Here is a Mother's
Day craft that is inexpensive and easy for all ages.
What you need:
Epsom Salts
Food Coloring (NOT
red!)
Essential Oils
(optional)
1 lb. coffee can
for each color
storage container*
scraps of cloth
and ribbon
Directions:
Pour some bath salts into a coffee can. Add a few drops of food coloring
(do not use red) and place lid back on coffee can. While holding on to
both the top and bottom of can, have girls shake, jump, and dance for a
few minutes to mix colors. Remove lid and check color. Be sure to add food
coloring only a few drops at a time. Repeat until desired color is achieved.
Add several drops of essential oils if desired. Add enough to be fragrant
yet not enough to stink. Place a scrap of fabric on top of jar and tie
with a ribbon. Baby food jars, the tiny gift jelly jars, and 1/2 pint canning
jars work well.
*With younger children,
you might place a drop of glue with a hot glue gun on the center of the
lid to help hold the fabric so that the child can tie the ribbon around.
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Natural
Easter Egg Dyes
In all cases, eggs
should be simmered about 12 minutes and allowed to cool in the pans.
Polish the finished (and dried) eggs with vegetable oil. Here are
the colors and ratios of ingredients to use.
Gold--3 tablespoons
of chili powder, 1 quart water, 4 teaspoons vinegar.
Blue, Purple, and
Pink--4 cups of berries, 2 cups of water, 4 teaspoons vinegar.
Rose--Hard boil
the eggs and cool. Cut beets into 1" slices and rub on the eggs.
Let dry.
Marbleized--Wrap
dry onion skins around uncooked eggs and tie with a "twisty". Simmer
for 15 minutes and allow to cool in the water.
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Liquid
Starch Finger Paint
1/4 cup liquid laundry
starch
2 drops food coloring
or 1 tsp. tempera
paint
Mix ingredients
in small plastic bowl until blended.
Cornstarch
Finger Paint
3 tbsps. sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups cold water
Food coloring
Soap flakes
or liquid dishwashing
soap
Mix sugar and cornstarch
in medium saucepan over low heat. Add cold water and stir until mixture
is thick. Remove from heat. Divide into four or five portions (in muffin
tins or cups). Add a drop or two of food coloring to each portion and a
pinch of soap flakes or soap. Stir and let cool. Store in airtight container.
Flour
Finger Paint
1 cup flour
2 tbsp salt
1 1/4 cup hot water
1 1/2 cup cold
water
Food coloring
or tempera paint
Put flour and salt
in a saucepan and add add cold water. Beat with a whisk or rotary beater
until smooth. Add hot water and boil until mixture is thick. Beat until
smooth. Keep in refrigerator and add food coloring as needed.
Laundry
Starch Finger Paint
1 cup laundry
starch dissolved in cold water
1 qt boiling water
1 cup pure white
soap flakes or powder
Food coloring or
poster paint
Add boiling water
to starch and cold water mixture and boil until thick. Remove from heat
and stir in soap. Divide into small containers and add food coloring as
desired.
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Glue
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. white vinegar
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup cold water
Mix water, syrup
and vinegar in small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil. In small bowl,
mix cornstarch and cold water. Add this mixture slowly to first mixture.
Stir constantly. Let stand overnight before using.
Homemade
Paste
1/2 cup flour
Cold water
Add cold water to
1/2 cup flour until a thick cream forms. Simmer on stove for 5 minutes.
Add food coloring or flavoring if desired. Wet messy paint that takes a
while to dry.
Paper
Mache Paste
1 cup water
1/4 cup flour
5 cups lightly
boiling water
Mix flour into one
cup water until mixture is thin and runny, stir into boiling water. Gently
boil and stir for 3 minutes. Cool before using. (Use with newspaper/newsprint
strips for Paper mache).
Library
Paste
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. alum
4 cups water
Oil of cloves
Mix all ingredients
in saucepan and cook until clear and thick. Add 30 drops of Oil of cloves
and store covered.
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Poster
Paint
1/4 cup flour
1 cup water
3 tbsps. powdered
tempera paint
2 tbsps. water
1/2 tsp. liquid
starch or liquid detergent
Measure flour into
saucepan. Slowly add 1 cup water until mixture is smooth. Heat, stirring
constantly until mixture thickens. Cool. Add 1/4 cup flour paste into small
jar or plastic container. Add tempera paint and water for each color. For
opaque finish add liquid starch. For glossy finish had liquid detergent.
Condensed
Milk Paint
1 cup condensed
milk
Food coloring
Mix one cup condensed
milk with a few drops of food coloring. This makes a very bright, glossy
colored paint.
