Art 101. AKA Finger Painting.

Ah, summer time. The birds are singing, the sun is shining, the grass is greener than ever. It's the time of year that we all expect to spend ours outdoors, just enjoying those warm breezes.

Turns out Mother Nature has had a few other ideas in the past week or so. Just about every time my kids and I plan to head out to our local park, the skies grow dark and some form of rain or storm ensues. (Either I have the worst luck ever or really bad timing. Please, nobody clarify this for me.)

So what's a bored family to do when cooped up inside? Finger paint!

Few things are more fun than finger painting. Even the adults like to get in on the action around here. (And by adults, I pretty much mean me.) But we like to get a little more hands on with our fingerpainting. May I present to you DIY Finger Paints.


It's seriously one of the easiest activities ever.



Aaaand it doesn't hurt that all the ingredients are items you can find in your kitchen.




Start by mixing 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/3 cup of cornstarch in a saucepan. Gradually add 2 cups of room temperature water. Stir constantly over low heat until a thick gel forms. Then add 1/4 cup of clear dishwashing liquid and remove from heat.



Once the mixture has cooled enough to handle, divide into containers. This is the fun part. Using food coloring, color each container. I went with very common colors but feel free to go wild here. This is also the stage to mix in any additives. Glitter and scents make for very unique paints.



And the final step... Grab some paper and have fun!






Finger Paints

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup clear dishwashing liquid
• food coloring

Mix sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Gradually stir in water.
Using a whisk, stir constantly over low-med heat for about 10 minutes or until mixture is a thick gel.

Add dish liquid and remove from heat.

Once mixture has cooled, divide into containers and mix in dye.


Finger Paint Recipe #2

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup cornstarch
• food coloring

Bring water to a boil and remove from heat.

Dissolve cornstarch in a little bit of cold water and add to boiling water.

Boil, while stirring constantly, for about 1 minute or until mixture thickens.

Divide, dye and enjoy!