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Finger painting is such a fun (and messy) activity for baby to be able to practice their fine motor skills while having fun exploring the feelings and textures of the paint on their bare skin.

This recipe is great for babies and toddlers (6 months +) because it is completely made out of food!

That’s right, no food coloring or additives in this recipe. This means that baby is free to paint, eat and play as much as they want without the worry that they will be eating too much food dye or unwanted ingredients.

In less than 3-minutes you can have homemade finger paint for a fun activity with your little one. All you need is some Greek yogurt, a little rice baby cereal, a few jars of brightly colored baby purées and a few sheets of large construction paper (white paper helps the paint colors show up). My favorite purées to use (and the ones that produced the most vivid results) are prune purée, butternut squash purée, carrot purée, green bean purée and apple & blackberry purée. But chances are, that if you have another bright purée at home, that will work just as well.

Now, this paint isn’t the brightest finger paint out there. It is still very pretty and has a softer feel than most paints on the market. If you want to ramp your colors up a little , feel free to add a couple drops of food dye (this natural dye is our favorite) to the mixture and stir until combined.

Activities Using the Finger Paint: Spoon a big dollop of different paint colors on baby’s highchair tray and let them go wild with it on a sheet of paper or on the tray itself (pro tip – have some wet wipes handy!) Go on a walk with baby and pick up a small collection of sticks, flowers and leaves. Put some dollops of paint on a paper plate or small tray and let them use the objects you found to paint on a big piece of construction paper. On the floor, lay down an old sheet (you can also do this outside). On top of the sheet, lay down a big piece of construction paper and put some dollops of paint on one edge or on a separate paper plate. Let baby walk in the paint and then onto paper. You may want to undress baby down to their diaper because it will start with their feet and then end up getting on their entire body. Again, did I mention having wet wipes around is a good idea? For those babies and toddlers that can’t stand to get messy, you can provide them with some paint brushes and let them have fun as well.

Red Finger Paint:

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of prune purée and 1 teaspoon rice cereal baby cereal until well blended.

Yellow Finger Paint:

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 3 teaspoons of butternut squash purée and 1 teaspoon rice baby cereal until well blended.

Orange Finger Paint:

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon carrot purée and 1 teaspoon rice baby cereal until well blended.

Green Finger Paint:

In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt, 4 teaspoons green bean purée and 2 teaspoons rice baby cereal until well blended.

Purple Finger Paint:

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon apple & blackberry purée and 1 teaspoon rice baby cereal until well blended.

Note on yogurt: Greek yogurt provides the best results in these paints because of its natural thickness. I have found that regular yogurt is too runny and harder to paint with.

Paint Storage: Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. You may have to re-stir paint between uses as product may separate.

Artwork Storage: I have found that the best way to preserve your little one’s masterpiece is to let it air dry in a sunny spot until completely dry. I have not had any molding issues with this drying method.