Thursday, March 1, 2007

Kid Concoctions


The last MOPS group I attended was so much fun. Six various stations were set up to try out various crafts to do with your kids. I loved the idea so much, I want to share some of them with you! So much more original than baking cookies, although I love to do that as well!

Foamy Paint for the bathtub
1 can shaving cream
Food coloring
Place a small amount of shaving cream into several small containers. Add 1-2 drops of shaving cream and mix thoroughly. Seal. Great for use during bath time as an alternative to colored soaps.

Bathtub finger paints
1/3 cup mild liquid dish detergent
1 TBS cornstarch
Food coloring
Ice Cube Tray
Mix all ingredients except food coloring in a mixing bowl. Pour equal parts of the mixture into several sections of ice cube tray. Add one or two drops food coloring to each section and mix with a small spoon. Let set.

Flubber
Solution A: 3/4 cup warm water, 1 cup white glue
Solution B: 4 TSP Borax, 1 and 1/3 cups warm water

Mix the two solutions in separate bowls. Pour solution A into solution B. DO NOT MIX OR STIR. Lift flubber out.

Oobleck
1 and 1/2 cups cornstarch
1 cup water
Mix these two together. You will end up with a product that looks at first like a solid. But, if you set something on top of it, it will act like a liquid.

Crystal Garden
6 TBS salt
6 TBS liquid bluing (in laundry aisle)
6 TBS water
1 TBS clear ammonia
Food coloring
Several charcoal briquettes
Arrange charcoal in a glass bowl or pie plate. Combine salt, bluing, water, and ammonia. Pour over charcoal and drop various colors of food coloring all over. Crystals will begin to grow for several days over the charcoal.

Window Clings
White glue
Food coloring
Transparency Sheets
Patterns
Open white glue bottle and add a few drops of food coloring. Mix Well. Put lid back on bottle and screw on tight. Place pattern (such as coloring book picture) underneath transparency sheet. Trace the patter with continuous bead of glue and fill in. Let dry for at least 24 hours. Peel off and place on window. Store between wax paper.

Magic Wishing Potion
Tall pilsner type glass
Bowl
1 TBS baking soda
Food coloring
White vinegar
Place the glass into the bowl. Put the baking soda and a few drops of food coloring in the glass and add the vinegar. This will boil over like a magic wishing potion.

Fruity Lip Gloss
2 TBS solid shortening or petroleum jelly
1 TSP sweetening fruit flavored powdered drink mix (we used Kool-aid)
4 drops vitamin E oil
Small plastic container (Michaels has great ones for this)
Mix shortening, vitmin E oil, and drink mix together until smooth. Microwave on high for 30 seconds until mixture is liquid. Do not overheat. Allow mixture to sit about 5 minutes to allow sugar to dissolve. Stir. Refrigerate until firm.

Invisible Messages
Light colored paper
Same color crayon as paper
Watercolor paints
Paintbrush or sponge brush
Water
Draw a design on the paper with the same colored crayon. Brush different colored watercolor paint over the paper to reveal a secret drawing.

Please note that in many cases, mixing sticks are not mentioned in the materials needed, but we had a bunch on every table along with wet wipes and paper towels. A trash can nearby would also be wise.
My favorites were the fruity lip gloss, the foamy paint, and the blubber. One time note: each station took longer than I thought, so if you are doing this under a time frame, please take note. When my son is a little older, these would be a fun way to spend a morning. Much better than watching TV:-) Good luck and have fun!

1 comment:

~Jennifer said...

oh, cool recipes! Thanks for sharing. It's been a long time since I made a concoction like one of those. Bet my 3 year old would love one.