Mess-Free Finger Painting

I found this project on Pinterest and it has been a big hit with my kiddos! I love it because there are no hands, tables, faces, floors, or hair to wash afterwards. It truly is mess-free!

This project is fun for all kiddos, but it also has a great benefit for those who deal with sensory issues. If the feeling of finger paint doesn't appeal to your kiddo, this is a fantastic project to try with them! They don't get messy or sticky hands, but can "squish" the paint around the bag without the sensory overload the paint may cause some kiddos. It could be the first step to getting them to touch paint again (or for the first time) by gently easing them into it.

Kids can "draw" pictures, practice writing numbers, letters, and shapes. You can teach about primary and secondary colors- mixing colors to make others. Older kids could play "tic tac toe" or "hang man". The possibilities are endless and there are ideas for all age groups with this. Awesome benefits from this very simple idea!

Instructions for Mess-Free Painting

Fill a 1 gallon ziplock bag with washable finger paint. You could use tempera paint too, but I use the washable paint in case one of the kiddos tears a hole in the bag and gets some on their clothes. A few squirts of each color will work just fine. Use as few or as many colors as you wish! 

Lay a white piece of paper on the table (I use scratch paper- helpin' the planet by re-using!), then lay the bag of paint on top of the paper. 

Tape the bag to your table with painter's tape. Painter's tape is the safest for your table, but I'm sure masking tape would work just as well. I'd stay away from packing tape or duct tape. Scotch tape doesn't hold these very well- I've tried when I ran out of painter's tape. 

That's it! Let the kids explore and create!