One of my good blogging buddies, Jen from Plain Vanilla Mom, is guest posting here today. She has one of my all time favorite blogs, and she takes the most amazing pictures! I am so lucky that she has decided to post here today. I hope you find some inspiration and a wonderful new blog to follow.
Hi, I’m Jen from plainvanillamom.com. I am so excited to be here doing a guest post for Dirt and Boogers! Amanda’s blog is among my favorites and I find it to be so inspiring when it comes to looking for ways to play with my little guy. I love all the sensory play she does with J and I can’t wait until my munchkin man is old enough to try out some of her ideas. In the meantime, what I have learned from her is that all kids need to make a mess…regardless of their age. So I have tried to get creative with the way we play with the babes. Here’s a peak at the most recent mess Amanda inspired me to make with my 7 month old.
I really thought it would be fun to let Mr. C loose on some finger paints. I figured for sure they would end up in his mouth though so I needed something that would be safe. I eventually found this recipe for edible fingerprints over at Hands on As We Grow. I can’t imagine it tastes all that good, but there’s nothing in it that would harm the little one if swallowed so I decided to give it a go. It was super easy to make. I have never used homemade finger paint before so I really didn’t know what to expect, but it was fantastic dried nice, and stayed colorful.
Recipe :
1/2 c cornstarch
2 3/4 c cold water
mix together in a saucepan until there are no lumps.
Mix 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin and 1/4 c cold water together and set aside.
Next cook the cornstarch mixture over med heat, stirring constantly until it boils. It will become thick as it cooks.
Cool and then pour into smaller containers and add food coloring as you wish!
Side Note: I was a little nervous about the blue paint because I got some on my hands while mixing it and my fingers stayed blue for a few washings. However I was committed the making this mess so decided to give it to him anyway, fully expecting I will have to explain my baby’s blue hands for a day or two!
I sat the little guy down, handed him the paint, a couple of sponge brushes (just to see what he’d do with them) and a canvas. I had some canvas left over from a St. Patrick’s Day project so I thought it might be fun to see if he could manage to get the paint onto the canvas and then I would have his first piece of artwork to hang in his room. If you have never had your kids do their artwork on canvas I highly recommend it. It looks so cool for hanging in a playroom or bedroom, plus it makes the kiddos proud to see their art displayed that way.
Here’s how it all went down!
The first thing he did was grab the brush and snuggle with it. He must have like how soft it was! Then he grabbed the container of (yup!) the blue paint! getting a fistful and immediately trying to wipe it off on his leg. So far we’ve got a VERY blue hand and a blue leg and we have yet to hit the canvas.
Then he drops the paint and we get the “What the heck was that!” look…
Now I’m thinking that paint is never getting on that canvas so I figure I’ll help him out just a little bit, by putting a few dollops of paint on the canvas and then handing it to him.
Now we are getting closer…..
There’s a little smirk 🙂
Big brother decides this looks like fun and asks me if I have another canvas. Apparently this is a really great activity for 7 year olds too! I think it may have something to do with the idea of painting on canvas 😉
The little guy is really taken with his brother’s painting.
I think he may have enjoyed watching him paint more than he enjoyed doing the painting himself.
I’m really glad we did this! It was a great activity for the 7 month old as well as the 7 year old as I’m sure it would be for everyone in between!
Many thanks to Amanda for having us and for inspiring this mess. Now if you’ll excuse me… it’s time to clean up!
PS. The blue paint came off with just a little bit of scrubbing in the sink.
Need some more play ideas for your baby? Here’s a whole book of them. Click the picture to find out more!
Love this! I, too, have a 7 mo old…but he doesn’t eat solids yet! 🙂 Will have to try this once we start. Love that you have a sink large enough to wash him in!!! Looks like tons of fun!
We have lots of fun in that sink!
Aww, I remember when my guy used to fit in the sink.
🙂
Brave mom, Jen! I love that you “let loose” and allowed messy play. Amanda has talked about your blog, so I’m excited to see your little guys. Thanks for helping out while she’s been in re-lo mode.
Aw, thanks Sally 🙂 Amanda has been a total inspiration to me! More than happy to help her out whenever I can!
This looks like too much fun! I love the smirk! 🙂 It looks like enjoyed himself.
It was fun! I can’t wait to try it again actually 🙂
Hi! I did this with my daughter and she loved it! Just wondering though, is there a way to preserve the canvas she painted? Thanks!
Hi There 🙂 So glad your daughter liked the activity! To be honest I’ve never done anything special when we’ve worked with canvas. I just left the canvas as is untreated and now (months later) it’s still in great shape. Beyond that I’m not sure what you could do to preserve it. Maybe some kind of clear coat spray? Perhaps ask at the craft store.
eek… sorry – I don’t see where you combine the cornstarch and gelatin mix… we’re looking forward to trying this today and I have a limited supply of unflavored gelatin! thank you! what a GREAT idea;) I can’t wait!