Shaving Cream Anyone

Such a great idea to finger paint with shaving cream!

Shaving cream is such a delightful sensory activity for kids of all ages.

It’s smooth and creamy, and easy to remove from surfaces, clothing, hands, and even hair!

We use sensitive skin shaving foam purchased at Dollar Tree so it’s easy on the budget.

It has the added bonus of doing an excellent job cleaning the table after painting or other messy projects.

Look! A Circle!

I can rub it around so fast!

I try to convince the kids to keep rubbing until most of the shaving cream is no longer visible. I encourage kids to try to cover the entire surface of the table with the shaving cream.

I demonstrate rubbing a smooth spot of shaving cream and then using a finger to draw shapes, pictures, letters and rub them out again.

When I was teaching elementary grades, we would practice spelling words in the shaving cream smeared on the table or desk.

When it’s time to clean up, I offer a dishpan of warm water for hand rinsing and then we wash in the restroom. I use a damp cloth to wipe off the table.

One-year-old girl fingerpainting with shaving cream.

Some people let kids play with food items in the same way I use shaving cream. Personally, I don’t like to encourage children to play with their food. Nor do I like to let them to think it’s okay to put art or science materials in their mouth.

And food items can be so much more challenging to clean up—think sticky or greasy!

Many years ago I had the brilliant idea to let kids fingerpaint with left over whipped cream. It was a large childcare center and we had about thirty two- to five-year-olds thoroughly enjoying smearing whipped cream all over the cafeteria tables.

Just about the time parents were starting to arrive for pick-up time, I realized the whipped cream was turning to butter and the kids and tables were covered in greasy butter.

Young children are often opposed to washing hands with warm water. As I sent them to wash hands, and hurried to wash off the tables, I discovered the bathrooms were also turning into a greasy mess. Imagine the reaction of parents as they arrived to claim children covered in butter!

Never again! I learned my lesson.