Fingerpainting used to be a thing we would do as kids. I am pretty sure that most of us have fond memories of this event. We would lay out the paper, wet it, and then start going at it with our fingers. I produced many a masterpiece (or so I thought at the time) that went on the fridge, to my grandparents, and into my file folder that my mom recently gave to me (it has all the artwork I did as a kid, it's pretty cool).

But finger-painting isn't only something we used to do, it can be something we do now, and something that we can do with our kids and share the fun. It is an indoor activity - which is nice considering we are entering the season where outdoor activities are limited.

Finger-painting is also something most kids - of all ages - do naturally. Have you ever watched a baby feed himself? I know I watch my son on a daily basis. He has such fun putting the food on his fingers/hands/face (well everywhere he can reach really) and then messing it all together on his tray. I think he likes the textures, colors and the process of mixing. I called his first play with non-dairy creamer on his tray his first attempt at sculpture building.

So fingerpainting can be a fun option - be warned....it is also messy. So let's get ready and paint!

 Preparing to finger-paint has two steps: picking the materials, and preparing the place.

Step One: Picking the Materials

Here's my advice - go to your local craft shop. They have many more options than the local Target or Wal-Mart.

You are going to have, basically, two options. The first is the kind where you wet the paper, and then paint on it. The second is the kind where you simply buy paints and paint on paper. I made the decision to go with the second option. It seemed easier at the time. I wouldn't have to worry about constantly wetting paper, and I could just lay out the paper and let him have at it.

You are going to need containers to hold the finger paints. Some come in containers - but use something else. I used a paper plate. Otherwise, what happens is the paint from other colors gets into the color your child wants. They don't really tend to clean their hands off between colors (unless they are older and really trying to paint) and so colors blend. So use something else - any plate will do that you don't mind getting dirty.

I used the Crayola paints. They were colorful (red, yellow, blue and green) and they were non-toxic and water-based. This means if he ate them, they might taste gross but they wouldn't hurt him. They also clean up easily (with a little warm water and no scrubbing) because they are water based.

If you have an older one, you can use some other paints. I did it recently as a date night activity with my husband, and we used normal watercolors. It was really a fun activity for a date night. We both loved it, and hang each other's paintings in our cubes at work as a reminder. My older nieces and nephews do it on a regular basis with any paints they can find.

But here's the thing - if you are worried about toxicity, just check the paint for it. Also, Crayola does have a "no-mess" type of finger paint. I didn't use it because that wouldn't have given me the true fun of finger-painting. But you can use them if you don't want to clean.

Step Two: Preparing the Place

Now you have to prepare the place you want to use - and the people who are participating. For my son - who is 8 months old - that means stripping him to his diaper. I also put a towel down on the floor, hoping to keep the mess confined to the towel and my son. I also put on a junky t-shirt and a pair of shorts. I knew the paints said easy to clean, but didn't know how easy it would be and didn't want to take any chances.

I chose to paint on our kitchen floor because it would be easy to clean up. It is tile - which is easier to clean than carpets, tables and walls. So we simply sat down, after getting everything covered in towels.

I also made sure I had the paper and extra paint on hand, but out of his reach. This way, I wouldn't have to leave him alone should I need anything else.

I put the paper we were going to use in front of him, squirted some paints onto a plate, set him down - and we were ready to go!

There are tons of things you can do with finger-paints. You can do hand-print paintings where the kids make Christmas tress out of their hands, or you can paint on one side of the paper, fold it in half, and then unfold it. You can have contests about who can draw the best blind-folded. You can do anything your imagination lets you do.

I was simply hoping for paint on paper, as this was his first time painting with anything not food, and not on himself.

So I set the paper on the ground, and showed him (put his) hand in the paint, and then moved his hand to the paper to paint. At first, he simply wanted to wave the paper around and eat it (fine - I got paintings with two sides!). But then he saw what the paint did, and tried a little harder. He still needed some help, but he had fun. After 5 minutes (and 2 paintings) he decided to turn over the plate and chase it around the kitchen. That was fine - this is why I was prepared and we were in the kitchen. Then he did two more paintings. He needed some help getting all the coordination down. He also painted himself, and me. But who cares? We were prepared for this. My kitchen floor was now a new shade of blue-green. He was a new shade of blue-green, and so was I. But we had finger-paintings! It was a success.

Sometimes, if they are young, the children are going to need help. If they are older, they are going to simply do it on their own. if you aguys are adults, you should be doing it on your own.

It is fun - it was messy (no where near as bad as I thought). But it was great fun.

 As I said before - be prepared for the mess. This isn't a dainty activity. But we had so much fun.

Afterwards, I simply stripped him (and my shirt off) and he got a bath. I had run the tub before (hot, and let it cool while we were painting and playing). So all I had to do was strip off his diaper and dump him in. He loves his bath, so this was the easiest way for me to clean him. And I cleaned myself up too. Simply use warm water and a wash cloth, and I was all done cleaning us up from finger-painting.

While he was playing with his other toys, I cleaned the floor with warm water, tossed the towels (and my clothes) into the washer, and threw away the paper plate. I closed everything else up in a plastic box and will bring it out again sometime in the future.

Cleaning was really that simple.

After the paintings dried, I wrote his name and date on them, so I would know when he did it. I took pictures of them with my digital camera, and sent them to everyone. One of the pictures is even my background on my computer. My husband took one of the paintings to work. We framed the other three (with frames form the dollar store) and gave them to grandparents and great-grandparents as gifts. The last one, is in a frame on our wall. Artwork should be displayed, and it encourages kids to be creative if they know their work is going to be put on display in the house :)

You can do what you want with the paintings. I like to digital scrapbook, so I made a page of "Nicholas' first-time finger painting" and used the pictures as the background of the page. Paint.Net is a great program (free) that lets you do this kind of thing.

It was so much fun. And easy. And fairly cheap.

I will do it again anytime.