Puffy paint is a fun art medium that combines texture, color, and creativity. It’s especially great for children with autism, as it engages their senses and allows them to explore different textures. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of making your own puffy paint at home for autism behavior support.
Benefits of making puffy paint for ABA Therapy:
- Puffy paint engages multiple senses—touch (texture), sight (color), and even smell (from the shaving cream).
- Squeezing the paint bags and creating designs helps develop fine motor skills.
- The vibrant colors and 3D texture provide visual stimulation.
- Puffy paint can be a calming and rewarding activity, especially when integrated into autism behavior support programs.
Materials you’ll need:
- 3+ cups of shaving cream (foam not gel)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup white glue
- Food coloring or paint
- Ziploc-style sandwich bags
- Sturdy paper or board (poster board, tag board, cardboard, watercolor paper, or paper plates)
How to make your puffy paint:
- Measure your ingredients.
- Add all the ingredients, except for any coloring, into a large mixing bowl.
Combine the shaving cream, flour and glue together without over mixing. (You want to keep the air bubbles in the shaving cream.)
- Pour the white paint mixture between 3 to 4 small bowls and add a few squirts of food coloring or paint to each bowl, stirring in, but again being careful not to over mix. If you want to keep all or some of the puffy paint white
- Spoon the paint into sandwich bags and seal each bag, then cut a small corner off.
- Start painting!
- Squeeze the foam paint through the small hole onto your paper or board, making lines, dots, and designs as desired.
- Note: A squeeze bottle works, too, but it is easier to squeeze out and use all the puffy paint when it is in a bag and there is no clean-up needed.
- Let your painting dry overnight. You’ll notice the foam paint gets even puffier as it dries and sets.
Making puffy paint is a great activity that brings together texture, and creativity. It’s a great activity for ABA therapy, as it engages their senses and encourages exploration of various textures.
If you’re interested in learning more about how ABA therapy can benefit your child, or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help you on this journey. Give us a call at (855) 444-5664 to get started!
Visit our Blog page for more sensory painting techniques and crafts like Pasta Art, and Textured Finger Painting.
