My kids love playing with bath paints. They’ll sit in the tubby as long as I let them and paint all over the walls and the bathtub and have a great time. But the paints run out quickly, and they’re kinda pricey…so now we make our own.
The paints only take 4 ingredients (and one is water, so that doesn’t really count). They’re simple to make up, and the kids could play for hours if I let them.
The key to getting the right consistency for your paints is how much water you add — start out by adding one tablespoon, and then if your paint is still too thick, continue to add more, little by little.
Also, one word of warning…I poked around on the internet, and while most people had the same experience we did — the paints washed quickly and easily off both their kids and their tub, a few people did have to scrub. Make sure you use liquid food coloring, rather than gel colors which stain much more.
If you have a super-expensive fancy tub, you may want to test your bath paint in a small area where no one can see it first. I’m not too worried about my tub — honestly, a few rainbow stains would probably distract from the ring that goes around it right now. Same with the kids — try a little out on their hands first if you’re worried. But we didn’t have any problems at all and they play with these a lot.
Make Your Own Bath Paints
Ingredients:
- 1 c clear hand soap, or tear-free baby shampoo
- 1/2 c cornstarch
- water
- liquid food coloring
Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine soap and cornstarch and whisk until lumps are gone. Add 1 tsp water and stir. If the mixture is still too thick, continue adding water until you have a consistency you like. Pour some of the soap mixture into several small cups (a muffin pan works great for this part!). Add 2 drops of food coloring to one of the tins and stir. Repeat, using different colors.
Throw everyone in the tub (or in a kiddie pool outside during the summer) and paint away!
This post was written by me and originally published on the BabyCenter blog. It is republished here with permission.
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