Babies at this stage are very visual learners. They want to get their hands (and legs) on anything new. Baby Jerry is no different. He loves to play and explore anything that triggers his inquisitive brain. This currently looks like creating his own music with pots and pans or smashing towers made out of any and all objects.
I wanted to create some fun activities for him that he will both enjoy and is great for developing his big and small muscles of his growing fingers, arms, and legs. Finger-painting can be such fun activity for babies to explore, learn and have a blast, all at the same time. You can even add this to your little’s tummy time routine, as the activity can keep them occupied and happy in that position for a while.
When Jerry started to show signs that he is interested in colors or anything that stands apart from the background, I looked up some activities that we could incorporate in his day. I will list some of the painting activities we did together. I will also make note of possible ‘mess-free’ alternatives that you could try. These can be a life-saver for any mom who would prefer not giving her baby a bath more than once a day!
Some tips to prepare:
Any paint you use on the baby should be non-toxic by mouth and non-irritating to the skin. We used Crayola Stage 1 fingerpaint kit for baby Jerry. I even found a lot of recipes for edible paint. This looks like a pretty fun idea to do with the baby.
If warm enough, it is best if the baby has minimal clothing as this will become pretty messy very fast. Keep a jar of water to wash the baby’s hand now and then, so he can explore the colors better.
Good old messy finger-painting
This is always a hit at our house. Jerry likes to get messy, so this is a go-to activity when he(or me) needs cheering up. Dilute some primary colors and place next to the baby. I also bought some large chart papers, so he can get messy indoors, without necessarily making the whole room messy. I just let him have fun until he gets bored. He normally stays satisfied for about 20-30 mins!
Mess free color explosion
If you need a mess-free option, but still want to see your baby go wild with the colors, this is a very good alternative. You just need a Ziploc bag for this activity in addition to the paints and the chart paper.
Cut the chart paper into a size that fits the Ziploc bag you chose. Place random dots of different colors on the chart paper. Insert the chart paper into the Ziploc bag. Give the Ziploc bag with the chart paper to the baby and watch him smudge the colors together to create a masterpiece!!
Art keepsake for birthday
We were looking for ideas for keepsakes when Jerry was about to turn 1, and this one was perfect. It just has one additional step to the previous Ziploc idea.
Cut the chart paper into a size that fits the Ziploc bag. Paste strips of cellophane tape on the chart paper to create the number ‘1’. Place random dots of different colors on the chart paper. Insert the chart paper into the Ziploc bag. Give, the Ziploc bag to the baby and let him go to town squishing the bag and mixing the colors.
After the colors dry, remove the cellophane strips and marvel at how smart your baby is to create such an innovative art piece!
Finger family keepsake
If you are looking for a very emotional keepsake that makes you want to treasure those stubby little hands forever, this one’s for you.
You take a palm print (right/left) from each member of the family, starting from the ones with largest to the tiniest hands. Try to choose complementary colors, so the prints are clearly visible. This one was so cute to see how tiny his little paw was compared to us. It might be so fun if you are trying this activity with a big family.
Butterfly finger/toe art
You can do this activity with either your little’s chubby hands or feet. Honestly, I first tried it with the hands, but I could not get my baby’s hand to be still for the activity. So, I worked around that by using his foot for the prints, while he was eating and happy.
It is really simple. Let your little enjoy his food, while you color his legs with different colors. Get his prints on a chart paper, leaving enough width for you to finish up the butterfly’s body and antennas later. I even cleaned his feet when he was in the chair. Good thing he is easily distracted by food!
Bathtub finger painting
All you need for this is some bathtub finger paint soap. Most babies love taking baths. My kid runs to the bathroom every time someone runs the bath. So this activity was a hit at our house.
I first squirted a few colors of the paint soap in the tub and put some of his toys in there as well. Then, I let him sit in there with just a diaper. It took just a second for him to see all the colors and he crawled all over the tub playing with the toys and mixing the colors. He seemed to have such a blast.
In the end (he was playing for some 15-20 mins), I just removed his diaper and filled the tub. It was so easy to clean him up after
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