I know what you’re thinking: Finger painting with your baby? What mom needs that mess in her life? I know it sounds like a lot of unnecessary trouble and mess, but finger painting with your baby is a fun activity that really isn’t as much hassle as you’d think.
I love art, especially painting. I’ve dappled in acrylics and watercolors, and it’s really therapeutic for me. Because I want to pass that love on to Little Man, I decided to try finger painting this week. And let me tell you, it was fun!
Why should you do art with your baby?
Art is an amazing creative outlet for me, but it’s actually beneficial for my baby, too. We all know the importance of reading to our littles and letting them explore the books, touching them and learning colors and shapes. But exposing them to art is different because they actually create something, even if that something is a bunch of squiggles and smudges. As babies grow and develop, they are so curious and open to trying new things.
It helps their fine motor skills
Finger painting with your baby will help her develop her fine motor skills. As she touches the paint and moves it around on the paper, she learns what her hands do and how she can affect the environment (her paper) by moving her fingers through the paint.
It helps their cognitive skills
Art also helps babies develop their little brains. They learn colors and textures from paint and paper, and as they get a little bigger, you can help them draw or paint shapes. Babies are like sponges at this age and soak up so much information from every experience.
It’s fun!
No-brainer. Most kids enjoy getting dirty, and finger painting with your baby is a surefire way to get some smiles, giggles, and squeals. And it’s pretty fun for mom and dad, too!
Prepping for finger painting with your baby
I promised you a post about finger painting with your baby with less mess, so here you go. Before our painting adventure, I cut open some kitchen-sized plastic trash bags and laid them on the floor to catch any spills. They kind of were all over the place, so I just secured them with some masking tape and they stayed put just fine.
I decided to have Little Man sit in his highchair for our fun finger painting project. It kept a little more contained and the tray helped keep the mess in. Just in case things got a little crazy, I taped another plastic bag around the cushions of the chair back. Super easy!
My hubby changed Little Man into a plain white onesie that I was fine with getting ruined if it came to that. It wasn’t ruined, but I wouldn’t chance it with an outfit you’re overly attached to.
Supplies
Since I’m all about not destroying my house while having fun, I knew I definitely needed some water soluble finger paints. Clearly, my acrylics were not an option (plus, they are expensive!). So I did a quick search and found these paints at Walmart for less than $3. They are pretty small, but perfect for what I wanted to do with Little Man. We didn’t use all of them for this one project, so we will definitely have enough for next time.
It’s important to get actual paint paper for finger painting with your baby because it’s heavier than regular printer paper. It holds up with the wet, water-based paints and doesn’t get soggy or tear. I found the pad at Walmart, too, and paid about $4 for twenty sheets. Not bad! I taped down the four corners of the paper onto Little Man’s highchair tray so it wouldn’t move around while he painted.
Finger painting with your baby
Yay! Now all the boring prep work is done and you finally get to let your little one paint! I put a few drops of different colors on Little Man’s paper and let him go crazy.
He loved it! I made sure he had his pacifier so he didn’t try to put the paint from his fingers into his mouth (we’re at that stage where all the things end up there if we aren’t careful).
Remember that little ones don’t have the longest attention span, so don’t be surprised if this project only lasts a few minutes. We played for about fifteen before Little Man got bored. It was also right before nap time, so he was pretty over it by the end.
Clean-up
Y’all, I’m totally not kidding—the clean-up for this project was ridiculously easy! My hubby rinsed that water-based paint off Little Man’s hands (and face), and I threw away the plastic from his highchair and the floor. Then, I wiped down the tray, and voila! Done and done!
Enjoy your baby’s artwork!
And that’s it! Finger painting with your baby is so easy and fun! There are so many benefits to doing this activity with your little one, and it’s really not as messy as you’d think. Little Man had a blast playing with the paints, and I’ll probably get a cheap frame to display his masterpiece.
Try it, mama! I know you and your baby will have a great time and create lots of amazing memories. For more fun stuff, check out Outdoor Activities to Enjoy with Baby.
