3D Foam Paint for Kids!

At my afterschool program this is one of our favorite projects to do… (yes, there is some mess involved, but if I can manage with a room full of ten 4-6 y/os, AFTER they’ve been cooped up in school of 8 hours, you and your home should survive!)

 

 

By the way, this is not only a fun craft, but it is WASHABLE and can be used by children of ALL AGES. I used this paint to add texture to the painting pictured here. It’s great for clouds! For more information on using this recipe for “real paintings”, check out 3D Paint for “Big Kids”.

To create this FOAMTASTIC paint, you will need these items:

Shaving Cream, White School Glue, Foam Brush, Cup or Bowl

STEP ONE: Cover bottom of container with a layer of glue. Note: The original recipe calls for “Half Glue, Half Shaving Cream”. BUT, after you squirt out shaving cream it almost doubles in size, so how would you measure it?? 

STEP TWO: Cover the layer of glue with a layer of shaving cream. That is my way of estimating “half and half”.  Adding MORE or LESS shaving cream won’t ruin anything, it just creates different consistencies and textures.

STEP THREE: Mix it up… and you’re ready to paint! Mixing it up with a popsicle stick or something other than the foam brush you will later paint with, may cut down on some mess.

 Here are some ideas on what you can do with your 3D Foam Paint:

First of all, EATING IT is never a good idea… no matter how appetizing it looks. Make a scenic picture by pressing shapes into the paint before it dries. White foam is great for snow pictures.  You can also create blue ocean scenes or grassy hills by adding tempera or acrylic paint to the shaving cream/glue mixture.

Or, cover a cardboard cut out of a figure with tinted 3D Foam Paint. If you cut back on the shaving cream, or add a little extra paint, it dries to a nice leathery texture… great for painting dinosaur skin onto the cardboard shape of a dinosaur!

The possibilities are ENDLESS!