Are you looking for a fun activity for your child to do at home? Jen ten Wolde shares her recipe for Edible Finger Paint, an easy ‘Learn through Play‘ activity that will brighten up bath time!
This is a quick and easy recipe for Edible Finger Paint that I have tried out with my youngest daughter. She loved it and spent ages mixing the colours and ‘painting’ in the bath. And the best part about it was that it just washed away when bath time was over, leaving the tub as clean as she was!
You will need:
- 4 Tablespoons of corn flour
- A small amount of cold water
- 1 Cup of warm water
- Food colouring

Method
Mix a small amount of cold water with the cornflour into a pan to create a smooth paste. Then stir in one cup of warm water until it is smooth. Bring to the boil whilst constantly stirring. This goes quite fast, so be careful. The paste should thicken up into a ‘gloopy’ consistency. Take off the heat and divide it into three pots. Add red, yellow or blue food colouring to each jar. Once mixed and cooled, the Edible Finger Paint is ready to go! I really recommend you let your child play with this in the bath or shower for the ultimate mess-free experience. It will work on paper or even in a clear plastic bag.
Let your child explore with the Edible Finger Paint, mixing colours and making wonderful marks. It is a calming and thoroughly absorbing activity that will help develop your child’s creativity, fine motor muscles, hand-eye coordination and control, concentration, language development and scientific curiosity.

Jen ten Wolde
Jen is the Foundation Stage 2 Year Leader at Junior School Vlaskamp. She has been teaching for 25 years and is passionate about supporting children and their families in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).