Frosting
Paint (non-edible)
1 cup powdered tempera
paint
2 tbsps. wallpaper
paste
1/4 to 1/2 cup
liquid laundry starch
Mix tempera paint
with wallpaper paste. Add starch, mixing until thick enough to spread -
like frosting. Place paint on a plastic lid and use popsicle sticks to
spread.
Face
Paint
1 tsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. cold cream
Food coloring
Stir together starch
and cold cream until well-blended. Add water and stir. Add food coloring.
Using a small brush paint designs on child's face. Remove with soap and
water. Store in airtight container.
Face
Paint for Larger Areas
1 tbsp. solid shortening
2 tbsps. cornstarch
Food coloring
Mix shortening and
starch together until smooth. Add food coloring. Use a sponge or your fingers
to apply to face. Great for turning faces green on Halloween. Remove with
soap and water. Store in airtight container.
Egg
Yolk Paint
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp. water
Food coloring
Mix egg yolk with
water and lots of food coloring. Use a paint brush to paint on baked cookies.
Return cookies to oven until egg has solidified.
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Bread
Dough Roses
Take one slice of white
bread...crust removed.
Two Tablespoons
of Tacky Glue.
Put the two ingredients
in a zip lock back and knead the material together until it loses its tacky-like
finish. It will form into a pliable dough. This material then can be shaped
into beautiful
flowers (roses) and then allowed to air dry. To add color, a small amount
of paint can be added to the dough or it can be painted when dried. Place
a sealer or finish on the roses to preserve. A think layer of tacky glue
or any other type of sealer can be used.
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Magic
Garden Crystals
4 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon ammonia
2 pieces charcoal,
smashed into small chunks
food coloring
Find a small disposable
but waterproof container. Add the charcoal and spread out evenly.
Combine the salt, water, and ammonia in a bowl, and pour over charcoal.
Sprinkle a few drops of food coloring over the whole concoction.
Place the container on a shelf low enough for children to see, and let
them watch it grow.
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Paper
Mache'
1/3 cup White Glue
1/3 cup Water
Newspaper
Mix glue and water.
Tear newspaper into one by 4-6" strips. Brush the glue on, then put a paper
strip. Smooth strip with fingers. Continue on laying down
3-4 layers of strips. Let dry for 2-3 days.
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Playdough
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup salt
1 1/2 - 2 cups boiling water
3 - 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Food coloring
Add oil and food coloring to boiling water. Combine remaining ingredients,
and mix well. As you knead it, the dough will get smoother. Store in airtight
container. Very pliable and easy to roll or sculpt.
Oatmeal
Playdough
1 part flour
1 part water
2 parts oatmeal
Mix all ingredients
until smooth. Knead. Non-edible but not toxic if eaten by mistake.
Uncooked
Playdough
1 cup cold water
1 cup salt
2 tsp. vegetable
oil
3 cups flour
2 tbsps. cornstarch
Tempera paint or
food coloring
Mix water, salt,
oil and enough paint to make bright colors. Gradually work flour and cornstarch
to consistency of bread dough.
Koolaid
Playdough
1/2 cup salt
2 cups water
2 tbsps. salad
oil
2 cups flour
2 tbsps. alum
Koolaid for color
Boil salt in water
until salt is dissolved. Add Koolaid for color. Add salad oil, flour and
alum. Knead or process until smooth. Keeps for two months or longer.
Colored
Playdough
1 cup flour
1 tbsp vegetable
oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp. cream of
tartar
Food coloring
Mix all ingredients
in saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly until ball forms. Knead until smooth.
Salt
Playdough
1 cup salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup flour
Mix ingredients
and cook over medium heat. Remove from heat when thick and rubbery. As
mixturecools, knead in enough flour to make a workable dough.
Simple
Playdough
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups salt
6 tsp. cream of
tartar
3 cups cool water
3 Tbsp oil
Food coloring
Mix dry ingredients
in a big cooking pot. Blend liquids together in a bowl. Combine with dry
ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from
heat when dough pulls away from the sides of the pot and can be pinched
without sticking (about 5 min.) Turn onto board or counter and knead until
smooth play dough consistency. Store in an airtight container.
Potato
Dough
4 or 5 potatoes
1 - 1 1/2 cups
flour
Bake 4 or 5 potatoes,
in the skin, until soft inside. Peel, and disgard peel. Mash potatoes,
use a potato ricer to get a nice fine, even texture. Combine 1 - 1 1/2
cups of flour to every 2 cups of mashed potato and form a dough. It has
no raw egg in it, and leaving it out for a bit, there is nothing in it
to spoil. The color will grey after a while, but if you add food coloring,
when you make it, you won't even notice. If you have extra, roll it is
balls and press your thumb in one side, and roll it across the back side
of a fork. Cook in boiling water for 1 min. and serve either with tomato
sauce or butter or even brown gravy. They taste great.
