Face painting is a fun summer activity that you'll find at festivals and fairs. But it's fun to do this yourself for birthday parties, family reunions or weekend fun. Of course, the best colors come from professional kits that can be fairly expensive. I've found that most kids don't care about perfection or fancy colors. The painting itself is fun for them, and homemade paints are gentle and do the job.

Here is a good basic recipes for homemade face paint:

You'll need:

• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. water
• 1/2 tsp. cold cream
• food coloring (paste coloring will give deeper colors, click to order)

Mix cornstarch and cold cream together until smooth. Mix in water and food coloring. Store in an airtight container. Repeat this for each color. Visit your local dollar store or look for store brand cold cream. There is no need to use expensive brands. One jar will make a lot of paint. Mix it up and store in baby food jars or film canisters and keep them closed when you aren't using them.

I've seen a lot of ideas for elaborate designs that cover the entire face. This is fine IF the child has the patience to sit through the entire process. Keep in mind this is suppose to be fun and it won't be if they start getting crabby and you have to keep asking them to sit still.

In my experience, the quick fun designs are best. Small children who are first timers may be hesitant-try painting their hand, and later they may want their face painted.

Start with a clean face. Baby wipes work well for this. Apply thin layers of paint and allow them to dry in between colors. (Blow on the painted spot and you'll not only dry it a little faster but you will have a giggly kid too!) Make your designs freehand or use stencils. If you don't have any, check the bargain section of a craft store. Usually there are some fun designs--the sillier the better.

Wash your brushes between colors and make sure the brush that it isn't too wet-it will make the colors runny. Have paper towels on hand to dry the brushes and cups of water for washing between colors.

The best tip though is to have fun and take a lot of great pictures for the scrap books!