Read The Preschooler’s Busy Book Online
Authors: Trish Kuffner
The Preschooler’s Busy Book (26 page)
Makes about five dozen two-and-a-half-inch ornaments.
Modeling Clay
2 cups salt
2
/
3
cups water
Saucepan
1 cup cornstarch
½ cup cold water
Stir salt and water in a saucepan over heat four to five minutes.
Remove from heat; add cornstarch and cold water.
Stir until smooth; return to heat and cook until thick.
Store in a plastic bag.
No-Bake Cookie Clay
These ornaments are not edible!
2 cups salt
2
/
3
cup water
Medium saucepan
1 cup cornstarch
½ cup cold water
Rolling pin
Cookie cutters
Straw
Paint, glitter, and other decorative materials
Mix salt with
2
/
3
cup water in a medium saucepan.
Stir and boil.
Add cornstarch and ½ cup cold water and stir.
If the mixture doesn’t get thick, set it back on the stove.
Sprinkle some extra cornstarch onto the table, roll out the dough with a rolling pin, and cut with cookie cutters.
Use a straw to make a hole at the top for hanging.
Dry and decorate with paint, glitter, and so on.
No-Bake Craft Clay
1 cup cornstarch
1¼ cups cold water
2 cups baking soda (1 pound)
Saucepan
Food coloring (optional)
Plate
Damp cloth
Tempera paints or acrylic paints (optional)
Shellac, clear acrylic, or clear nail polish
Combine cornstarch, cold water, and baking soda in a saucepan; stir over medium heat for about four minutes until the mixture thickens to a moist mashed-potato consistency.
For color, add a few drops of food coloring to the water before it is mixed with the starch and soda.
Remove from heat, turn out onto a plate and cover with a damp cloth until cool.
Knead as you would dough.
Shape as desired or store in an airtight container or plastic bag.
Objects may be left to dry then painted with tempera paints or acrylics.
Dip in shellac, spray with clear acrylic, or brush with clear nail polish to seal.
Bread Clay
6 slices white bread
6 tablespoons white glue
½ teaspoon detergent or 2 teaspoons glycerin
Food coloring
Paintbrush
Acrylic paints, acrylic spray, or clear nail polish
Remove the crusts from white bread and knead the bread with glue plus either detergent or glycerin until the mixture is no longer sticky.
Separate into portions and tint with food coloring.
Let your child shape the clay.
Brush the finished
product with equal parts glue and water for a smooth appearance.
Let dry overnight to harden.
Use acrylic paints, acrylic spray, or clear nail polish to seal and preserve.
The following glue and paste recipes use a variety of ingredients and methods.
Choose the one that best suits your project.
For variety, add food coloring to glue before using.
Store all products in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Glue
¾ cup water
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon white vinegar
Small saucepan
Small bowl
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¾ cup cold water
Mix water, corn syrup, and white vinegar in a small saucepan.
Bring to a full, rolling boil.
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with cold water.
Add this mixture slowly to the hot mixture, stirring constantly until the mixture returns to a boil.
Boil for one minute, then remove from heat.
When slightly cooled, pour into another container and let stand overnight before using.
Homemade Paste
½ cup flour
Cold water
Saucepan
Flavoring and/or food coloring (optional)
Add some cold water to the flour until it is as thick as cream.
Simmer and stir in a saucepan for five minutes.
Add a few drops of flavoring and/or food coloring, if desired.
This recipe makes a wet, messy paste that takes a while to dry.
Papier-Mâché Paste
1 cup water
¼ cup flour
5 cups lightly boiling water
Large saucepan
Mix flour into one cup of water until the mixture is thin and runny.
Stir this mixture into the lightly boiling water.
Gently boil and stir for two to three minutes.
Cool before using.
No-Cook Paste
½ cup flour
Water
Salt
Bowl
Mix flour with water until gooey.
Add a pinch of salt; stir.
Use the following recipes to make interesting materials for use in various arts and crafts projects.
Colorful Creative Salt
½ cup salt
5 to 6 drops food coloring
Wax paper or microwave-safe container and microwave
Add food coloring to salt and stir well.
