Kitchen Stories: 'The Dot' Inspired Backyard Food Fight

This Backyard Food Fight tutorial and shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #allessentials #allsulfatefree #CollectiveBias

Our Kitchen Stories series takes us on another adventure… an old-fashioned backyard food fight! We’ve got the supplies for the fun and clean-up to make this a summer bucket list item you’ll definitely want to plan on doing with your kids!

“Just make a mark and see where it takes you. – ‘The Dot’ by Peter H. Reynolds”

Isn’t that how most things in life start? In the story, ‘The Dot,’ student Vashti, overwhelmed by an art project, is told by a teacher to start with a mark. Her mark was a dot, and that dot inspired a gallery full of artwork.

Can’t we all relate to that? I’m soooo intimidated by arts and crafts. Where most people let loose, I get nervous. Am I doing it right? And, the mess!!!!

Let loose this summer with an old-fashioned backyard food fight! We've got the supplies for the fun and clean-up to make this a summer bucket list item you'll definitely want to plan on doing with your kids!

It’s really hard to photograph kids sitting.

My kids steer away from craft projects just like I do. But after reading ‘The Dot,’ I realized I want my kids to leave their mark. In whichever way that inspires them.

As long as it’s in the backyard. And, I can easily clean it up (hello NEW sulfate free all® fresh clean ESSENTIALS®!!) Can’t take the Type-A out of me, no matter how hard I try.

The concept: Edible Finger Paint. The reality: Backyard Food Fight. The experience? Priceless.

Backyard Food Fight Tutorial

At first, I thought I’d just set my two-year-old down for a good ol’ finger painting session with food-dyed yogurt. Easy to make and edible, I figured it would be an easy-to-clean-up activity. Except… he absolutely would not put his fingers in paint. Not a fan of messes. I’m guessing it was a bit of an apple-tree situation.

So the concept evolved to include my kids and the neighbs. Make it a game – Backyard Food Fight with the colored yogurt. All kids in white tee’s. Each kid gets a color. All kids get a paint brush. For enough paint for five kids, I divided 64 ounces of vanilla yogurt, and added six drops of food coloring to each cup.

On your mark, get set, paint your friends.

Once I realized the food fight was on some game-rules were established: No poking in the faces with brushes. No attacking mom!!! Kid that gets his color on the most people wins.

I don’t think my kids have ever had more fun.

Food Fight Clean-Up

At the end of the day, there wasn’t anything that couldn’t be cleaned up with some wipes, a few licks from Molly-the-dog, and sulfate free all® fresh clean ESSENTIALS®.

NEW sulfate free all® fresh clean ESSENTIALS® delivers a powerful clean without harshness. The sulfate-free formula infuses fabrics with essential, proven and effective ingredients for deep cleaning and stain lifting even on the toughest stains. Like food-colored yogurt. 😉 I also love that you can find all of the ingredients on the back of the bottle so you know what ingredients are going onto your family’s laundry.

And, my husband’s t-shirts are as clean as ever. The proof is in the ~~pudding~~ yogurt. Which you can no longer see. Let’s add this to the list of things my husband never needs to know happened.

You can find all® fresh clean ESSENTIALS® on the top shelf of your local Walmart! Be sure to grab this coupon for $1.50 off one (1) all® fresh clean ESSENTIALS®! Offer is valid from May 1 – July 31 or while supplies last. How will you be getting messy this summer?

Love this idea? Check out our ‘Count the Monkeys’ Banana Ice Cream Recipe and our Moonsquirter Pasta Sauce post!