Craft Recipes for Kids Who Love to Experiment
Play-dough is a favorite for kids of all ages and it’s very simple to make. Mix a cup of flour, a cup of water, a drop or two of food coloring, a half-cup of salt, a tablespoon of cooking oil and 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar in a medium saucepan. Adults can help with the cooking process by heating the mix until it starts to bubble a little. Be sure and stir it the entire time. Remove from heat and continue stirring until the mixture forms a ball and looks like sticky dough. Turn the mixture out onto a floured board and allow to cool just enough to handle it safely. Knead the dough until it is smooth and handles easily. Place in zipper-lock bag to keep pliable.
A similar mix requires two cups of flour, a half-cup of salt, two teaspoons of liquid tempera paint, and a tablespoon of liquid soap. Mix it altogether in a bowl then add 3/4 cup of water or enough to make the dough stiff yet sticky. Knead the dough until it is smooth and pliable. Store in zipper-lock bag.
What kid wouldn’t like to make his own pinata? Mix a quarter-cup of sugar, a quarter-cup of flour, a cup of water, and a half-teaspoon of alum in a saucepan. An adult can assist with bringing the mixture to a boil while stirring continuously. When the mixture has become clear it has cooked enough. Let the mix cool then add a cup of water and mix well. Blow up a balloon, after filling it with small candies, then tie a string around it. Tear strips of napkins and tissue into small pieces – you will need lots and lots of paper pieces to make the pinata. Place them in a large plastic bowl. Dump the paste in, making sure all paper pieces are covered, then begin removing each piece and placing it on the balloon. Be sure to cover the entire balloon with more than one layer of paper. Hang the balloon by the string to dry overnight and your pinata is ready.
Paints are always fun and face paint may be one of the most exciting painting experiences ever, for a kid. Mix a half teaspoon of cold cream with a teaspoon of corn starch in a small plastic bowl and stir well. Add water, a drop at a time, until the mixture is creamy – no more than a half teaspoon. Place a couple of drops of food coloring into the mixture and stir well. Don’t overdo it on the food coloring or it may stain your face. Repeat the formula until you have a bowl of each desired color. Use a paint brush to paint face; use soap and water for clean-up.
Finger painting is also a lot of fun and is easy to make. Mix 3 tablespoons of sugar with a half-cup of cornstarch in a saucepan. Add 2 cups of cold water and have an adult help to cook the mix over low heat until thick. Stir the entire time the mix is cooking. Remove from burner and add a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent. Stir well. Divide the mix into six containers and add a couple of drops of food coloring to each one, making the desired colors. Stir well but don’t use until the paints have cooled.
Make watercolors by mixing a tablespoon of powdered milk with a half-cup of water. Let stand until the bubbles disappear then stir in a teaspoon of powdered tempera paint. Make as many colors as you want by making the mixture in several different containers then stirring in the desired colors of paint. Cover and store in fridge for up to two weeks. Always label experiments and craft projects when storing them in the refrigerator.
Make invisible ink by having an adult cut and squeeze a lemon into a small bowl. Remove any seeds. Use a cotton swab to write on white paper then let it dry, but don’t place it near anything warm like a heater vent or lamp. When the “ink” is dry simply hold the paper near something warm and the writing can be seen clearly. Onion juice works just as well.
Disappearing ink is even more fun than invisible ink but it’s necessary to have some adult help with this craft. It requires iodine, so adults should be the ones to handle the iodine, and should also talk to the children about the fact that iodine is poisonous. Place a quarter-cup of water in a small pan and put in five drops of iodine. In a well-ventilated room an adult should squirt spray starch into the mix for about ten seconds. Kids can dip a cotton swab into the liquid and use it to write on plain white paper. Slowly – really slowly – the ink will disappear. Be sure and wash hands thoroughly after handling iodine.
Make slime and have some fun with your friends by first pouring a half cup of white glue into a plastic bag. Add a drop of food coloring and a small squirt of hand cream or glycerine to the mix. Go really easy on the hand cream. Seal the bag, leaving very little air inside, then roll and squeeze to mix. In a second bag, add 3/4 cup of warm water and have an adult add a tablespoon of borax. Seal the bag and shake until well mixed. Pour a couple of tablespoons of the warm water mix into the first bag and close. Use your hands to knead the mix. Pour the rest of the warm water mixture into the first bag and seal. Knead until you have a solid glob then remove and allow any excess water to drain. Place the slime in a clean bag and seal until you’re ready to use.
Kids can tie-dye shirts with their own formula which is simply Kool-Aid mixed with a fraction of the water usually required. Mix several different colors then paint or dip the shirts. Be sure and put a piece of plastic between the front and back of the shirt to prevent “bleeding”. Craft recipes are fun but an adult should always be present when the recipe calls for anything that could be dangerous if swallowed.
