Easy DIY Sidewalk Puffy Paint | Fun Kid Activity!

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As the weather turns warmer and the kids start spending more and more time outside, I love finding easy, engaging, budget-friendly activities for them to enjoy. If you have never tried making your own DIY sidewalk puffy paint, you are missing out! Keep reading to learn how much fun this paint can be! 

Sidewalk Puffy Paint wide

Easy Outdoor Fun for Kids

If your kids love decorating the sidewalk with colorful chalk illustrations, they are going to go NUTS over this DIY Sidewalk Puffy Paint! I am sure you are familiar with puffy paint? That fun, fluffy, colorful fabric paint that we used to use to decorate blank t-shirts when we were younger? I remember spending hours on puffy paint shirts and then wearing them very proudly after they dried.

Kid Holding Puffy Paint

This sidewalk puffy paint chalk recipe only uses THREE ingredients to make, plus some food coloring to get different colors.

You can make it up in big batches and the kids will have an absolutely blast creating art on the patio or sidewalk with it. Not only is it colorful and pretty, but it gives their designs a 3-dimensional sort of feel.  The paint is, well, puffy.

Sidewalk Puffy Paint Squiggles

(And no worries about it ruining anything or being permanent – it will wash away with the next rain shower (or you can help it with a hose down).

Ready to make a batch of your own?

DIY Sidewalk Puffy Paint Bottles

Sidewalk Puffy Paint Supplies

You will need:

Sidewalk Puffy Paint Supplies

How to Make

To make the basic paint recipe:

1. Whisk 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water together until the mixture is smooth.

Sidewalk Puffy Paint Supplies Mix

2. Add 10 or more drops of food coloring to the mixture. Remember that the colors will be fainter once the paint is mixed completely. Stir to combine.

3. Fold in 2 cups of shaving cream until the color is even.

Sidewalk Puffy Paint Blue Bowl

4. Transfer half of the paint mixture to a plastic bag. This bag will act as a piping bag.

Sidewalk Foam Paint Purple in Bag

5. Use scissors to snip one corner off of the plastic bag.

Sidewalk Foam Paint Yellow Piping Bag

6. Squeeze the paint into one of the empty squirt bottles.

You can make two different paint colors from each batch. 

Red and Purple Puffy Paint – Make the red paint first. Transfer half of the paint in that batch to a squirt bottle. Add blue food coloring to the remaining paint until it turns the shade of purple that you like. (If the paint has gotten “flat” you can add an additional cup of shaving cream to the mixture, before transferring it to a squirt bottle).

Yellow and Orange Puffy Paint – Make the yellow paint first. Transfer half of the paint in that batch to a squirt bottle. Add red food coloring to the remaining paint until it turns the shade of orange that you like. (If the paint has gotten “flat” you can add an additional cup of shaving cream to the mixture, before transferring it to a squirt bottle).

Blue and Green Puffy Paint – Make the blue paint first. Transfer half of the paint in that batch to a squirt bottle. Add yellow food coloring to the remaining paint until it turns the shade of green that you like. (If the paint has gotten “flat” you can add an additional cup of shaving cream to the mixture, before transferring it to a squirt bottle).

That’s it!

Sidewalk Puffy Paint Heart Outline

This DIY puffy paint is best when used up shortly after you make it.  It won’t keep too well in the containers due to the fact that the shaving cream will start to break down. It’s best to use up what you make and whip up a fresh batch next time you want to paint!

We have been having so much fun with this paint activity and have now made it several times in the last couple months. The kids just LOVE it!!

DIY Sidewalk Paint

Let me know if you decide to give this art project a try! I would love to hear how it turned out! (Feel free to tag me on social media if you post a pic!)

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Sidewalk Puffy Paint PIN

Hearts in puffy paint

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