Is it possible for 3 month old children to use gouache? Finger paints: when to start and how to paint with your child? How to choose finger paints

Finger games for children with easy and accessible tips.

The benefits of drawing for children

You can draw even from 6 months of age, you just need to choose the right colors. Children really like this activity and bring great pleasure, because it is by drawing that they give freedom to their imagination, free themselves from negative emotions, develop, learn something new, expand existing boundaries and form their worldview.

Finger paints for kids

Finger paints are great for little ones.

  • They can be given to a baby from about six months of age.
  • Such paints are specially made for little ones and they do not contain harmful and toxic ingredients, they are made using food coloring, because little children put everything in their mouth and taste it.
  • To prevent children from doing this, they usually add salt or another ingredient to the paints, after trying which the child will no longer want to repeat it.
  • Finger paints can be easily washed off any surface, washed off from a child’s skin, and washed off from clothes.


Child development through drawing

The benefits for children from such creativity are enormous: fine motor skills develop, which in turn affects the child’s speech and memory. When painting with finger paints, the child’s nervous system also develops, he learns to sit and walk correctly.

By painting with their fingers, children better perceive colors and see the boundaries of their work. In the process of creativity, you can study colors, shapes, counting, paint animals and various objects that you will introduce your baby to.


Organization of the process of painting with finger paints

The drawing process itself is very exciting, so don’t forget about the precautions:

  • dress your child in clothes that you don't mind getting dirty
  • put on a bib or apron, there are special aprons for creative activities
  • use a large sheet of paper, preferably Whatman paper or a piece of wallpaper, so as not to limit the child
  • if you will draw on the floor, put oilcloth underneath
  • transfer some of the paint you will use to other containers so that the child does not use all the paint at once, which is exactly what he will do if you give him the whole jar; can be transferred into lids or toy dishes
  • prepare wet wipes or a wet cloth


It is better to start drawing when the child is in a good mood, so that he associates drawing only with positive emotions.

How to teach a child to paint with finger paints?

So, you have decided to introduce your child to finger paints. For the first acquaintance you need to know:

  • The child must be well-rested, not hungry, and in a good mood
  • do not give your child several colors at once, limit yourself to one at first so that the child does not get confused
  • the first lessons may last 2-3 minutes, this is normal, let the child get used to the new material
  • if a child has lost interest in work and started throwing paint cans around, it’s time to finish for today
  • At first, the child most likely will not draw, this is natural, he needs to master and understand something new; he will most likely dip his hands in the paint and look at it on his hands, squeeze them, hear the paint squeak, feel the new material for him


How to paint with finger paints? Photo

Dip your child's finger into the paint and put a dot on the piece of paper, then draw a line. You can use cotton swabs and make dots with them. Let your child try to dip a piece of sponge and draw with it. Let him dip his palm and leave its imprint on the paper. In general, use your imagination and create.






You can spend time with finger paints in the bathroom in a very interesting and unusual way. You can either simply draw on the bathtub or tiles, or you can glue whatman paper or wallpaper to the wall above the bathtub and draw on them.

The field of activity for a child is large, but it won’t be difficult to wash it all, and most importantly, the child will not be able to go beyond the boundaries of the bathtub and dirty the whole house. You will see that your child will really like this activity!




For older children, you can color the pictures in a coloring book or print some images yourself, such as mushrooms or leaves, so that they are large and with a small amount of detail. Color them with your fingers or a cotton swab; it’s convenient to color large pictures with a sponge.



Or make a stencil - cut out something simple on cardboard using a stationery knife, attach it to our Whatman paper and apply paint over the stencil with a sponge, and then remove it, you will get an interesting picture. Show it to your child first, and then let him try it himself.

There are also many other interesting ways to paint with finger paints. Here are some examples of how to draw an animal, butterfly or other objects with your fingers and palms. There is nothing complicated here, but what a result!






In this activity, it is important to only show the child how to draw and give him complete freedom. Don’t tell him what he’s doing wrong, just show him everything, and then he’ll figure out how to draw and where. Be sure to praise him - this is very important to him.




