Crafternoons: Greek Yogurt Edible Finger Paints

Lillian has long been my arts & crafts buddy. We often peruse Pinterest together for ideas, then go tearing through the house in search of pipe cleaners and glitter glue. Recently however, our crafternoons have undergone a shift in dynamics: Max.

At nearly eleven months old, Max is into everything. I can barely keep track of him as he crawls and cruises around the house. He loves opening and closing doors, pressing buttons and figuring out the mechanics of things. He is no longer content to sit quietly in a jumpy seat while Lillian and I have all the crafty fun.

Well, maybe “crafty” isn’t the right word anymore. While, we’ve joyfully welcomed him into our fun, it has required some adjustment. We’ve been celebrating his sense of wonder with sensory play activities. Lots of messiness and discovering. I enjoyed this phase with Lilly a couple years ago, when we whittled the winter away with homemade play dough and colored puff balls. This time around, its even more fun since I watch the kids interact. They regularly delight one another and themselves. Today, for example, towards the end of our finger painting adventure, Lilly decided painting her brother’s face was far more interesting than the paper. He sat patiently as she smeared his cheeks with green and blue, laughing hysterically all the time.

The “paints” are a simple mix of plain Greek yogurt (I’m sure regular yogurt would work just as well), food coloring and a bit of water. This certainly won’t make for lasting artwork, but the kids sure enjoyed smearing and squishing it. And I had absolutely no concerns when it ended up in mouths (and hair and ears).

1/2 cup plain Greek or regular yogurt

4 shades of food coloring

water

Divide yogurt between four small plastic cups or bowls. Add a few drops of food coloring to each cup and stir until the color is blended. Add a small amount of water to each color to adjust the consistency of the paint as needed.