Yogurt Painting
Intention
‘I activate the senses in order to open up my creative channels.
I am here in this moment with my senses.’
Description
Children are invited to engage in playful exploration of food and process-oriented creativity through painting with blended yogurt.
Gather
Yogurt
Spoon
Bowls or small disposable cups (1 for each color)
Large plate, tray, mat, or oven pan
Method 1 blending with natural ingredients: Blender, vivid foods (strawberry, blueberry, turmeric, beets, spinach, ect.)
Method 2 dying with gelatin: flavored gelatin
Optional: bread, tortilla, rice cake, pancake, chopped fruits, nuts,
Process
Decide which method you would like to use to dye your yogurt
Method 1: Blend a small cupful of yogurt with vivid ingredient in the blender. Experiment with color shade by adding more fruit or yogurt to make the color lighter or darker.
Method 2: Add gelatin to a small cupful of yogurt and stir. Experiment with color shade by adding more or less gelatin to make the color lighter or darker
Explore with painting on mat or tray
You can invite children to explore painting with their fingers or clean paintbrushes
You can invite children to paint on a base such as bread, tortilla, rice cake or pancakes.
You can also give children cut fruit, nuts, or seeds to add to the decoration
Holistic Engagement
Discuss concepts such as texture, taste, and smell and how each change as you experiment with the yogurt blend.
Invite children to practice symbolic thinking skills by making snacks into houses, animals, and faces. Observe children’s interest for future engagement.
Discuss ratios or food/gelatin to yogurt and how that relates to the lightness of darkness in the color.
Children may want to practice making their name or letters with the yogurt
Children may want to experiment in photographing their food. Children interested in improving their technique may want to watch a short internet video about food photography techniques.
Questions to ask
What do you predict will happen if we add more fruit/yogurt/gelatin to this blend?
Describe your creation. What was this inspiration behind your creation?
What is your favorite flavor-color and why?
Describe the feel of your fingers as you dip them in the yogurt. What textures do you notice?
Mindfulness Prompts
Concentrate on the touch as you paint with your fingers. If you mind starts to wander go back to the touch.
Close your eyes and try to guess which paint you are using by the smell.
Take a small taste or bite and slowly chew the food. Concentrate on the taste and texture in your mouth.