Cook in a microwave for one to two minutes, or spread on wax paper and let air dry.
Store in an airtight container.
Use as you would glitter.
Pasta Dye
½ cup rubbing alcohol
Food coloring
Bowl
Variety of dry pasta
Newspapers
Wax paper
Spoon
Mix alcohol and food coloring in a bowl.
Add small amounts of various dry pasta to the liquid and gently mix.
The larger the pasta, the longer it will take to absorb the color.
Dry on newspapers covered with wax paper.
Egg Dye
¼ teaspoon food coloring
¾ cup hot water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Bowl or cup
Eggs
Measure all liquids into a bowl or a cup and mix.
Use different food coloring in each container for desired shades.
Soak eggs in the dyes until they reach the desired shades.
Ornamental Frosting
This frosting works like an edible glue; use for gingerbread houses or other food projects that you want to eat!
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted (about 4 cups)
Bowl
Egg beater
Damp cloth
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar in a bowl until stiff peaks form.
Add sifted icing sugar and continue beating until mixture is thick and holds its shape.
Cover with a damp cloth when not in use.
This mixture can be made several hours or the day before using.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Crazy Can Activities
The following activities are suitable for a Crazy Can (see
Chapter 1
).
These activities are suggested because they require no special materials, need no time-consuming preparation or cleanup, and above all, demand a minimal amount of adult participation.
Some of these ideas require a little advance planning (i.e., have a map or clues prepared in advance for the Indoor Treasure Hunt).
These activities will provide you with an instant remedy when things start to get crazy, or when there’s just “nothing to do.” (The number following each activity refers to the page on which that activity is found.)
Cards
134
Carpet Raceway
43
Clean Coins
19
Clothespin Crayons
175
Count the Coins
24
Counting
127
Crayon Rubbings
178
Flour Drawing
58
Funny Face
221
Hand Drawings
180
Hide and Seek
45
Indoor Sandbox
25
Indoor Tent
29
Indoor Treasure Hunt
51
Kickball
99
Lid Art
31
Little Carpenter
33
Musical Glasses
21
Nail Board
27
Paint the House
91
Paper Punch
25
Pasta Play
61
Play with Boxes
53
Pretend Islands
49
Rainbow Drawing
175
Sandpaper Play
92
Scribble Drawing
180
Sharpen a Pencil
26
Shoe Trail
51
Sidewalk Drawing
88
Sticker Play
30
Super Suds
20
Wash the Dishes
98
Washing Windows
21
Gifts for Kids to Make and Give
Most kids love to give gifts almost as much as they love to receive them, and the excitement is usually intensified if the gift is something they have made themselves.
The following activities provide fun and easy ways for kids to personalize their gift-giving.
The number following each activity refers to the page on which that activity is found.
Christmas Bells
328
Christmas Card Holder
329
Christmas Dough Ornaments
311
Christmas Place Mats
313
Coat Rack
260
Crunch and Munch
80
(in a Coffee Can Canister
243
)
Edible Necklace
109
Egg Carton Flowers
255
Fantastic Fudge Brownies
77
Heart Necklace
274
Homemade Peanut Butter
60
Lollipop Tree
330
Make a Tape
48
Napkin Rings
251
Noodle Necklace
249
Ornaments or Refrigerator Magnets (see Clay recipes,
358
–
362
)
Photo Ornaments
316
Picture Frame
252
Picture Place Mat
221
Picture Soap
254
Plaster Hand and Footprints
213
Playdough Jewelry
236
Rice Krispie Snowman or Christmas Tree
325
Snow Globe
322
The following activities can be used to create unique and personal greetings cards and gift wrap
Christmas Rubbings
324
Coffee Can Canisters
243
Cookie Cutter Cards
235
Crayon Rubbings
178
Foil Wrapping Paper
229
Foot Painting
192
Framed Flowers
240
Fruit Rub
178
Glitter Shapes
133
Hand Drawings
180
Heart People
274
Homemade Gift Wrap
314
Thank-You Cards
323
Thumbprint Mice
176
Wax Paper Art
244