We have had an exciting morning making and playing with pavement paint today. These are non-toxic and edible paints, although they won’t taste very nice (Buddy didn’t learn that very quickly and insisted on tasting all the colours….)

How to make it

This is the same recipe I used in my previous edible baby paint blog post

Edible baby safe paint

However to make this one more suitable for sponge painting I didn’t heat the mixture which kept it nice and runny. The cornflour will settle after a while so you may need to stir it every so often.

I decided we would paint with sponges because Buddy is always trying to eat his sponge in the bath and he loves the texture. To make the sponge dippers I used an ice lolly mold and two large kitchen sponges.

Use a bread knife to cut off the scouring side. I saved the scouring pad for future use.

I cut the sponges into squares and pierced them with a kebab skewer to make it easier to fit them on the lolly sticks.

Fit the sponges on the lolly sticks from the molds.

Decant the finger paint into each of the lolly molds (about two thirds of the way full) and add a few drops of food colouring to each compartment and your paint is ready to use!

Playing with it

This paint is perfect for either paper or concrete. It will wash away with just water. We have never experienced any staining, but for safety’s sake don’t use it on your cream carpet/wedding dress/birth certificate…. It’s just not worth the risk.

 

Buddy demolished his first sponge within seconds.

 

 

He kept the yellow one intact and decided to go in for a taste.

 

 

Orange was next. Buddy had fun painting his legs and feet before tasting the orange paint. It didn’t taste any better….

 

 

Buddy had fun painting himself orange, pink and green, demolishing sponges as he went!

 

 

Unfortunately, I then looked away for a second….

 

 

After a quick bite to eat, al fresco, it was time for our usual post messy play outdoor bath!

 

Entertainment Value
We were playing outdoors for well over an hour and a half (including eating!) Buddy had a great time and was absolutely exhausted by the end of it. Remember to reapply sunscreen if you are out for as long as we were!

Build on it
Older kids could have so much fun with this paint. Hopscotch, noughts and crosses or graffiti are all options and it can be cleaned up with just a hose and broom. Or, if you have a clean up bath outside like Buddy does then just tip it out over the paint. I also throw the sponges and paintbrushes into the paddling pool to soak after Buddy gets out which pretty much takes care of any clean up operation!

I Hope you enjoyed this post. Now go and have some fun and let me know if your little mess maker enjoyed it!