Creative
Dough
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons cream
of tartar
1/2 teaspoon slat
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable
oil
1 teaspoon vanilla,
optional
about 15 drops
of food coloring, color of your choice
Cook all ingredients
in a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, stirring real hard until mixture
forms a ball. About 4 mins. Remove from pan and let sit for about five
mins. Knead briefly and the dough is ready to use. Store in airtight container
n refrigerator. Half the recipe and make two different colors.
Edible
Peanut Butter Playdough
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 cup powdered milk
Knead until smooth.
Kool-Aid
Enhanced Playdough
Try a variety of Kool
Aid flavors and colors (grape & orange are our favorites). Also, adding
a little alum to the dry ingredients preserves the playdough for a longer
time.
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups boiling water
3 - 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Kool Aid
Add one package of Kool
Aid mix, oil and food coloring to boiling water. Combine remaining ingredients,
and mix well. As you knead it, the dough will get smoother. Store in airtight
container. Delightfully scented, very pliable and easy to roll or sculpt.
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Bakeable
"Salt Clay"
Use cookie cutters or
mold Salt Clay by hand, then bake in a 300 degree oven for use in creating
refrigerator magnets, jewelry, ornaments, keychains, necklaces, and more.
Stir together:
2 cups plain flour
1 cup salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Knead well until it forms a soft ball. Line a baking tray with aluminum
foil, make the shapes you want, and bake in the oven at 300 degrees or
until hard (about one hour). You can use food coloring to color dough before
you bake it, or paint it afterwards. A finishing coat of shellac or clear
acrylic will make your salt clay products last longer.
No-Bake
Craft Clay
1 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cups cold
water
2 cups baking soda
Food coloring
Paint
Mix all ingredients
except paint in saucepan over medium heat for 4 minutes until thick (like
mashed potatoes). Add food coloring to water before mixture adding for
color. Remove from heat, turn out onto a plate and cover with a damp cloth
until cool. Knead like dough. Store in airtight container.
Cookie
Clay
2 cups salt
2/3 cups water
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
Mix salt with water
in saucepan. Stir and boil. Add cornstarch and cold water. Keep heating
if it does not get thick. Roll out dough on board floured with cornstarch.
Dry and decorate ornaments.
Baker's
Clay
4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 tsp. powdered
alum
1 1/2 cups water
Food coloring
Mix all ingredients
in bowl. If too dry work in extra water with hands. Color by dividing and
adding food coloring to each portion. Roll or mold as desired. Once molded
or rolled bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 30 minutes in 250 degree oven.
Turn and bake another 1 1/2 hours. Remove and cool. When done, sand lightly
if desired and paint.
Bread
Clay
6 slices white bread
6 tbsps. white
glue
1/2 tsp. detergent
or 2 tsp. glycerine
Food coloring
Remove crusts from
bread and knead with glue. Add either detergent or glycerine. Knead until
no longer sticky. Separate into portions and add food coloring if desired.
Shape and brush with equal parts of glue and water for a glossy coat. Allow
to dry overnight to harden. Paint with acrylic paint. Seal with clear nail
polish.
Modeling
Clay
2 cups salt
2/3 cup water
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water (cold)
Stir salt and water
over heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cornstarch
and cold water. Mix until smooth, return to heat and cook until thick.
Cool before using. Store in plastic bag.
Play
Clays
Baking Soda Recipe
2 cups Baking Soda
1 cup Cornstarch
1-1/4 cup Water
In medium saucepan,
stir together baking soda, cornstarch and water. Cook over medium heat,
stirring constantly, until it resembles mashed potatoes. Place in bowl
and cover with damp cloth until cool.
Store in sealed
container.
Cornstarch
Play Clay
1 cup Salt
1/3 cup Water
1/2 cup Cornstarch
1/4 cup Cold Water
Food Coloring
In medium saucepan,
mix salt and 1/3 cup water over medium heat, stirring occasionally (about
3-4 minutes.)
Remove from head and add cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Will resemble
mashed potatoes.
Stir till thickens, cool, then knead. If it's too sticky, add a little
more cornstarch. Store in sealed container with piece of damp sponge
up to two weeks.
