• I’m always looking for things to do with my kids, anything to keep them moving and away from the  tv or video games. Big plus if it can be an activity that is somewhat educational too. Fun, no tv, and educational? Parenting win, right?

    Exactly.

    So when I heard that you could make paints with spices I was intrigued. My good friend the Internet showed me lots of different recipes to try. I settled on one that was a combination of two. Spices mixed into glue. I chose to not make my own glue. For two reasons, first I wanted to start the project now, and two I wasn’t worried about my kids sampling the paints. We are, thank goodness past the put everything in your mouth stage. And I do not miss it. Besides, the price was right as I was able to pick some up at the 99 cent store.

    I chose to do this activity outside. Using so many spices was sure to produce lots of different scents, and I wasn’t keen on my house smelling like a slice market for a week.

    I poured a few tablespoons of white school glue into plastic cups. Then added a bit of water until it was the consistency of tempura paint. Then I let my kids raid my spice cabinet to pick their “colors.”

    They chose: coriander, mustard, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne (make sure they don’t taste that one!), paprika, basil and chili powder.

    We ended up with a few duplicate colors, but it worked out okay because some were more saturated than others. My kids truly enjoyed seeing what the spices looked like when they were hydrated in the water-glue mixture. They also loved smelling all of the different spices, talking about what foods they were reminded of, and seeing which ones they thought went together and which they should stay far away.

    Lastly, the painting! As with anytime we bring out the paints, it was a good time. We made sure to use brushes instead of fingers to avoid getting something spicy where it didn’t belong.