How to choose paint for painting and how to work with it: tips

  1. Before purchasing, check the composition of the paint; it is advisable to ask for quality certificates, because... the paint must be safe for your baby. The composition should not contain any harmful substances; only food dyes should be used, because children often taste the paint
  2. Choose colors according to the child’s age, look at what is written on the packaging. Some manufacturers offer such paints from 1 year, some from 2 or 3 years
  3. You shouldn’t buy a kit with a bunch of different colors; at this age, a child needs to learn only the basic ones: red, blue, yellow and green. As a rule, paints are sold in jars of 4 or 6 colors, no more is needed
  4. It would be nice if you painted with the color you are currently learning. This will help your child learn colors easily through play.
  5. For drawing, choose whatman paper or a piece of wallpaper, because an A4 sheet is not enough for a small child, he still does not know how to see boundaries and not go beyond them, so he will decorate everything around you
  6. Take care of how you clean everything up later, because once the child gets the hang of it, he may forget about whatman paper and explore the territory beyond, draw on himself or you. It is best to cover everything with oilcloth and dress in old clothes


How to make finger paints at home yourself: recipe

There are several recipes for finger paints, let's look at one of them, in our opinion the most suitable.

Take:

  • 2 tbsp. white flour
  • 7 tbsp. l. fine salt
  • 1.5 tbsp. ordinary water
  • 1.5 tbsp. l. any vegetable oil, preferably refined (odorless)
  • food coloring in desired color


Mix the flour with salt, slowly add water and stir, otherwise lumps will form that we don’t need at all, you can even beat it with a blender or mixer. Then put in the oil. The consistency should resemble liquid sour cream; adjust the thickness with flour and water. Now you can divide the mixture into jars and add food coloring of different colors.

That's all, the paints are ready. Let your little one draw with them just for fun!

How to order finger paints in the Aliexpress online store?

Video: Let's paint with finger paints! There are no limits to children's imagination! Full version


Every parent understands how important it is to develop creativity in a child. The most accessible way is to interest him in drawing. In the process of creativity, the baby develops imagination, imaginative thinking and taste.

You can arrange a colorful adventure for your little one, and at the same time great pleasure, with the help of drawing. The best option for the first acquaintance is finger paints for hand painting. Moreover, you can even make them yourself.

It is often not easy for young children to learn to draw and color with pencils, so it is better to try drawing with their fingers first, because controlling your fingers is much easier with a pencil or felt-tip pen. In addition, painting with finger paints is very useful for the development of fine motor skills and will prepare the child’s hand for “real” drawing with a brush or pencil.

Painting with finger paints is very entertaining because it makes it possible to mix colors, thereby allowing the child to invent shades himself. By coloring with your fingers, the child will quickly learn to feel the boundaries of the image. This process has a positive effect on children’s mood and behavior, heightens sensations and stimulates actions.

The first experience in drawing will influence the child's future, so parents better prepare for this event. First, let's choose colors. The paints that you buy in the store are ready to use, they do not drip, and are easily washed off. Finger paints: at what age can you draw with your hands?

For example, Nerchau finger paints comply with the European standard EN 71 on toy safety, are marked with the CE mark and therefore can be given to children from the age of three without any doubt. They contain preservatives used in perfumes and the food industry. Finger paints are edible, but contain a harmless bitter substance to discourage children from wanting to eat them. The paints are water-based and can be easily washed off with water. Don't worry if your baby puts his finger in his mouth while drawing - finger paints are non-toxic.

Homemade finger paints

An alternative to store-bought finger paints is homemade ones. In order to make finger paints yourself you will need: 0.5 kg of flour, 5 tablespoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and water (to the consistency of thick sour cream). Mix all this with a mixer, then pour the resulting mass into separate jars, add food coloring (turmeric, beetroot or carrot juice, or use Easter kits for this), mix again until smooth.

For the first experiment, you can also take regular yogurt of different shades, for example strawberry, blueberry, banana. You can paint with these pastel shades even from a year old.

How to paint with finger paints?

Well, let's get started? We dress the child in clothes that we don’t mind getting dirty, take a large sheet of whatman paper (you can take a roll of unnecessary wallpaper), lay it on the floor and off we go. We pour paints into a palette or saucers and begin to draw ourselves, showing the baby our actions.

Let your first drawings be a juicy piece of watermelon with seeds or a bunch of grapes. You can simply leave handprints. Believe me, there is only one drawback in this process - it is a “multi-colored child”, but there are a lot of advantages. You can also draw right in the bathroom, painting the sides, and you can wash your hands right away.

The finger that I dipped in the paint leaves marks on the paper! – the baby experiences bright and creative emotions. The main thing for him now is not the result, but the creative process. When the baby “plays” on his own, having thoroughly enjoyed his “scribbles”, show him new ways of depicting: vertical, horizontal and inclined lines, spiral shapes, circles.

