Did you know that art projects at home can be just as delicious as they are delightful? Art isn’t confined to a studio, it can be made in a kitchen with food-safe products, leading to ephemeral pieces perfect for sharing on social media. Afterwards you can devour your project, enjoying the fruits of your family’s imagination! Golden Road Arts in Hillsboro shares fun and safe edible art projects for kids all around the country to enjoy.
The Rise in Popularity of Edible Art
If you’ve spent any time on social media, you’ve probably seen chefs or food content creators make incredible candy sculptures to show off their artistic design skills. Since 2020, the “Is It Cake?” trend of hyper-realistic cakes shaped to look like everyday objects took over.
TV shows like “Cake Boss” and “The Great British Bake Off” have shown the worldwide popularity of making creative designs out of baked goods and desserts. This media shows us that food is more than sustenance, it can also serve as an artistic medium. It’s much more than a way for children to play with their food!
These are just a few examples of edible art, a fun screen-free way to spark your kids’ imaginations. It’s an activity children enjoy, as they get to make something they thought up, then eat it as a treat.
Safe and Fun Edible Art Projects for Kids and Families
Below are a few ideas for edible art projects to try with your children for your next family time. Be sure to ask them what they feel most comfortable working with, and take all necessary precautions for kitchen safety.
Candy Necklaces – These are a classic sweet treat. You can combine store-bought candies like gummies and hard candies with holes on a string, ribbon or waxed yarn, simply tie it off and voila! You can also use cereals or other snacks with a hole if you want to avoid candies. Children design using their favorite colors and textures. They can make legends for what colors mean in their own created world.
Edible Clay Dough – For kids without nut or milk allergies, a jar of peanut (or preferred nut) butter, powdered milk and honey can be combined into a paste that mimics the popular children’s crafting clay. This mixture can be used to sculpt and design to their heart’s content, then enjoyed as a snack.
Yogurt or Whipped Topping Paints – Start by thinning your yogurt with a small amount of milk, and add food coloring (or pureed fruit or vegetables) to give various colors. These can be used to paint on paper plates or other items like fruit covered in yogurt or white chocolate. Kids can make their own exciting designs.
Marshmallow Designs – Buy multiple sizes of the fluffy treats and use toothpicks to connect them into robots, animals, tall towers and more. This art project works well with the Yogurt Paint technique to make it colorful, allowing kids to express themselves through color and textures. This three-dimensional activity is great for fine motor and spatial development skills.
It’s great to know that children can participate in art, even in situations where they may not immediately recognize it as such. Kids need art, and your whole family can have fun making lasting memories with these temporary but delicious edible art projects. We’d love to see what you create—tag us online to show us your brilliant creations!
Find Free Art Lessons for Kids From Northwest Artists
Golden Road Arts offers more than ideas for art projects for elementary and junior high students. We have a library full of step-by-step art videos aimed at helping children develop art literacy and confidence. Check out our free online art lessons, or if you’d like to support the work of our non-profit, you can make a donation.
