Yes! You read it right! Painting with absolutely no mess for toddlers and babies as well! You can introduce this as early as your kid start rolling onto their tummy and begin exploring things with their tiny fingers. No mess finger painting activity is not bound to kids, but something that the grown-ups can also enjoy. Play with the paint dots, and enjoy it flowing and turning into a lovely artwork. Art therapy is excellent for stress relief.

Parents and kids will equally love no mess finger painting activity because it’s:

• mess-free
• easy to set up with minimum materials
• produces minimal waste
• promotes fine motor skills
• fun ensured
• the result can totally pass for beautiful home decor

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Materials required:

Paper or Canvas

It requires good quality thick paper to withhold the paint. Cardstock paper, watercolor paper or mixed media paper would be a great choice and works great if you have plans to frame the art. Canvas is the best option if you want to add additional details to the artwork (Check notes at the end). 

Ziploc Bags

Plastic ziploc bags are easy to wash and reuse, which makes them a better option. But, in case you are using a canvas for painting, the plastic food wrap would be a better option. I prefer using a food wrap because it’s BPA free.

Washable Paint

Washable paints are preferred as we can wash and reuse the ziploc later. There is minimal chance of paint leakage, but I would suggest a kid-friendly, non-toxic paint to dodge any unexpected troubles.

Adhesive tape

Tape is required to stick the ziploc onto a flat surface.

Steps for no mess finger painting:

Step 1
Take the paper and fold or cut it into an appropriate size to fit the ziploc you use.

Step 2
Apply tiny blobs of paint on the paper. You can use the colors of your choice. I would suggest using colors that complement each other for a better result.

Step 3
Carefully insert the paper into the ziploc and close it tightly. Make sure there are no gaps to prevent leakages.

Step 4
This step is optional. But, if your toddler is old enough to know how to open a ziploc bag, this is a must-do. Tape the bag carefully on to a table or floor, wherever you are planning to do the activity.

Time for fun!

Let your child enjoy smushing the paint around. Once done, carefully take the paper out and let it dry. That’s it. 

Note: 

If you are using canvas instead of paper, apply paint drops on it and carefully wrap a plastic food wrapper around it. You can tape the wrapper at the back to ensure that it doesn’t come off.

Ideas To Make It More Interesting:

Masking Tape painting

You can do this using a removable sticker in any shape, or by creating a random criss-cross pattern using masking tape. Stick it on the plain paper or canvas. Now, follow the same steps for the activity. Once the paint has dried, carefully remove the sticker to reveal the masterpiece.

Hand Lettering

Once the paint has dried, you can hand-letter a beautiful quote, or keep it simple with your kid’s initials.

Eric Carle inspired art

I am sure you must have stumbled upon at least one of Eric Carle’s children’s book, and it’s beautiful illustrations. You can cut these paintings and create similar collage art. It would be a fabulous idea for a bookish play.

No mess smush painting is one of the activities my son enjoys a lot. Being someone who personally loves art, this makes me so happy. I hope your little one also enjoys it. Do let me know your feedback in the comment section. Thank you!