Week 3 - Hot Chocolate Puffy Paint

It's week 3 of "What are we doing this weekend?" Wednesday! This week I tried something that I thought was going to be a huge hit. In theory, mixing cocoa powder into a classic puffy paint recipe smelled warm and Christmassy...in reality, the combo of the chocolate and shaving cream scent is NOT IT. 

Additionally, the boys just weren’t interested in painting today, and I don't know if it was the mood of the day that was off or the activity itself, but I decided to create what I pictured them doing anyway. It was oddly satisfying for me and I thought it turned out cute! Not every activity works for every kid (or every age) though, and I'm sure there's a good portion of the kid population that would enjoy this, but my boys could take it or leave it. Read on for our official ratings and supplies, and if you end up trying it let me know if your kids end up liking it or not! 

I mixed equal parts shaving cream and glue, then added cocoa powder until the paint turned a light brown. The texture was fluffy and spreadable, just like traditional puffy paint. The smell, however, was less “hot chocolate” and more “something is off.”

Ingredients

• Shaving cream
• School glue
• Cocoa powder

Supplies

• Mixing bowl
• Spoon or craft stick
• Construction paper
• Pom poms
• Beads
• Pipe cleaners
• Glitter (optional)
• Craft tray or mat

Mess level: 5/10

I had to run my craft mat and a couple shirts through the wash afterwards but otherwise not too bad! 

Fun level: 5/10

My son gave me a 6/10 which I thought was generous based on our experience, so I took one off. 

Time spent: 15-20 minutes

Not very impressive, considering some sensory activities can occupy my boys for up to an hour. 

Prep needed: Low

Just a quick mix and set the supplies out! It's definitely worth a try. 

 

Hidden benefits:

• Sensory exploration through texture-heavy paint
• Fine motor skill development from placing small decorations
• Creative expression with open-ended materials
• Exposure to process-based art (not everything has to be perfect or permanent)
• Modeling flexibility when things don’t go exactly as planned

This wasn’t my favorite activity so far, but I guess that’s part of this project. Not every week needs to be a home run. Some might even be more for me than for them! Now we know that anything puffy paint adjacent might be not worth trying for us in the future! 

If you’d like to see this activity in action, you can find the reel over on Instagram @laynahrose, and of course, join us next Wednesday for another one simple thing.

With love,

Laynah