But if a child refuses to draw, does not want to get his fingers dirty, and is in a hurry to wash his hands, this indicates that he is internally constrained, perhaps there are problems in mental development (fears, anxiety) or the parents are too protective of the baby, or, conversely, he lacks affection, communication. In any case, you should pay attention to the child’s attitude towards finger paints.

You may ask, at what age can you start painting with finger paints? Of course, you can draw with your fingers at 3 months with the help of your mother, but as practice shows, the best time is from about 8 months. But many boxes of paints say “from 3 years old.”

By drawing with your toddler, you develop a new personality, because this fascinating process promotes the development of fine motor skills, imagination, creativity, artistic abilities, and develops a sense of color, size and shape. Don't miss this exciting activity!

You can use finger paints not only on paper, but also on cardboard and glass. They do not drip, do not form blots, are easily washed off glass and hands, and can be easily washed from clothes. By the way, finger painting helps develop fine motor skills.

For kids who are just beginning to explore the world with its bright and colorful colors, but do not yet know how to use pencils and brushes, the most necessary thing is children's paints for hand painting.

For young children, practicing with finger paints helps develop tactile sensations, which also ensures the development of the brain and nervous system. Also, in such activities, hand motor skills are developed and color perception is formed. Exercising children with paints has a calming effect and improves their mood.

The structural composition of such paints does not allow them to blur or spread; their consistency allows different colors to mix well. High-quality finger paints are produced using only food-grade coloring ingredients. They contain a lot of table salt.

This is due to the fact that the baby, having tasted the paint once, will not repeat this experience again.

The paint base is water-based, the consistency is gel-like. This allows the paints not to spread, even if the jar falls and turns over, the paint will not spill out of it. Children's paints for hand painting dry quite slowly.

After classes, not only the hands and sheets of paper are covered in paint, but the entire young artist: clothes, arms and legs, face and body. As a rule, good finger paints for children are washed off quickly and without a trace, and clothes are washed. High-quality paints are considered safe for the health of children, since they do not contain harmful substances.

Many people think that a child under the age of one year is not at all capable of such a complex activity as drawing. But it is precisely at this age that the active and comprehensive development of children requires a variety of sensations and activities. Of course, there is no point in giving a child a brush at this age; the development of muscles and hand motor skills is not enough for such a complex activity; there is still no ability to control the length of a line or draw any shapes. But you can already start working with color, try to transfer paints to paper using finger paints like these.

To get started, even one jar of paint and a large sheet of paper will be enough. You need to show the child how paint gets on paper, how it can be done with your fingers, with your whole palm. When the baby grows up, you can move on to several colors and mix them.

Such games with paints help the baby develop attention and color perception, and have a positive effect on the development of fine motor skills. In turn, this greatly helps the development of speech in babies: the centers of the brain that are responsible for movement and speech are in close proximity, influencing and interacting with each other. Accordingly, the development of one center entails the development of another part of the brain.

As a rule, finger paints are sold in jars that have a fairly narrow neck. You can only dip one finger into the paint.

You can paint with your whole palm if you pour the paint into flat plastic plates. Young creators really like to leave bright colored handprints on a sheet of paper. Older children can use pieces of a household sponge and brushes when practicing with finger paints. Some finger paint sets have special stamps with different shapes.

Another way to paint with finger paints is to use a stencil. It can be made from cardboard or bought. The smaller the young artist, the simpler the stencil should be.

When your baby gets a little older, you can start mixing different colors. It is enough to make two or three blots of paints of different colors on a sheet of paper and invite the child to smear them. The resulting new colors and their combinations will really appeal to kids.

With finger paints you can create “works of art” not only on sheets of paper and special coloring books, but also on a glass surface, on cardboard, even in the bathroom on tiles. The kids really like the last activity.

Good finger paints are easily washed off from such surfaces. Various large trays, pieces of tarpaulin and plastic film, mirrors and other surfaces that can be easily washed are also suitable for this.

Another way to paint with finger paints that kids love is body painting. Since good finger paints do not contain harmful substances and are safe for children’s skin, you can quite safely allow your child to draw on the skin of their arms and legs, paint their faces, or turn themselves into an “Indian” or a “cat.”

Video. Finger paint.

In order to make the right choice of children's finger paints for drawing, you need to take into account several aspects.

