Looking for a way to make bath time more fun for your little ones? These easy homemade bath paints require just two minutes and two ingredients—and because they’re made from shaving foam, no cornstarch is required!
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We’ve been trying lots of new bath time activities lately and the kids have been loving it!
It’s not that they don’t have bath toys. They do.
But our five-year-old loves to do crafts, and our two- and four-year-old love to do whatever their big sister does… so I figured bathtub paints would be right up their alley!
They were, of course, a huge success. And now that we’ve made two different types of bath paints for the kids, I have no idea how stores can justify charging what they do for the pre-made stuff!
Bath paint is seriously SO EASY to make, and it barely costs a thing.
The first DIY bath paints we tried were made from bubble bath liquid and cornstarch. They worked really well and the kids had a blast with them!
But I know some of you may prefer not to use cornstarch, which is why I wanted to try a new way of making bath paints. And this cornstarch-free recipe turned to be even simpler than the last one!
It also has a different texture. The shaving cream makes these bath paints thicker and puffier, much like puffy paint (which does, after all, get its puffiness from shaving cream). So we’ll probably be rotating both types of paint to create a bit of variety at bath time.
We’re planning on making bath play dough and bath crayons next, so be sure to check back soon if that’s something you’ve been meaning to try as well!
Required Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own homemade bath paints using shaving cream (and no cornstarch):
- Shaving cream (we got ours at Walmart for a couple of dollars)
- Liquid watercolors or food coloring (I prefer to use liquid watercolors because they’re washable)
You’ll also need some sort of container with multiple cavities to store the bath paints—we used a muffin tin!
How to Make DIY Shaving Cream Bath Paint (Step-by-Step)
1. Place Shaving Cream in Cavities
Start by placing some shaving foam in separate cavities of your muffin tin or other recipient. We felt that a muffin tin would work perfectly, because shaving cream can take up quite a bit of room, and the cavities were large enough to hold it.
2. Add Color
Next, add a few drops of food coloring or liquid watercolor paint and stir them in using a popsicle stick or a spoon.
I prefer to use liquid watercolors because they’re washable and I’m less worried that they’ll leave stains.
To be honest, I use liquid watercolors as a substitute for food coloring in pretty much everything I make that doesn’t need to be taste-safe—the colors are so vibrant, and they’re way cheaper in the long run since they come in much larger formats than food coloring!
We decided to create really vivid colors, but pastels are fine too, especially if you’re using food coloring and you want to test out the paint to make sure it won’t stain your bathroom walls.
But please note that regardless of whether you choose to use food coloring or liquid watercolor paint, my recommendation is to clean off the walls as soon as bath time is over to reduce the chance of staining.
3. Use Bath Paints!
Once you’re done mixing in the colors, the bath paints are ready to be used! Hand the muffin tin to your kiddos and let them have fun!
Like they did when we made our homemade bubble bath paints, our girls went straight for the red tones.
Our five-year-old decided to paint not only the bathroom walls, but also the inside of the bathtub. If your kids to the same, I definitely recommend emptying out the bath water and replacing it with clean water before washing them up!
I’m sure our kids will be asking to make these paints quite often. Considering how simple they are to make, I’ll probably ask them to try making them (mostly) on their own the next time they request them!
How to Prevent Staining
We didn’t really have issues with staining because a) we used liquid watercolors and b) we cleaned it up right away.
However, you may not want to risk it—and that’s a totally valid concern.
If you’re hesitant to try this activity because you don’t want to stain your bathroom walls, consider skipping the colors and simply letting your little ones paint with shaving cream. That way, they’ll get to enjoy painting the walls and you won’t have to worry about staining!
Shaving Cream Bath Paint
Equipment
- muffin tin
Ingredients
- shaving cream
- liquid watercolors or food coloring optional
Instructions
- Place shaving cream in the cavities of a muffin tin.
- Add a few drops of food coloring or liquid watercolor paint and stir them in using a popsicle stick or a spoon.
- Give your child a paintbrush and let them paint the bathroom walls and the inside of the bathtub!
Notes
Related Bath Time Activities
Looking for more ways to make bath time fun for your little ones? Check out this article:
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