Cooked
Play Clay I
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Water
2 tsp Cream of
Tartar
1/4 cup Salt
1 tbsp Vegetable
Oil
Food Coloring
Waxed Paper
In medium saucepan,
mix all ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When doughbecomes
harder to stir and gathers on spoon (about 5 min.) dump onto waxed paper,
cool until able tohandle and knead 10-15 times until smooth. Store in sealed
container, keeps up to two weeks.
Cooked
Play Clay II
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Salt
1 tsp Vegetable
Oil
1/2 tsp Cream of
Tartar
Food Coloring
In medium saucepan,
mix all ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cool until
able to
handle and then knead on a floured surface. Store in sealed container,
keeps for 2 to 4 weeks.
White
Bread Clay
1-2 slices White Bread,
crusts removed
1 tbsp White Glue
Rip bread into tiny
pieces in bowl. Add glue and mix with fork till all crumbs are moistened.
Roll into ball.
If too wet add a little more bread. Knead until smooth. If dough dries
out while working, add a few
drops of water and knead. Store in sealed contained in refrigerator up
to a month. Air dries in 1 to 3 days. For a semigloss finish; brush
on equal parts water and white glue.Good for detailedprojects-won't crack
when drying.
No-Cook
Play Clay
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Salt
1/2 cup Very Warm
Tap Water
For Kids who want
to make it themselves. Mix flour and salt, then pour in water and
stir well. Knead for 5 minutes, adding in color as desired. Store
in sealed container, keeps up to a week. Air dry, or small or thin pieces
can be baked at 200 degrees for 2 hours.
Play
Clay Tips
* If clay gets
too dry, renew it with a few drops of water.
* If clay
is too sticky, knead in more flour, cornstarch or baking soda.
* Cover extra
clay with a damp cloth while working to prevent drying.
* To color
clay: either knead in food coloring or cake-decorating coloring paste.
* Most clays
can be colored with acrylic paints when dry
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Paper
Airplanes
Starting with an 8 1/2
x ll" sheet of paper, fold the paper in half lengthwise. Next, fold down
the corners as shown in the figure at left below. Then fold each side down
to the center again, and then again as shown in the illustration below.
If desired, planes may be decorated with crayons, markers, stickers, etc.
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Bubbles
1 cup water
1/3 cup dish soap (Joy, Sunlight, etc)
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
Combine ingredients and enjoy. If you don't have bubble blowers around
the house, be creative and try using different objects from your utensil
drawer, (e.g., apple corer, potato masher, handle of a basting brush, etc.
They work.)
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Silly
Putty
1 part Sta
Flo Liquid Starch
1 part Elmer's White Glue*
Food coloring (optional)
Mix glue and starch together until it feels like a putty. If desired, add
food coloring and mix thoroughly. When not in use, Silly Putty may be stored
in an airtight container.
* Important Note: Be sure to use Elmer's White Glue, NOT Elmer's "Washable"
or "School Glue." Otherwise, you'll just get Gak!
Another
Silly Putty
2 parts white glue
1 part liquid starch
Mix ingredients
and let dry until workable. Add more glue or starch if necessary. May not
work on humid days. Store in airtight container.
Yet
Another Silly Putty
This is really kind
of a tricky recipe because it's like making bread. You gotta make it a
few times to get just the right texture. Also, cheaper brands of glue may
not work as well because they have too much water in them.
Combine approximately
2 parts glue to 1 part liquid starch. Stir it up and it will stick to whatever
you're stirring it with. If the mixture sticks to your fingers, add more
liquid starch. If it won't stick to itself, add more glue. Store in an
airtight container in the fridge. If you want the mixture to get tougher
and thicker, let it dry out a bit in the air. If you get it just right
(wich is rare) it will pick up newsprint like the store bought stuff.
Silly putty is lots
of fun to cut with scissors. Also use some playdough toys with it, or ice
cube trays, muffin tins, plastic strawberry baskets, etc.
Caution: This often
sticks to clothes, hair, furniture. Wear a smock and play with thisstuff
in uncarpeted areas! If you get it on fabric, use vinegar to get it out.
Blubber
Again, watch out for
cheap glue that has too much water in it.
Mix 1/2 cup water
with 1/2 cup glue In a separate container, mix 1/2 cup water with 2 T Borax
(You'll find this hidden away in a tiny recess of your detergent aisle)
Now, while stirring the Borax mixture constantly, add the glue mixture.
It should immediately glump up and look like blubber (Or at least what
we imagine blubber to look like.) If it isn't really glumpy and tough,
mix up more Borax mixture and add that to it. Use the same toys as with
silly putty. This does
not stick to things as much as silly putty.
