This Puffy Paint Snake Craft is a fun, squishy, and totally unique painting experience that kids will love. It uses my simple homemade puffy paint recipe made with just shaving cream and school glue, giving the snake a raised, 3D effect when it dries.
If your little artist loves sensory play and painting, this project is the perfect mix of both.
Plus, it’s a great way to tie into a jungle or reptile theme, celebrate the Year of the Snake, or just enjoy a creative afternoon.
Why You’ll Love This Craft
- Super fun texture – The puffy paint dries into a soft, raised texture that kids will love to touch!
- Easy to set up – Just a few simple ingredients and you’re ready to create.
- Encourages creativity – Kids can mix colors, swirl patterns, and make their snake one-of-a-kind.
- Great for all ages – Little ones love squishing and spreading the paint, while older kids can create detailed designs.
Materials You’ll Need
- Shaving cream
- School glue (to help the paint dry raised and puffy)
- Cardstock (thicker paper holds the puffy paint bette
- Snake template (download below or draw your own!)
- Paintbrush (or even a popsicle stick for spreading)
- Acrylic or tempera paint (for bold, bright colors)
How to Make a Puffy Paint Snake Craft
- Print out the snake template on cardstock or draw your own snake outline. Make it a simple, curvy shape so there’s plenty of space for the puffy paint!
- In a bowl, mix equal parts shaving cream and school glue. Add a few drops of paint to get the color you want. Mix gently to keep it fluffy! You can make different colors in separate bowls for a multicolored snake.
- Use a paintbrush or popsicle stick to spread the puffy paint all over the snake template. This is a great opportunity to experiment with mixing colors or swirling them together for cool patterns. Make stripes, dots, or zigzags to decorate the snake just like real ones in nature!
- The puffy paint will stay raised and fluffy as it dries. This may take a few hours, so be patient!
- Add googley eyes and cut out a tongue from red construction paper. Stick them in the puffy paint before it dried completely.
Ways to Extend the Fun
- Make a snake family – Print different sizes of snakes to create a whole collection!
- Experiment with colors – Try rainbow, neon, or glow-in-the-dark paint for extra fun.
- Learn about real snakes – Look up pictures of snakes and talk about different patterns in nature.
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
