Painting intimidates me. I should rephrase that. Letting toddlers paint intimidates me.
I keep imagining paint drops splattering all over my beige furniture, my clean white shirt, the ceilings…
I’m feeling kind of panicky just thinking about it!
Of course, I’ve figured out a few tricks for minimizing the mess and gotten over my anxiety about toddlers painting, thanks to washable paint and sleeved art smocks.
But still, if I can do an easy clean-up or totally mess-free option, I’d much rather do that.
I get that you need to keep your kids busy because you feel stressed about all the stuff you need to get done today. That’s why my mission is to…
1. Find fun, quality kids’ activities and show you step by step how to do them.
2. Save you time and energy by using supplies from around the house or show you where to easily get them.
3. Inspire you to be creative and play with your kids in new and exciting ways.
Homemade Foamy Bath Paint
This paint recipe hits all the right notes.
- easy clean-up
- super-sensory experience
- pretty colors
- homemade
I set this up for after naptime as a surprise for my three-year-old.
Here’s what I did.
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Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!
Making Homemade Foamy Bath Paint
I used the following supplies to make my foamy bath paint:
- shaving cream (gel is OK)
- food coloring
- muffin tin
Simply put a little shaving cream in each muffin tin cup. Add a few drops of food coloring, and stir.
Toddlers can help with this step too, but keep in mind that food coloring does stain.
I used gel shaving cream (because it smells so amazing) and it all turned out fine as you can see below. So no need to get Barbasol just for this paint recipe.
See how luscious and dreamy this foamy bath paint is?
It’s absolutely irresistible. Before I let my toddler destroy play with it, I did a little fingerpainting, too. I’m telling you, you will LOVE this paint!
What to do with Homemade Foamy Bath Paint
Now that you have a muffin tin of beautiful foamy bath paint, here’s all the ways to use it.
Paint on paper
Go the classic art route and set your paint out with a paintbrush and let your toddler just go for it.
I’d recommend using heavy watercolor paper as thin computer paper will fall apart much too quickly.
Once you’re done painting, dab the excess shaving cream off with a towel and let the paper dry.
Paint on a baking sheet
We have a full-size rimmed baking sheet that’s perfect for this.
Why do I have it? Let’s just say a well-meaning friend bought it for me thinking full-size would fit in a standard oven. Guess what. It doesn’t. 🙁
But a full-size baking sheet has come in handy for lots of our messy activities. It’s huge, so there’s tons of space to work on and the rim keeps spilled liquids and dribbles from getting on my floor.
Paint in the bathtub
Of course, the ultimate easy-clean option is to paint in the bathtub.
Paint in a dry bathtub and spray everything (and everyone) down when you’re done, or paint on the walls if they’re tiled or otherwise waterproofed.
Your Turn to Make Foamy Bath Paint
How will you paint with your foamy bath paint?
Foamy Bath Paint
Supplies
- shaving cream (gel is OK)
- food coloring
- muffin tin
Instructions
- Add a dollop of shaving cream to each cup of the muffin tin.
- Add a few drops of food coloring to each cup of shaving cream and stir well.
- Paint on heavy watercolor paper, on a baking sheet, or in the tub.
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!
Want More Painting Activities?
Check out these painting activities and get out there and play!