Painting – Baby

Babies love painting too!  It is a wonderful way to stimulate their senses.  They can feel the cold, wet slippery paint and begin to recognize that there are differences between colours; even if they don’t know the names.

Did you know?

Painting hands and feet increases your baby’s awareness of their body.

Add language

Name the body parts that match what your baby is doing e.g. “Paint on your hands!”. Your tone of voice and facial expressions will encourage your baby to explore and have fun while they learn.

Other development

The feel of paint on baby’s skin provides a new sensory learning experience. Baby’s learn about their world through their senses. You also get to create beautiful keepsakes of their first hand or footprint.

Variations

Babies love to put things in their mouth. You can try making your own edible paint. You can easily find recipes for this through an internet search.

Large sheets of paper taped down, provide a great space for your baby to get messy and play with paint – from painting with fingertips and hands to all in crawling through the paint! This may be a good outdoor activity.

Small amounts of paint on sponges and having baby wipes or a wet flannel handy can help control the mess when that is needed!

After a painting session is a great time for a calming bath.

Safety

Use non-toxic and washable paint to keep the experience fun and safe.

Activities listed under “baby” are suitable for children under 12months. This age is largely about babies exploring their own bodies and the world around them from the safety of a close relationship with their caregiver.