Homemade paints are easy to make and provide new opportunities for toddlers and preschoolers to explore and create.  This roundup gives you easy recipes, with options for using your new paints in awesome painting activities.

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Engage kids creative skills with homemade paints. No extra expense and no trips to the store for paint!

Ingredients can be found in your craft supplies (chalk, for example), or in the kitchen (flour, for example).

Part of the fun is making the paints together - mixing ingredients and experimenting with textures and consistencies. 

The activities in this roundup will give you some unexpected options for painting with preschoolers and toddlers.

We've included paints for indoors, paints for outdoors, and even ones you can safely taste.

Even if you have plenty of paint on hand, the processes for making paints are valuable play and learniing experiences!

Related: Tips for easy setup and cleanup of kids painting activities

Homemade paints for kids activities

1. Paints for indoors

Add the sense of smell to the art experience with Scented paint / Fantastic Fun and Learning

Shaving cream paint inspires awesome process art. / Happiness is Homemade

Try something different with Microwave puffy paint  / Happiness is Homemade

This skin friendly Body paint is fun for your little artist. / Pink Stripey Socks

Enjoy hands-on with this Finger paint / A Little Crunchy

Get totally involved in art with Bath paint / Messy Little Monster

2. Paints for outdoors

Explore different colors of Watercolor paint / Kori at Home

Add bubble wands to an outdoor art activity so kids can Paint with bubbles / Chic 'n Savvy

Make Sidewalk chalk paint to use up chalk ends. / Happiness is Homemade

Combine science and art with Fizzy flour paint / Simple Fun for Kids

Recycled chalk paint is a fun option for outdoor art. / Rhythms of Play

Paint and play with Sidewalk chalk paint / jDaniel 4's Mom

3. Taste-safe paints

Little ones can taste this Toddler approved edible paint / The Natural Homeschool 

Use an item from the kitchen for this Toddler art with flour paint activity. / Simple Fun For Kids

Get hands and fingers into the painting activity with this Taste safe finger paint / Rainy Day Mum

Make colorful Peeps Puffy Paint for a tasty painting activity. / Messy Little Monster

Provide a breakfast painting theme with a Painted Firework Toast activity. / Messy Little Monster

A kitchen ingredient is used to make Corn syrup paint / Pink Stripey Socks

Have fun Finger painting with blackberries in this unique process art activity. / Kori at Home

Painting activities are fun - and easy! - with homemade paints. 

Use homemade paints to add something different to your preschool paint activities.  

Painting Activities on Pinterest