  • Firstly, you need to take into account baby's age. When a child has not reached the age of three years, it is necessary to choose special paints that contain a food component with a bitter taste. Having felt this taste on the lips once, the child will not repeat attempts to taste the colors again.
  • Secondly, it is necessary to pay special attention to paint composition. They should not contain substances and components that can harm the child’s health. The basis of good children's paints is food coloring.
  • Thirdly, it should be taken into account structural component, shape, in which the paint is created. Nowadays, the most popular are finger paints that have a gel base. Such paints do not have a negative effect on the skin and do not dry it out.
  • Fourthly, number of colors in the set will also be an important factor for selection, you should also take them into account color scheme. Usually, the standard four or six colors give the child full opportunity to realize his vivid fantasies. You shouldn’t buy “screaming” acidic, neon shades for a little artist.
  • Fifthly, when purchasing finger paints you should consider volume and shape packaging of paints. Don’t rush to buy paints in large quantities; if the young artist likes them, you can always repeat the purchase. Finger paints are usually sold in jars, but there is also gouache that comes in tubes.
  • Sixth, be sure to carefully study information located on the package with the kit: who is the manufacturer of this product, what are the rules for the safe use of the product, as well as the date of manufacture of this product and the period of its use.

Today, the most famous manufacturers of children's paints for hand painting are:


The so-called touch paints appeared in the family of finger paints. Small particles of sand, which are added to the composition of the paints, allow children's fingers, when drawing, to feel not only the gel base of the paints, but also the solid particles in it. Recently, paints with fruit scents have appeared.

In artistic practice, imaginable and inconceivable visual means are used. Sometimes these are ordinary paints, liquid and solid materials of all possible origins, and sometimes the most unexpected substances. The very well-known word “pastel” color (when talking about a delicate, discreet shade) comes from one of the methods of pressing coloring pigments. The word pastel itself comes from a Latin term meaning “dough” or a similar consistency. We will figure out why interesting colored pastel crayons were given such a name, and what types of pastels the modern market can offer you.

Experts have long proven that for the early development of a baby, he needs to develop fine motor skills of his fingers. This, in turn, contributes to the timely formation of speech and thinking of the baby. All of the above functions are performed by finger paints. In addition, they contribute to the development of tactile sensitivity, color perception, and focused attention in children. Thus, already from 6 months of age, when the baby is just beginning to crawl and sit, he can participate in the creative process, mastering the world around him through colors.

How to make finger paints

Finger paints, sold in stores in a large assortment, are produced using environmentally friendly technologies. If you still doubt their safety, make your own paints. To do this, you need to have the following ingredients on hand: food coloring or tempera; 500 g flour, 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, 5 tbsp. l. salt. All components, except dry dyes, must be diluted with plain or colored water to the consistency of sour cream and mixed thoroughly with a mixer.

Then the entire mass should be evenly distributed into small jars and safe dyes should be added there if the solution is not already colored with liquid. This can be either paint from Easter sets or powder tempera. You can use natural dyes - vegetable juice, turmeric, blue clay, berry juice, decoction of onion peels or spruce branches. The most important thing is to make the primary colors: red, yellow, blue. And by mixing them you can make additional shades. The alliance of blue and yellow results in green. Mixing red and green will produce brown.

How to paint with finger paints

For classes, it is better to choose a warm time of year, so that you can place the child in only panties on the floor on a spread out paper. Or sit him on a washable chair at a table covered with oilcloth. There is no need to give your baby all the colors at once. It is recommended to introduce him to each color gradually. When he becomes familiar with one color, it is necessary to give him others in turn. Then introduce two mixed tones, giving you the opportunity to experiment with them. At the same time, it is better to give the child complete freedom, praise him for all the “squiggles” and not scold him for “getting dirty.” Reckless words can scare a child away from the creative process for a long time.

When the baby masters the simplest “scribbles”, you can invite him to draw a circle with his finger - like a sun or like a flower; oval - into a caterpillar, cloud, butterfly; a square - in a house, etc. You can also try drawing leaves on trees, fish in an aquarium, etc. with your palms. It is possible to practice drawing even while bathing the baby. This way it will remain clean. You should not rush your child in mastering colors and techniques, since the development of each child is strictly individual. We must focus on his personal successes. It is recommended to hang pictures in a prominent place, making them a source of pride. After 1-1.5 years, it is advisable to replace finger paints with ordinary watercolors in order to teach the child to paint with a brush.