How To: Apply A Temporary Tattoo to a Crowd of Children

This summer, temporary tattoos are all the (marketing) rage. Or they always have been and now I’m just noticing. Even our neighborhood ice-cream social was inundated with the faux skin art, provided by none other than the Police department. While a clever idea to de-vilify the Police, they made a strategic error…they didn’t provide a way to apply then at the point of delivery. That is a major “no no” as no sooner were all the kids ecstatic for receiving them they were just as quickly hysterical that they couldn’t put them on.

With only a single water bottle and a mass of children, the math didn’t look in my favor…too many arms, not enough water.

Here is the solution we stumbled upon:

1. place a napkin under your ice cream bowl
2. eat ice cream, place tattoo on skin
3. cover tattoo with napkin
4. wait 30 seconds
5. remove napkin and backing
6. enjoy your new skin art
7. use napkin to clean up after ice cream

The secret to this trick is condensation. If you’re outside, there is a good chance you napkin will already be wet, but it doesn’t have to be. As long as it’s cold, when you put it on your warm skin, it will condensate, providing just enough moisture to let everyone know that you are a friend to the local Police department.

FYI: This trick works especially well with Jamba Juice (who give temporary tattoos out to kids). Just wrap your $6 smoothie with a napkin.