13 Infant Art Activities to Try at Home

Art for infants is all about sensory play and the process of exploration, not about creating a perfect masterpiece. Early art experiences help infants and toddlers solve problems, build creativity and learn to express ideas.

Sensory art activities can strengthen fine motor skills, language and even social-emotional skills, all while your baby is simply having fun. In this blog, we’ll give you 13 ideas for art projects you can start with your little ones today.

13 Infant Art and Craft Activities to Try Today

1. Edible finger painting
2. Vegetable painting
3. Spaghetti painting
4. Water painting
5. Sponge stamping
6. Ice cube painting
7. Contact paper collage
8. Shadow puppets
9. Auditory art shakers
10. Scented spice painting
11. Full-body canvas crawl
12. Gelatin excavation
13. Mess-free squishy bag painting

1. Edible finger painting

Edible finger painting is a classic first art activity for infants. Simply spread a bit of taste-safe “paint” on a high-chair tray or a large sheet of paper and let your baby explore with their fingers. You can make edible paint easily by using plain yogurt or baby cereal mixed with natural food coloring or puréed fruits/veggies.

The idea is that every part of this activity is safe to taste, because we know babies explore with their mouths.

Quick tip: Start with just one or two colors to avoid an unappetizing brown mix. Try using natural colored foods like mashed blueberries or pumpkin puree.

2. Vegetable painting

This activity uses veggies as stamps and brushes, which is a wonderful way to introduce your baby to new shapes and textures. Cut a bell pepper, potato or okra in half, dip the cut end lightly into some baby-safe, non-toxic paint, and help your infant press it onto paper.

This activity helps develop hand-eye coordination (by grabbing and stamping) and exposes your little one to natural colors and textures. You can even make edible veggie paint by using the juice from puréed spinach or beets for color, so it stays taste-safe.

Quick Tip: Use large vegetable pieces that are easy for baby to hold (half a potato or a thick carrot stump) to prevent choking. For easy clean-up, put a thin layer of paint on a paper plate as a “stamp pad” and have a damp washcloth nearby for wiping messy hands.

3. Spaghetti painting

Cook a batch of spaghetti noodles until they’re very soft (avoid adding salt or oil), then let them cool completely. You can toss the noodles with a tiny bit of food coloring or natural dye to create different colored “worms.” Place a few strands of the colored spaghetti on your baby’s high-chair tray or in a shallow bin and let them have at it. They can smear it on paper like a brush or just mash and swirl it around to make abstract “noodle art.”

Quick Tip: Spread out an old shower curtain or a large garbage bag under the high chair for easier clean-up. Dress your baby in only a diaper or a smock because colored spaghetti art can end up everywhere (including in hair)!

4. Water painting

Give your baby a piece of dark construction paper (taping it down helps) or take the activity outside to a dry sidewalk or patio. Show your little one how to dip the brush in water and “paint” strokes on the surface. The water makes dark marks on the paper or pavement, almost like real paint, but it dries up with zero mess. Infants may also enjoy just splashing in the water cup and then smacking their wet hand onto the paper. Either way, they’re exploring cause and effect (wet + surface = mark) and honing fine motor skills by handling the brush or sponge.

Quick Tip: Use heavyweight construction paper or cardboard for indoor water painting so it doesn’t soak through. If you’re outside, a clean paintbrush and a small bucket of water will let your baby “paint” the fence, porch or sidewalk with broad strokes.

5. Sponge stamping

Sponge stamping is an easy art activity that lets infants experiment with shapes and colors. Take a large, clean kitchen sponge (make sure it’s a chemical-free, plain sponge) and cut it into a simple shape like a circle, square or heart. The pieces should be big enough that your baby can’t fit the whole thing in their mouth. Pour a bit of washable, non-toxic paint onto a plate or tray, then show your baby how to dip the sponge and press it onto paper to make a print. As they stamp different objects, be sure to call out their shapes.

Quick Tip: Offer one color at a time to keep things simple and clean.

6. Ice cube painting

To prepare, mix a little food coloring or natural fruit juice into water and pour it into an ice tray. Freeze the tray to get vibrant colored ice cubes. When you’re ready to play, take a few colored ice cubes out and let them sit for a minute so they’re not too cold to touch. Then place them on a large piece of sturdy paper taped to the high-chair tray or floor. As your baby grabs or pushes the ice cubes, they’ll glide around and leave behind swirls of color as they melt. This activity engages their sense of touch and sight, and introduces basic science concepts like melting.

Quick Tip: If the ice is too cold for your baby to hold, you can insert popsicle sticks or plastic baby spoons into the ice tray compartments before freezing to serve as handles.

