Yogurt Paint: Toddler Tested, Mom Approved

I'm proud to say that so far I'm making good on my goal to do at least one fun toddler pin each month!
This month I chose another activity from Fun At Home with Kids. This blog is a great resource for relatively simple, low-cost, sensory activities and art projects for babies and toddlers. In my last Toddler Fun post, I tried out her Contact Paper Window Art, and this time I decided to try a variation on Scented Homemade Edible Finger Paint.
Asia's scented paint was made with Kool-Aid and plain yogurt. I didn't have any Kool-Aid, and I didn't want the scent to encourage Kiddo to eat the paint, so I went with food coloring instead.
 

For my version of Yogurt Paint you will need:

• 6 ounces Plain Yogurt
• Food Coloring
• 3 or more small containers

I divided the yogurt into 3 condiment cups and used about 3 drops of food coloring per container. After stirring the food coloring into the yogurt, we were all set to paint! To manage the mess, I put everything we needed in a basket, grabbed a few old towels, and we headed outside.

Since we were dealing with food coloring (which might stain), I stripped Kiddo down to his diaper and Crocs. Once we got outside, I laid a few sheets of paper on the patio, opened the paint, and gave him a brush. He immediately knew to dip his brush into the paint and spread it on the paper.

Kiddo painted for a little while, and then he decided to pour all the colors together. They created some cool psychedelic patterns in the container as he continued to paint. Before long, he was more interested in playing with the paint than actually painting. At one point he stepped on a sheet, which added an interesting texture to his art. Finally, he decided to dump all the paint out on the patio and swirl it around before covering his hands and legs. He had a great time!

When we were finished, I wiped Kiddo down with a damp towel, put his clothes back on, and let him play on the swing set while I rinsed off the patio.  As we finished, I was surprised to notice that a few yellow jackets were attracted to the yogurt even though it wasn't sweetened. We'll have to watch out for them the next time we paint outside.
The final product from our art project wasn't exactly beautiful. Once it dried, the painting was pretty pale and a bit muddy-looking from mixing the colors. I'm totally okay with that, though, because this art project was more about the experience than the final product. Next time we'll definitely add more food coloring to the yogurt to make a more vibrant paint.

Notice the shoe prints on the page to the left :)

As I mentioned above, I would definitely recommend making these paints for a small child. Kiddo never tried to eat the paint, but knowing that the paint was completely edible made the experience much more relaxed and fun for both of us.
What fun, crafty Pins have you tried lately?