7 Baby Safe Paints For Baby Footprints + Handprints [Best Non Toxic Paint For Crafts!]

Capturing your baby's little hands as they grow is a great way to document just how quick the time passes and make infant milestone photos even more personal in a scrapbook or as a sweet gift for mom or loved one's. Of course, you want baby's skin to stay safe, clean, and protected through the process which is why the type of paint you use is so important. Discover the best paints for baby footprints and handprints that are non toxic and offer a quick cleanup [+ good prints for crafts] below.

After we cover the best baby safe paints we've tested, we share some tips on getting the perfect keepsake or gift because capturing baby handprints and footprints is no easy feat!

Best Baby Safe Paint for Handprints: Eco Kids Finger Paint

You won't find a safer, non-toxic paint for baby footprints and handprints than veggie based paints like Eco Kids Finger paint and Veggie Baby's.

We've personally used Eco-Kids with our toddler thanks to their non-GMO organic ingredients; however if it's sold out Veggie Baby uses similar ingredients and third party tests for lead and heavy metals making it a great pick too.

Keep in mind, if you add too much water, this will become really runny and make it quite difficult to get a smudge free print. So start by adding a little bit of water at first. While it's the best true paint for baby footprints, there are options that will get you a better print – though not as non-toxic as this.

Easiest Paint for Handprints On Paper: Watercolor paint strips

Just add the slightly bit of water to the paint pads so they are sticky; not liquidy. You then basically use them just like the stamp alternative below to capture your child's finger prints.

NOTE: this is tricky if you wanted to stamp a full hand (for that see the next pick). You'd have to add some more water to get picked up on a brush, then paint it on the hand/foot. But the color is SUPER vibrant and these are a great non toxic baby safe paint for crafts we've quickly fallen in love with!

We have this bulk pack because they're less than $1 per strip and I constantly give them to my kids for last minute activities, but you can less strips for cheaper.

Alternative: ReignDrop Ink Pad

If you've ever tried to get a baby footprint or handprint before, you know squishing it into paint, then onto paper can be a sticky, messy challenge. The ReignDrop Ink Pads make it super easy, and come in a ton of great colors.

Keep in mind the pad dimensions are only about 3.5″L x 2.25″W so it works best for babies, not older kids.

Best Non-toxic Acrylic Paint: Speedball Acrylic Paint

While acrylic paint is not generally recommended for babies, it is the best paint for baby footprints on canvas or alternative surfaces.

Speedball acrylic paint holds the AP certification while also being cadmium and cobalt free, and acid free! It's probably one of the most non-toxic acrylic paints out there and it's made in the U.S.

It's not always the most readily available, so as a back up we recommend Apple Barrel – it's a water-based paint, AP certified, but is not cadmium and cobalt free. It's found here and at most craft stores.

Keep in mind, acrylic paint also works as a fabric paint, so test it out on old t-shirts for a fun project.

No-Mess Baby Footprints: Pearhead

While the Pearhead Newborn Baby Handprint or Footprint isn't technically paint, it's a clean touch ink-pad that my midwives used for my homebirth to capture my baby's first footprint and handprints.

There's no ink to wash off, nothing for baby to mouth, and it's pretty hard to smudge or mess up. Lastly, if you don't want to use their cards, you can put the ink pad over any piece of paper to transfer the print. The ink pad works for 5-10 prints in my experience.

Best Baby Footprints + Handprints Kit: Co Little

Co Little's hand and footprint kit is a great baby shower or new mom gift. It comes complete with a 11″ W x 9″ H picture frame with two spots for 2/75″ x 2.75″ square photos, and one spot for baby's footprints.

Best budget baby safe paint for handprints: Crayola Washable Kids Paint

We've used Crayola Washable Kids Paint for baby and toddler footprint projects in the past and it works great overall, though is quite messier than the ink-pad style paints.

It's a basic washable finger paint coming in at under $1 per color, so you'll be able to keep using it after you capture baby's footprints for regular finger painting with older children. We did find traditional paint like this does take the most tries to get it right, but it's the cheapest option of its kind and works well if it's all you have.

Best smudge resistant paint for older kids: MayMoi Washable Tempera Paint Sticks

If you're looking for a crisp baby handprint or footprint and your child has outgrown some of the ink pads on this list, than tempera paint sticks make a great middle of the road option. It offers less mess than traditional paint, and a crisper finish. Toddlers will also enjoy doing it themselves.

With that said, it does provide a beautiful, vibrant, smudge resistant finish that has been one of our favorites. Washing it off is overall easy, just use soap and warm water.

FAQs about paint for baby footprints and handprints:

What kind of paint do you use for baby footprints?

There are three types of paint to consider for baby footprint and handprints: ink pads, paint sticks, and regular paint.

