PARENTING TIPS
PREGNANCY
BABY CARE
TODDLERS
TEENS
HEALTH CARE
ACTIVITIES & CRAFTS
CONTACT
ABOUT
Making homemade bath tub paint is easier than you might think and gives you the flexibility to control the color and ingredients. This Kids Bathtub Paint Recipe is the greatest thing since… your kids first discovered how much they love amazing, messy, regular paint! Toddlers and preschoolers will love painting their own masterpieces at bath time and you will love how easily it cleans up.
Painting in the Tub
My preschool kids love to paint and I don’t love to clean up the mess. What if you could combine painting with cleaning the bathtub?
Wouldn’t that be awesome?
Yes! And we loved this activity so much that we included it in our best-selling first book, 101 Kids Activities that are the Bestest, Funnest Ever! This DIY bathtub paint is washable, does not stain, and will help you clean your tub. So sit near the bathroom with a good book and let your kids have a blast!
Note: Test the paint on a patch of your tub to ensure that your food coloring does not stain – and have fun! <–We have never had a problem, but don’t want you to be sad!
This article contains affiliate links.
Related: Make your own DIY bath crayons with this simple bathtub coloring idea!
Ingredients Needed To Make Bathtub Paint
*I use antibacterial scented hand soap when making this recipe with liquid soap. Whatever you use, know your kids will coat themselves with it – so be sure to pick something you know they don’t have a reaction to.
Directions to make bathtub paint
Step 1
In a saucepan, mix the cornstarch into the hot water until it is dissolved and the consistency is pasty.
Step 2
Add the soap and mix until there are no chunks.
Step 3
Heat on medium until just boiling. The soap should have a gel-like consistency as it cools.
Step 4
Pour your mixture into individual containers. Add food coloring. Put the lid on to store your bathtub paint.
Related: Things to make with soap
Storing Homemade Bathtub Finger Paint
The paint may separate slightly when stored, so be sure to stir before use.
Finished Homemade Bath Paint
Now that you have homemade bath paint let your little one create as much washable art as they’d like! Make rainbows, draw portraits, leave handprints, the bathtub is your canvas!
Kids Easy Bathtub Paint Recipe
Can you paint a bathtub? Yes, you can with this bathtub paint! You can make it thick and use it as bathtub finger paint, or you can dilute it and use it with paintbrushes.
What other items can you use to paint your bathtub? You can use items like:
Related: We have a really fun shaving cream-based bathtub paint idea – homemade bath paint shaving cream! <–Yay!
Prep Time
5 minutes
Active Time
15 minutes
Total Time
20 minutes
Difficulty
easy
Estimated Cost
$10
Materials
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 cup dishwashing soap or hand soap
- Food colors
Tools
- Saucepan
- Spatula
- Airtight containers
Instructions
- Pour the water into a saucepan on medium heat.
- Once the water is hot, add the cornstarch and stir completely.
- Add the dishwashing liquid and continue stirring.
- Once it’s just boiling, remove it from the heat.
- Pour the mixture into individual containers.
- Add food color to each container and stir completely.
101 Kids Activities That Are the Bestest, Funnest Ever!
What Our Book is About: One-of-a-kind activities range from making edible play dough and homemade sidewalk chalk to playing shoebox pinball and creating a balance beam obstacle course. And with outdoor and indoor activities and tips for adjusting according to your child’s age, this book will provide hours and hours of never-ending fun with your family.
This parenting life raft is also the perfect way to make sure caregivers are spending quality time with your little ones.
More Bathtub Fun from Kids Activities Blog
How did your bathtub paint turn out? Did your kids love painting in the tub at bath time?
