Mini Topic: Paint

Try using some of these recipes to provide the children with a range of sensory experiences when using paint in your setting.

Puff paint

What you need

• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/2 cup of salt
• 1/2 cup of water
• food colouring or poster paint
• squeezy bottles that have been washed out - for example, use squeezy tomato ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise containers

What to do

• Add the food colouring to the water.

• Stir all the ingredients together.

• Pour the mixture into the squeezy bottles.

• Make different colours of puff paint and label the bottles.

• Invite the children to squeeze the mixture on to paper plates or cardboard.

• As an alternative to food colouring, use poster paint.

• When the puff paint dries, it has a raised texture and it sparkles.

Jelly finger paint

What you need

• 1/2 cup of cornflour
• 1 pack of jelly crystals
• 3/4 cup of cold water
• 2 cups of boiling water

What to do

• Mix the cold water with the cornflour to make a paste.

• Slowly add the jelly crystals to the boiling water. Wait until the crystals are completely dissolved.

• Make sure the mixture has cooled before giving it to the children to use.

Textured finger paint

What you need

• 1 cup of flour
• 1/2 cup of salt
• 3/4 cup of water
• food colouring or poster paint

What to do

• Mix the flour and the salt and then add the water.

• Mix until all three ingredients are blended thoroughly.

• Add a few drops of liquid food colouring or poster paint until the desired colour is reached.

• If necessary, you may add extra flour and salt in the following proportions: two teaspoons of flour, followed by one teaspoon of salt until the desired consistency is reached.

Glossy poster paint

What you need

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup of flour
• powdered paint
• washing-up liquid

What to do

• Pour the flour into the saucepan and place on a medium heat.

• Slowly add water. Stir until smooth.

• Leave the pan on the heat and stir constantly until the mixture thickens.

• Divide the mixture equally into four yoghurt pots.

• Add three tablespoons of powdered paint, two tablespoons of water and 1/2 teaspoon of washing-up liquid to each.

Invisible paint

What you need

• 4 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda
• 4 tablespoons of water

What to do

• Mix the water and soda.

• Encourage the children to use cotton buds to paint with the mixture.

• When dry, cover the 'painting' with diluted watercolours to reveal the invisible picture.

Glimmer paint

• Mix 1/2 cup of salt, 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of water and food colouring to create paint that glimmers when it is dry.

Textured paint

• Mix sea salt with poster paint for a thick, sandy paint, which creates interesting textures as it dries.

Milk paint

• Mix 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk with a few drops of food colouring until the desired colour is achieved. This edible paint is perfect for decorating rice paper or plain biscuits with a pastry brush.

Scented paint

• Add jelly crystals to poster paint. Add cherry to red paint; lime to green paint; lemon to yellow paint, and so on.

Fun finger paint

• Mix one cup of washing powder and five tablespoons of poster paint. Add 1/4 cup of water until smooth and creamy.

Colourful finger paint

• Mix 1/2 cup of cornflour and four cups of water in a pan and boil until it thickens to a pudding consistency. When cool, pour into smaller containers such as yoghurt pots and add several drops of food colouring and mix.