Within each of those there are obviously sub categories, like acrylic paint vs. washable finger paint or clean touch ink pads vs regular stamp pads.

Ultimately, we've had the most success with clean touch ink pads for newborns and paint sticks for older babies and toddlers.

When in a pinch regular washable finger paint works too, just make sure you have someone to help so you don't get too much or too little paint on a wiggly baby's foot!

How do you make baby handprints with paint?

You can either paint the palm of their hand generously with the paint them stamp that on a piece of paper or you can pour paint onto a paper plate, have them pat it with their hand, then stamp a piece of paper.

The former option provides the best results as it's a cleaner option and the keepsake print comes out crisper in our experience, while the second option makes for a fun sensory activity.

PRO TIP: Use two people and place your paper on a hard surface. One person holds baby while the other makes the foot prints and hand prints. Alternatively, depending on the age of your child, you can also place them a high chair and then do it.

Is it safe to put paint on baby's feet?

Generally speaking, if a paint is labeled as non-toxic it's considered safe for a baby's feet.

Of course non-toxic is a very broad term and parents should research the brand and decide what they are most comfortable with. Rest assured, the sole's of a baby's feet are generally unlikely to react to paint, just be sure to wash it off before feet end up in baby's mouth and don't make it a habit to paint their feet regularly.

Is non-toxic paint safe for babies?

While a paint may be non-toxic, that does not mean toxin free. Non-toxic paints are typically water based paints with fewer chemicals compared to others with high volatile organic compounds (VOCs); but have typically not been tested for heavy metals or tested for internal safety use.

When it comes to babies, generally the fewer the products the better; but you likely will not harm your baby by capturing their footprints or handprints using non toxic paint (as long as they don't ingest it) any more than using some city's water.

How do I wash off stubborn paint or ink from baby's feet and hands?

If warm water and soap aren't washing things off, we suggest coconut oil as a clean option.

Others recommend vegetable oil, baby oil, or petroleum jelly too if you don't have coconut oil.

What paint is safe for babies skin?

The safest paint for babies skin will likely be plant based paints using NON-GMO and organic ingredients like Eco Kids. These are made from ground up potatoes, beets, turmeric, spirulina, and other food based ingredients making them safe enough for baby to eat.

Though those paints tend to be the messiest and don't capture the best baby footprint or handprint keepsake.

Is acrylic paint safe for babies?

If the acrylic paint is AP certificatified which is a seal of the Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI), then it is considered “non-toxic” but it's should still be used carefully and cautiously with babies.

Even with this seal, the acrylic paint for baby footprints or handprints may carry some toxins (heavy metals like cadmium, chromium, lead, and cobalt) but not in sufficient quantities to lead to health problems.

For this reason, we suggest never letting babies, toddlers, or children use acrylic paints for art projects.

However if you want to put baby footprints on canvas instead of paper, we think using an acrylic paint once or twice in the first year couple years of life would be okay as long as you immediately wash it off with soap and water, before they have time to get their toes in their mouth!

Is acrylic paint washable?

Yes, you can wash acrylic paint off baby feet and tiny hands with warm water and soap.

Baby handprint paint ideas:

• January: Make a snowflake with baby's hand prints layered over the palms; Use feet to make a penguin
• February: Make a heart with hand or footprints
• March: Leprechaun with a handprint upside
• April: Handprint to make an umbrella, and footprint is the handle
• May: Flowers – using feet as the stem and hands as the flower; or draw a flower stem and use fingers as the flowers
• June: Butterfly- foot is the center body and hands are the wings
• July: American flag or a fish
• August: Sun or fish
• September: Use the foot to make a tree base, and the hand for the tree top, and fingers to make apples on the tree
• October: Pumpkins
• November: Turkey handprints
• December: Make a Santa (fingers are the beard) with handprints and reindeer with footprints

BONUS TIP: Add a fun quote, poem, or note with your baby handprint art and do it on cardstock paper to make it extra special!

Final thoughts on baby footprint paintings

Little prints of your baby through the years as a newborn keepsake or toddler craft makes a great gift for loved one's. It's a unique way to document the milestone, and as you get lots of experience it becomes an easy feat you can brag about.

For newborns, the Co Little kit is the perfect keepsake, just be sure to get a few Pearhead clean touch ink pads as back ups.

For older kids, ReignDrop Ink Pad or this bulk watercolor pack are going to be your next best picks for low mess with limited smudging and color results that will last. The water color pack has quickly become our new go-to and it's incredibly affordable.

If you want more of a sensory experience, then regular Crayola Washable Kids Paint, or Eco Kids Finger Paint if you prefer a cleaner taste safe option, are both awesome picks.

Originally published 10/21/22; Updated 10/23/23