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Oobleck
or "Play Slime"
Corn starch
Water
Food coloring (optional)
Put cornstarch in bowl. Add enough water to make a paste. If desired, you
may also add food coloring. This makes a messy slime that goes from liquid
to solid, and is great fun to play with. This recipe (or green playdough)
is especially fun to make after reading Bartholomew and the Oobleck
by Dr. Seuss!
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Brighter-than-Ever
Rice Collage
1 cup rice
Approximately 1 teaspoon rubbing alcohol
Food coloring
Paper
Elmer's glue
To color rice, add a few drops of food coloring to alcohol in a jar or
ziploc bag. Add rice and shake. Let dry on waxed paper. (Caution: This
makes a MESS! Wear an apron and cover work area with newspaper.)
Children put some glue on a piece of paper and sprinkle rice onto it.
If you don't have the time or the patience to make colored rice, kids can
also make great collages using any number of everyday items. If you have
noodles, beans, split peas or other dry goods in your cupboard, you have
the makings for a fun and interesting collage.
You can use this recipe
for dying any type of pasta noodle as well.
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Pinecone
Bird Feeders
-
Large pinecones
Peanut butter (Birds
prefer chunky over smooth!)
-
Shortening
Cornmeal
-
Birdseed (optional)
Fishing line, string
or yarn
Wrap and tie string
to top of pinecone. Mix peanut butter, shortening, (such as bacon fat or
melted suet), and cornmeal. Then, spread the mixture onto a large pinecone.
Hang your bird feeder in a spot where you can watch the birds eat. Note:
If you use smooth instead of chunky peanut butter, you may want to mix
in a little bird seed for added interest and enjoyment.
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Did you know? Birds
have trouble digesting peanut butter! It can also get stuck in their beaks.
This is why bird experts recommend the addition of shortening and cornmeal
when preparing homemade birdfeeders of this type.
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Sidewalk
Chalk I
3/4 cup Warm
Water
Toilet Tissue Tubes
1-1/2 cups Plaster
of Paris
2-3 tbsp Powdered
Tempra Paints
Container for Mixing
Cover one end of
tissue tube with duct tape. Place a loosely rolled piece of wax paper into
the tube to create a liner to keep the plaster from sticking to the tube.
Pour water into
mixing container then sprinkle plaster; a little at a time, into the water
until plaster no longer dissolves (approx.1-1/2 cups). Stir thoroughly.
Mix in 2-3 tbsp. tempra paint.
Place tubes sealed
end down on a flat surface. Pour plaster mix in. Tap side of tube to release
air bubbles. Let dry 1-2 days, pull off mold and have fun drawing!
Be sure to rinse
container and spoon outside or in a container of water to avoid clogging
indoor sink drains.
Sidewalk
Chalk II
Water
Plaster of Paris
Large Plastic Container
for Mixing
Small Plastic Containers
for Molding
Water Base Paints
(Washable Tempra)
Fill mixing container
1/2 full of plaster of paris and slowly add water. Stir until plaster resembles
pudding. Add paint until you achieve the desired color. Pour into molds
and let set for about a day or until dry. When dry turn containers upside
down, hit on hard surface until chalk pops out and have fun drawing.
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Macaroni
Jewelry
Dyed macaroni--especially
stars, small short circles or any other small pasta shapes that have holes
through the middle, can be made into colorful jewelry by dropping them
into food coloring, dredging them out and letting them dry on newspaper.
Don't let them soak as it might soften the pasta.
When dry let the
kids string the colored necklaces or bracelets. They should be made long
enough to go over the head or wrist so no clasp is necessary. Turquoise
is lovely (half blue, half green), lime green (yellow and green ), lavender,
lilac, one can go on and on. It's wise to dye a whole batch and use up
the dye in one color before doing another color or a mess is guaranteed.
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Pasta
Dye
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
Food coloring
Mix alcohol and
food coloring in bowl. Add small amounts of any type of pasta to liquid
and gently stir. Dry on newspapers covered with wax paper. Do not allow
children to eat pasta or drink alcohol.
Great
Goop
2 cups water
1/2 cup cornstarch
Food coloring
Boil water in saucepan
- add cornstarch stirring until smooth. Add food coloring and stir. Remove
from heat and cool. Child can play with the goop on any plastic covered
surface.
Whipped
Snow
2 cups warm water
1 cup pure laundry
soap or flakes
Electric mixer
Put water and soap
in large bowl and beat with mixer until very fluffy. Add food coloring
if desired. This can be molded into shapes and left to dry.
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comments or suggestions, email us:
Webpage
designed and maintained by Leilani
Devries
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