Baby Taste-Safe Sensory Paint

Homemade baby edible paint and taste-safe sensory bin ideas to explore textures and trigger multi-sensorial stimulation with mouthing children. [FREE Color Mixing Primary and Secondary Colors Watercolor PDF – Direct Download.]

Homemade baby taste-safe sensory finger paint is a fun and easy way to explore sensory art with little ones who are still investigating their world, mainly through the mouth. Oral sensory seeking behavior, or mouthing items, is a typical way for babies and infants who use sucking to explore the world and help self-soothe.

So, it is crucial that we know the exact ingredients of what might end up in little people’s mouths. Thus, making sensory paint at home, and preferable having it taste horrible, will allow for safer multi-sensorial exploration. Additionally, see the recipes below and substitute ways to make an edible sensory bin for exploring textures and colors. Most importantly, with this recipe, you can have a ‘slimy’ sensory bin or taste-safe paint. And the best part is that it does not taste good, so your little one will not be inclined to eat it.

What are the Benefits of Multi-Sensorial Stimulation

The benefits of multi-sensorial stimulation, as recent research indicates, is that combining the sense of touch with other senses, such as vision, hearing, smell, and/or taste, helps build cognitive skills. In fact, pediatricians advocate for simultaneous multi-sensorial stimulation. The nervous system is multisensorial right from its early developmental stage when a toddler, for example, uses a sense of touch to explore the texture of food. Or when a baby smells and tastes to identify food while using the vestibular sense to sit upright at a weaning chair during food offerings.

In fact, learning through sensory play happens all the time! Besides advancing fine motor skills, children also develop language, social interaction, and reasoning skills as they strengthen neurological pathways within the developing brain. Sensory play also helps build new synapses between neurons, leading to lasting memory and brain agility. Thus, homemade edible sensory bins or taste-safe paints offer little people a safe opportunity to explore the world and stimulate the senses!

Baby Taste-Safe Sensory Paint

Supplies

Here is a list of supplies you will need to make taste-safe paint:

1. *Tapioca Pearls
2. cornstarch
3. water
4. food coloring
5. containers (I am using 4 oz plastic mason jars)

*I used small Premium Grade, $18 for 5 lb, or find a similar, but more expensive $19 for 3 lb here.

Please note, since you are cooking the mixture, this paint is taste-safe!

Video Tutorial

Instructions

Below are the instructions to make taste of paint for each color batch:

1. boil 2 cups of water
2. add 1/8 cup of tapioca pearls
3. add food coloring
4. cook for 20-30 min
5. once cooled down, add 1/2 cup of cornstarch
6. mix well
7. let cool

*Depending on how much water evaporated while you were boiling it, you might need to add a little more water.

Also, with toddlers, offer a paintbrush and cardboard (or tape the paper to the table) and let the child explore textures while expressing creativity! The idea with taste-safe paint is to offer children an opportunity to hold a paintbrush and lay paint on paper. Start with primary colors and model mixing them to make secondary colors. Have a towel or a sponge nearby to wipe the mess.

Store in the refrigerator for about three months. Before using, observe for any mold or putrid odor. Discard if in doubt.

Tapioca Pearls

• Naturally, gluten-free – Tapioca pearls are made from starch extracted from the cassava root, which is a naturally gluten-free ingredient. This makes it a perfect fit for a variety of alternative diets.
• One all-natural ingredient – Tapioca pearls only have one ingredient: Tapioca. This makes it so that you can be confident that there are no preservatives/additives or extra ingredients you don’t want to end up in your child’s mouth.
• Thickening Agent – As a naturally gluten-free thickening agent, tapioca pearls can be used to make puddings, pies and jellies.
• Dishes – Tapioca pearls can be used in all types of desserts, popsicles, sweet drinks, dumplings, in savory dishes such as vegetable or cream-based soups… the possibilities only end with your imagination!

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AGE 6 months +⚠️ Always supervise your child! Will stain hands!

Other Homemade EDIBLE Sensory Play Ideas

• mix yogurt with food coloring (the more coloring you add, the more intense the color will be likely to stain hands)
• mix baby cereal with food coloring
• bake flour on low 80-100 C (300 F) for 15 min ~ add warm water and food coloring (ratio 2 : 3, thus 2 spoons or cups of flour to 3 of water) and mix everything
• cornflower and water ~ cook a little while whisking until you reach the desired consistency
• flour, water, salt, food coloring ~ ratio: 2 – 2 – 1. So, 1/4 cup flour + 1/4 cup water + 1/8 of salt. Mix dry ingredients first (flour and salt). Add a drop of food coloring to HOT water and pour it into the flour and salt mixture. Mix well until smooth. This is a kind of “watery play dough” recipe.

Raw flour or cornstarch may contain e-Coli and, therefore, must be baked to be taste-safe.

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How to Discourage Eating Sensory Filler

Despite this paint or slime being taste-safe, you want to discourage little ones from eating it!

We want to deter little ones from eating anything that is not food! Good habits will ensure safe play! So, if they put it into their mouth, calmly say, “No, not for eating. Not in your mouth.” or “Do not put it in your mouth. This is not food.” Or stick a tongue out and make a yucky /disgusted face. Most importantly, model appropriate ways to play. If the behavior persists, remove it and introduce it later.

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Color Mixing Primary and Secondary Colors

This sensory play is also a fun color-mixing experiment.

Mix blue + yellow to make gree.

Mix blue+ red + (optional pink) to make purple.

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WHy Sensory Play Is Important

• to stimulate the SENSES ~ when multiple sensory stimuli are being triggered, they spur the development of new synapses within a developing brain
• to promote cognitive growth
• to strengthen fine motor control
• to spur creative play
• to promote language development
• to increase focus and attention

Have you tried making Baby Taste-Safe Sensory Paint? Leave a comment if you did.

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♡ Enriching the Mind one Heart at a time ♡