# Glowing Puffy Paint
> Mix flour, baking powder and fluorescent paint into squeezable puffy paint. Kids squeeze and pour it onto cereal-box cardboard under a black light, then an adult microwaves the art for a few seconds so it puffs up.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/homemade-paint-recipes-glowing-puffy-paint/
- Ages: 2–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: high
- Time: prep 25 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 2 kids
- Skills: process-art, fine-motor, colors, sensory-exploration
- Cautions: wheat-gluten, ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 0.5 cup Flour (household)
- 2 tsp Baking powder (household)
- Water (household)
- 1 piece Fluorescent paint
- 1 piece Squeeze bottles
- 1 piece Black light
- 1 piece Cereal boxes or cut-up cardboard (household)
- 1 piece Mixing bowl and spoon (household)
- 1 piece Microwave (household)

## Safety
- Not taste-safe: the paint contains raw flour and fluorescent craft paint. Keep it out of mouths, supervise toddlers closely and wash hands after.
- Adult does the microwaving: about 30 seconds total in 10-second bursts. Watch the whole time.
- The art comes out of the microwave hot. Let it cool before kids touch it.
- Use plain cereal boxes or cardboard with no foil, metallic print or staples, because these can spark in the microwave.
- Don't let kids stare directly into the black light.
- Playing in a dark room: clear the floor of trip hazards and keep an adult with the kids.

## Before you start
- Cut cereal boxes or cardboard boxes into canvases, one or more per child.
- Find a dark spot for the black light.

## Steps
1. Add water to 1/2 cup flour a little at a time until you get a thick mixture that flows freely. Stir out all the lumps.
2. Stir in 2 tsp baking powder.
3. Scoop a whole tube of fluorescent paint into the mixture with a small spoon and mix well.
4. Fill a squeeze bottle with the paint. Make one batch for each color.
5. Turn on the black light in a dark spot and set out the cardboard canvases.
6. Squeeze the paint into dots, puddles and pictures.
7. Try pour painting: bend a cardboard sheet, set it at an angle and pour the colors over the slanted side.
8. Adult: microwave the finished art for about 30 seconds, in 10-second intervals, so it puffs.
9. Let the art cool, then admire the puffed paint under the black light.

## Tips
- For the brightest glow, use one tube of fluorescent color for about 1/2 cup of flour. You can do 1 cup too, but the glow will be kind of subdued. Our brightest orange is 1/2 cup flour and the pink is 1 cup.
- This time I didn't quite get the measurements right and the paint didn't puff big enough. It was still a gorgeous process even if the paint doesn't puff.
- Use heavy material as a canvas. We go with cereal boxes or cut-up cardboard boxes.
- For the little ones it's all about the process. My toddler wanted to empty the entire bottle in the same place on a single sheet, while my 5.5-year-old loved making dotty pictures.
- Getting paint out of the tube? I just used a small spoon to scoop it out and added it to the puffy paint in the squeeze bottles.
- A reader suggests looking for black lights at mall gift shops such as Spencer's Gifts, which sold both tube and bulb styles. (from readers)

## FAQ
**How do I get the fluorescent paint out of the tube?** The author used a small spoon to scoop it out and added it to the puffy paint in the squeeze bottles. Then use the paint with a black light on in a dark room.
**Does it glow in the dark on its own?** The glow comes from fluorescent paint under a black light. The author says to use it with a black light on in a dark room.
**Does it only puff after microwaving?** In the post, the finished art is zapped in the microwave for about 30 seconds in 10-second intervals, and the photos show it puffed afterward. Baking powder is what makes it puff.
**Why didn't my paint puff much?** The author says she didn't quite get the measurements right one time and it didn't puff big enough. It was still a gorgeous process.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2014)

Engaging in [**art activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/art-projects/) in itself is fun. Add to the fact that you get creative with [**homemade paint**](https://www.funlittles.com/tag/art-recipe/) is icing on the cake! Make this simple glowing puffy paint and enjoy with your children [**Glow in the dark activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/glow-in-the-dark-play-quick-play-idea-in-a-box/) has been popular for a while now but we haven;t quite gotten deep into that realm simply because I could never find the elusive black light. Finally After seeing Babble Dabble Doo's [**glowing process art**](http://babbledabbledo.com/glow-dark-art/) I purchased the light online and the purchase was worth every single penny. I under estimated the fun factor which comes along with glow in the dark activities. Oh My God! We couldn't stop with the squeals, giggles and the “ wow.. look at that. How beautiful” Let me stop gushing over this glowing homemade paint recipe and move on the actual art project. The recipe is the same one we have always been using. The ever-so popular microwave puffy paint. Although this time I didn't quite get the measurements right and the paint did not puff big enough it was still a gorgeous process even if the paint doesn't puff. The pictures will you the story! The fluorescent paint we used to get the glowing pigment was purchased online.

 With 4 bottles of glow in the dark homemade puffy paint we found a nice dark spot and set out cut up cereal boxes as canvas. You just need heavy material to do this art project. We go with cereal boxes or cut up card board boxes. The children were let loose with the squeeze bottles filled with these gorgeous homemade paints.

 They squeezed and made glowing puddles. My older one ( 5.5 yrs) loved making dotty pictures 

 My toddler really wanted to empty the entire contents on a single sheet. She also made sure she emptied the entire bottle on the same place.. haha for the little ones it was all about the process.





We experimented with pour painting using this homemade puffy paint. I bent a cardboard sheet and placed it at angle. Then we started pouring all he colors over the slanted side. The flowing glowing paint was a beautiful sight!



After microwaving the art



### Homemade Paint Recipes : Glowing Puffy Paint

**Materials** **{ Links to products provided for your reference}**

- **[Black Light](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002F5544/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Fluorescent Paints](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UG1M3K/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Squeeze Bottles](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OM9W2E/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Cereal Boxes/cut up cardboard

**Process** Add water to ½ cup flour until you get a nice thick mixture which flows freely. Make sure you remove all the lumps. Add the 2 tsp of baking powder Choose a fluorescent color tub and empty its content. To have the brightest glow one tube of fluorescent color is needed for about ½ cup of flour. You can do 1 cup too but the glow will be kind of subdued. You can scroll up and see the difference. The brightest orange is ½ cup flour and the pink is 1 cup flour. Once the art is done zap it in the microwave for about 30 seconds in 10 seconds intervals.

Thanks for reading



More [**art activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/art-projects/) on our category page

[**Homemade art and play recipes**](https://www.funlittles.com/tag/art-recipe/) here

I love Learn Play Imagine for her creative **homemade paint recipes.**