Homemade Bath Paint (with Yogurt and Natural Colors)
We are all about bath time fun around here. Anything to get the toddler into the tub! Besides these magical monthly craft foam ideas which stick to the wall, homemade bath paints are another favorite way to transition easily into bath time.
I’ve tried DIY tub paints a couple of ways, but the best way (easiest and most fun) is using yogurt! A little bit of plain yogurt in a muffin tin with some food coloring goes a long way! And since I make my own crock pot yogurt at home (here’s how you can, too), it is super simple to always have on hand.
If you’re using ready-made food coloring, I encourage you to buy those made from natural vegetable colorants, without synthetic dyes or corn syrup. No need for kids to sit in such unnecessary ingredients, so a brand like India Tree (affiliate link if you’d like to buy it here and support this blogging mama)
OR you can use real food and spices to easily make your own natural colors in the yogurt, just like my Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs or DIY Green Playdough Recipes.
A small muffin tin makes a convenient palette to whip up different colors. While the water is running, just spoon a couple spoonfuls of yogurt right into each compartment. Half-full seems to be plenty for our 2.5 year old. Then add the food coloring drops as desired to make the rainbow or whatever colors you’d like. Kids may enjoy helping mix it up or experimenting with color combinations!
I usually prepare colors before bath time when using real food colors. Let’s start with my favorite…
YELLOW – Just add turmeric to the yogurt and you’ll have a beautiful yellow!
ORANGE – Stir in paprika or carrot juice. Voila!
GREEN – Use old kale juice, like in my natural playdough. Run some stalks through a juicer, or make yourself a healthy juice earlier in the day and just save some. You can also boil kale, spinach, or asparagus in 1/2 cup of water for about 10 minutes to pull some of that color out, although adding this will make your yogurt a bit runny. A bit of arrowroot, non-GMO cornstarch, or flour will thicken it up again.
BLUE – Purple grape juice may work depending on the kind. Or boil red cabbage leaves, or juice or boil some blueberries.
PINK or PURPLE – Beet juice is great (we usually always have a jar of pickled eggs or Beet Kvass around) or a red grape juice. Or juice/boil raspberries which can also help with…
RED – This color is a toughie to get as naturally-created colors are more muted than petroleum-ridden counterparts. A lot of raspberry, strawberry, or pomegranate juice will be deeper than the pink hues. Beet powder is great. I prefer going right for the India Tree natural colors for red though.
If you want BROWN, try cocoa powder!
Then, Picasso time! Grab use a paint brush, sponge, or fingers to decorate the tub (or bodies). It easily washes away after you’ve soaked up some cheap, natural fun! And you can always drop some essential oils in the bath water to aromatically add to the fun (or calming time). Sometimes it is a great way to entertain daddies on duty as well…
Try it out tonight and let me know how it goes!
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I'm a work-at-home mom, passionate about holistic health and natural living/parenting. I am a Registered Yoga Teacher and Certified Holistic Life Coach. This nutrition nerd blogs randomly at OddsandEvans.com about clean eating, fitness, homemade product recipes, and other mindful wellness topics.
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