Category Archives: Things to do with kids:

Things to do with kids: DIY Art recipes

Posted on by

Here are some recipes to keep your kids busy this summer!

Finger paint

¼ cup cornstarch
2 cups water

Mix in saucepan and boil until thick. Then pour into a jar and add food coloring until the desired shade is achieved. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Another Finger paint recipe

Basic Finger Paint Recipes
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 Cup cornstarch
2 Cup water (cold)
Food coloring
Dish detergent (aids in clean up)
Mix sugar and cornstarch together in a saucepan. Add cold water and stir completely. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly about 5 minutes. Cool, then divide into 4 cups or bowls. Add food coloring and a drop of detergent to each bowl.

Poster Paint Recipe
1/4 Cup flour
1 1/2 Cup water
3/4 Cup dry poster paint powder or dry tempera paint
2 teaspoon colorless dish washing detergent (optional)
2 tsp. liquid starch (optional)
Place flour in small saucepan. Gradually stir in 1 cup water. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool. Measure 1/4 cup mixture into each of 4 small clean jars. Add 2 tablespoons water to each jar; blend well. Add 1/2 teaspoon dish washing detergent to each jar if glossy finish is desired or add 1/2 teaspoon starch to each jar for matte finish. Store tightly covered. Mix well before using.

Scratch and Sniff Paint Recipe
Mix flavored gelatin or kool aid package into half the water suggested in the package directions. Paint with the scented mixture and allow to dry. You will have a scratch and sniff painting

What craft recipes would you like see?

Karen

Things to do with kids: Make Shields!

Posted on by

 Things to do with Kids: Make shields

This isn’t a shield that you can play with! Unless you  make it out of extremely sturdy cardboard and heavy duty aluminum foil and duct tape! I also assume that you have common supplies like glue, tape, scissors, and a heavy helping of common sense. Therefore, I will not tell you to supervise your kids, you know their abilities and are the best judge of this!

Supplies:

Aluminum foil

Some kind of cardboard or poster board, old cereal box covers work great too!

Permanent markers assorted colors (like Sharpie or Bic)

Depending on age of your artist you will want to supervise accordingly!

Here we go: draw a shield shape on the cardboard  narrower than your aluminum foil and cut it out.

TIP: If you have a bunch of kids of younger ages,  make tracers (draw some shields up and cu them out on paper) so they can trace their shields and you will get to help them a minimum.

Pull out the foil and lay it shiny side down on a table. Place the shield shape on the dull side of the foil and fold the foil over the cardboard. You might need to clip the curves so that the curves show up.

Then tape the foil to the shield. I go overboard on this and pretty much tape the whole thing.

Then carefully turn the shield over and color with the sharpies!

There you go one shield project for your knights  and ladies!

Of course you should talk about heraldry and chivalry while you are making these!

See you later,
Karen