon as it starts to thicken. Hope that might help if you try it again.
Tina says
Do you think I could use hot water from a crockpot?
If it’s not meant to be eaten, why paint bread? (I was all excited to call their creations “Rainbow toast!)
Thank you, Tina, teacher of toddlers with no easy access to kitchen
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Hi Tina! I am not sure if the crockpot would work. If you started heating the water before making the paint then added the flour as it gets hot it might work, but it would be best to give it a test run as it’s not something I’ve tried. I added the bread for different textures. Since it’s just flour they can eat it, it just won’t taste super good.