# Floating Shaving Cream Art
> Squirt shaving cream onto a shallow container of water, then drip liquid watercolors on with pipettes to make colorful art that floats. When the art is done, kids swirl and mix it for sensory play.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-for-kids-floating-art/
- Ages: 3–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: high
- Time: prep 5 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class
- Skills: art, science, sensory-exploration, fine-motor, color-mixing
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 piece Shaving cream (foam)
- Water (household)
- 1 piece Shallow container or bowl (household)
- Liquid watercolors
- 1 piece Pipettes (droppers)
- 1 piece Table cover or old towel (optional) (household)

## Safety
- Shaving cream is not taste-safe. Keep it out of mouths and eyes, and wash hands after play.
- Adult handles the shaving cream can, or closely supervises kids using it.
- Supervise young children around any container of water at all times.
- Liquid watercolors can stain hands, clothes and surfaces. Cover the table and dress for mess.
- Scented shaving cream may bother sensitive skin. Check for skin sensitivities before play.

## Steps
1. Fill a shallow container with water.
2. Squirt shaving cream onto the water to make lines, squiggles or lumps.
3. Look at the shaving cream floating on the water! Talk about why it floats.
4. Drip liquid watercolors onto the shaving cream with pipettes.
5. Keep adding colors until you are satisfied.
6. Save your art, or swirl and mix it with the pipette.
7. Start a new bowl of water and make another floating creation.
8. When the art is done, stir, swirl and mix it all up for play time.

## Tips
- Barbasol gave us clear, consistent lines if you are keen on making patterns. Dollar Store shaving cream gave us fluffy lumps. Both are fantastic in their own ways.
- The shaving cream art floats on the water for a long time unless it is disturbed.
- With my 3.5 year old in charge, our creations mostly turned out as squiggly lines and gorgeous white lumps. Go ahead and create anything beautiful with a can of shaving cream.
- Add a quick science lesson: look at the shaving cream floating on water!
- We can't stop with just one color, can we? Start a fresh bowl of water to keep the art going.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2014)

Art that floats! Easy to create simpl[e **art activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/art-projects/) are the best and this one fits the bill. **Materials**

- Shaving Cream
- Water in a container
- Liquid Watercolors
- Pipettes

Fill up a (preferably) a shallow container with water. Set out a can of shaving cream. Then start creating with the shaving cream.



Given that my 3.5 year old was the one who was very interested in this art project our creations mostly resulted in squiggly lines and gorgeous white lumps. But you go ahead and create anything beautiful with a can of shaving cream.

We also noticed that Barbasol brand gave us clear, consistent lines if you are keen on making patterns. The following images is from a can of Dollar Store shaving cream which gave us fluffy lumps. Both are fantastic in their own ways. A quick science lesson can also be incorporated. { Look at the shaving cream floating on water!}

 The shaving cream art floats on the water for a long time unless it is disturbed. Then color those gorgeous fluff with liquid water colors dispensed from pipettes. Doesn't it look beautiful? You can save the art and start a new one on another bowl of water or you can do what we did.



Let the kid go to town with mixing the art by swirling and mixing.
 Well we can't stop with just one color now can we? So we extended the art activity by starting a new bowl of water and created shaving cream art that floated for a long time!  Spice up the art with gorgeous colors from liquid watercolors.  Until you are satisfied.  The other can of shaving cream gave us a consistent lines without breakage.  Once the art was done, play time started which involves copious amounts of stirring, swirling and vigorous mixing. 

More [**kids activities with shaving cream**](https://www.funlittles.com/tag/shaving-cream/) here

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