7. Contact paper collage

This activity creates a baby-friendly collage without any glue needed. Grab a sheet of clear contact paper and tape it down to the floor or a low table with the sticky side up. Now gather some large, lightweight items that can stick to it – think over-sized pompoms, pieces of fabric or felt, foam shapes or large leaves. Essentially, anything textured and too big to swallow can work. Encourage your baby to pick up these items and drop or press them onto the sticky paper. They’ll be surprised to see the object “magically” stay in place. Many infants will then try to pull the items off and re-stick them, which is great for their finger dexterity and understanding of cause and effect.

Quick Tip: If you don’t have contact paper, you can improvise with wide packing tape strips arranged sticky side up on a table. Always supervise closely; if an item comes unstuck and heads toward the mouth, gently redirect your baby.

8. Shadow puppets

Shadow puppets are a calming, magical activity perfect for winding down before bed or during a dark winter afternoon. In a dimly lit room, use a flashlight (or the light on your phone) to project light onto a blank wall. Hold your hand or a cut-out paper shape in front of the light to cast a shadow on the wall. You can create simple shadow “puppets” by making shapes with your hands (like a dog silhouette with your fingers) or by cutting out basic shapes (like a star or bird) from cardboard and holding them in the light.

Quick Tip: Sit on the floor with your baby in your lap, facing the wall. This helps them feel secure. You can incorporate favorite toys by holding them up in front of the light.

9. Auditory art shakers

Here’s a creative idea that combines art and music into one sensory activity. You’ll need a clear plastic bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid. Place a few drops of washable paint in two or three colors into the bottle. Then add a large metal jingle bell or a couple of large beads. Secure that lid super tightly and hand the bottle to your baby to let the shaking begin! As your infant eagerly shakes and rolls the bottle, the bell will make fun sounds, and simultaneously, the paint splats around inside, mixing colors and coating the interior of the bottle.

Quick Tip: Use a transparent bottle that’s not too thick, so your baby can clearly see the paint moving inside.

10. Scented spice painting

This activity uses spices from your kitchen to create faint colors and lovely scents in a totally taste-safe paint mix. For example, you can mix a spoonful of flour or cornstarch with water to make a smooth paste and then stir in a dash of cinnamon (brown), turmeric (yellow) or paprika (orange/red). These spices will lightly tint the “paint” and also provide gentle aromas. Spread out a piece of paper (taping it down) and let your baby use their hands or a chunky brush to smear the spice paint around. Your infant is learning that art can engage all the senses, not just touch and sight. Plus, early exposure to various safe smells can help develop their sense of smell and curiosity.

Quick Tip: Avoid anything spicy or irritating (no chili powder, for example).

11. Full-body canvas crawl

Tape down a large sheet of paper or even an old white bedsheet to serve as the canvas. Place a few blobs of taste-safe, washable paint (for instance, edible finger paint or homemade yogurt paint) around the paper. Strip your little one down to a diaper and let them crawl, roll and sit through the paint and across the “canvas.” This art activity becomes a full-body sensory experience: slippery feeling on their skin, bright colors to see and the thrill of unrestricted movement.

Quick Tip: Make sure your paint is truly non-toxic and edible. Keep a shallow basin of warm water and some towels nearby so you can clean their hands and feet before they move off the canvas.

12. Gelatin treasure hunt

Prepare a tray of plain, unflavored gelatin. Before the gelatin sets fully, drop in a few large objects: think slices of soft fruit (orange rounds, banana chunks) or big plastic toy animals. Once the gelatin is firm and cool, set the tray in front of your baby. At first, they’ll likely poke this strange, wobbly surface. Then comes the fun of trying to dig out or reach the “treasures” inside.

Quick Tip: Set this up in a high chair or a contained area because once gelatin bits start flying, you’ll want to be able to clean up easily. Always supervise closely, even though the gelatin and embedded items are large; you don’t want them taking huge bites of jello or accidentally mouthing a toy.

13. Mess-free squishy bag painting

If you love the idea of letting your baby smoosh paint around but not the idea of cleaning up a colorful mess, then mess-free squishy bag painting is perfect. Take a sturdy zip-top plastic bag and place a piece of cardstock or thin cardboard inside it. On the paper, dribble a few small blobs of different colored paint. Gently seal the bag, pressing out most of the air, and double-check that it’s completely closed. You might even tape over the zipper for extra security. Now tape the filled bag down to the floor or table. Invite your baby to pat, push and squish the bag. They’ll feel the paint move under their fingers and see the colors smoosh and mix without ever actually touching the paint.

Quick Tip: Use strong tape (like painter’s tape or duct tape) on all the edges of the bag when securing it down. This not only prevents your baby from lifting the bag, but also guards against any paint sneaking out if a corner gets squeezed too hard.

Looking for more activity ideas?

Art projects can be a fantastic form of self-care for kids. Check out even more self-care activities for kids in this blog.