Homemade Edible Paint for Kids: Easy 4-Ingredient Recipe

Your Favorite Safe Paint for Babies Who Put Everything in Their Mouths

This edible paint was my go-to back when I ran the infant room at a daycare. As a mom who ran the infant room at a daycare for years, I can tell you that finding safe art activities for babies is challenging. Part of my job was coming up with art activities for the twelve- to eighteen-month-old babies, but when you think about it, there aren’t too many things infants can actually do art-wise, so that was a challenge.

Tiny humans don’t have very good scissor-skills and they aren’t very good at squeezing a bottle of glue, but one thing they are REALLY good at is finger painting. And eating paint. So we did a lot of finger painting. And A LOT of eating paint. 😉

Super gloopy gel paint is totally perfect for little paint-tasters because it’s made with all-food ingredients, but it’s also great for artists who aren’t into eating their mediums because it works great on paper, tabletops, or even the bathtub, and the texture is second to none.

This homemade gel paint recipe is a lifesaver for creative activities with the 12-18-month crowd.

This paint is:

• 100% edible and made with kitchen ingredients
• Wonderfully gloopy with an amazing sensory texture
• Super easy to clean up from skin, clothes, and surfaces
• Perfect for bathtub painting, tabletops, or regular paper

Easy Homemade Edible Paint Recipe for Babies and Toddlers

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons sugar
2. 1/3 cup cornstarch
3. 2 cups water
4. Food coloring (use food-grade coloring if babies might taste it). You can use liquid watercolors if you’re not worried about taste-testing 🙂

Equipment:

• Medium saucepan
• Wooden spoon for stirring
• Small containers for different colors
• Paintbrushes (optional – fingers work great!)

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients: Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water in a medium saucepan
2. Cook the mixture: Heat over medium-high heat, stirring consistently and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.
3. Set up containers: While it’s heating up, set out one container for each color you’d like to make.
4. Watch for transformation: After a few minutes, you’ll see the mixture change from milky liquid to an almost translucent gel with a consistency similar to hair gel. Once it gets to that point, don’t cook it much more, otherwise it will be really hard to paint with. This is your signal to remove it from heat! 
5. Divide and Color: Scoop the gel out of the pan and divide it evenly amongst the containers. Add the food coloring or liquid watercolors and stir them up well.
6. Cool and create: Once cool enough to touch comfortably, your edible finger paint is ready for artistic exploration!

 

If you are using this paint on paper, you will probably want to use a ton of food coloring or liquid watercolors.

 

I always quit adding color when it looks bright and saturated, but when it dries it never ends up very vibrant.

 

If you use more than you think you need and apply the paint super liberally, you’ll probably have a brighter end result.

 

 

Another great thing about this paint is that cleaning it up on any surface, or even skin, is a breeze with just a little soap and water. In my experience, it’s never stained a shirt or tiny hand.

 

 

One last tip: you’ve gotta use this gel paint the day you make it because it does NOT store well.

 

It all turns into a hard gunk chunk which I guess would still be pretty rad for sensory play, but paint-wise, not so great.

 

 

There you have it! Happy squishing…and tasting! 😉

 

Pro Tips for the Best Homemade Baby Paint

For vibrant colors on paper: Use more food coloring than you think necessary! The paint looks vibrant when wet but dries lighter.

For mess-free play: Try this on a shower curtain liner spread on the floor (as mentioned in my messy play shower curtain art project), or even in the bathtub for easy cleanup!

For sensory development: Talk about how the paint feels (“squishy,” “smooth,” “cool”) to enhance the sensory experience and build vocabulary.

For cleanup: Everything rinses away easily with soap and water. In all my years using this with babies, it has never stained skin or clothing!

Important note: This paint doesn’t store well and should be used the same day you make it. By the next day, it turns into a hard chunk.

Why Homemade Edible Paint is Perfect for Baby’s First Art Experience

When babies explore art materials, they develop fine motor skills, sensory processing abilities, and creative expression. This edible paint recipe creates an opportunity for babies and toddlers to:

• Experience different textures
• Practice finger and hand movements
• Make cause-and-effect connections (“When I move my hand, the color moves too!”)
• Explore colors and mixing
• Express themselves creatively without restrictions

This taste-safe paint removes stress from what can be a joyful art-making experience. You can relax and enjoy watching your baby or toddler, without constantly saying “No, don’t eat that!”

More DIY Baby-Safe Recipes for Tiny Artists

Looking for more safe paint options for your baby or toddler? Try these other tested and approved recipes: