Summer Fun

CRAFT RECIPES FOR BORED KIDS

Here are a dozen play-time ‘recipes’ to help keep your children entertained on school holidays or rainy days.  Learn how to make homespun goop, papier mâché, cinnamon ornaments, soap crayons and much more. Pull out this article and stick it to your fridge – it will be one of your best weapons against the ‘boredom’ gremlins!

Washable window paints
A selection of tempera paints (powdered or premixed)
Clear dishwashing liquid
Mix powdered paints with dishwashing liquid until they resemble house paint. Line the window sashes with masking tape and spread newspaper under the window area to protect flooring. To erase paint or touch up mistakes just wipe paint away with a dry paper towel.

Home-made coloring books

Download a dozen or so coloring sheets from the Net and collate them into a coloring book. Put this aside for rainy days or for long car/train/plane journeys. Little girls love to color images from fairy tales and of Princesses while boys prefer images of cars and trucks and of favorite characters such as Pokemon’s Pikachu. At sites like Pokemon Coloring Pages you’ll find  an array of Pokemon coloring pages

Cinnamon ornaments
3/4-1 cup applesauce
1 (4.12-oz.) bottle of ground cinnamon
Mix applesauce with cinnamon to form a stiff dough. Roll out to 5mm thickness. Cut with cookie cutter and make hole for ribbon using the end of a drinking straw. Carefully put this aside to dry for several days – turning occasionally. This recipe makes 12 sweet smelling ornaments/drawer scenters.

Goop

2 packets of cornflour
2 cups of water
Several drops of food colouring

Place newspaper or plastic sheets on your work surface. Mix the ingredients in a large bowl. Children love goop’s squeezy and squishy consistency. You can also use coloured or black paper to make goop paintings if you wish. To remove goop from carpets, allow it to dry, then brush or vacuum. The wonderful thing about goop is that it may be re-used after it has dried out. Crumble it to a powder then restore it to the original consistency by adding water a tablespoonful at a time.

Funny putty
2 tablespoons of white glue
1 tablespoon of liquid starch
Food colouring
Mix glue and desired food colour. Pour starch over top. Swish so that all the glue is covered. Let set 5 minutes. Squeeze off the extra starch and knead until mixed.

 

Bubbles
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of glycerine
2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap
Mix together the glycerine with the soap. Pour in sugar. Add food colouring if desired.

Papier mâché

1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
1/2 inch strips of newspaper
Balloon/s

In a large bowl, mix flour and water – add more flour is mixture is too sloppy (dripping). Place newspaper strips into mixture, then smooth onto blown up balloon. Cover the balloon completely twice, letting it dry in between layers. Do not cover the balloon’s knot. Dry in a nice, warm place for two or three days… then hold the knot and pop the balloon with a pin. Paint, glitter and decorate the balloon as is or cut in half so you have a bowl/hat shape to embellish.

Modelling/play dough
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
water
food colouring

Mix the ingredients and knead to a dough consistency. Place the dough artwork in the oven on a low heat to speed up the drying process.

Soap crayons

1 3/4 cups of soap flakes

50 drops food colouring
1/4 cup water

Mix water and soap flakes together. Add food colouring and put mixture into an ice cube tray. When hardened, pop the ‘ice cubes’ out. These soap crayons are fun to write with on the tub and tiles when bathing. If grouting stains, spray with a weak solution of bleach.

Sand dye

Fine sand

Water

Food colouring

Paper cups

Plastic spoons

Fill paper cups half full with sand. Next, add water to cups to completely cover sand. Add food colouring to get the desired colour. Stir with plastic spoon and let set for 15 minutes. Pour off water and then spoon sand onto paper towels and spread the sand out to dry. Use sand to make pictures (spread glue on paper and sprinkle sand on top) or to fill pretty bottles in layers.

Cornstarch Art/Finger-paint

3 tablespoons of cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

2 drops of dishwashing liquid

1 cup boiling water

Food colouring

Combine cornstarch and cold water – stir until smooth. Add dishwashing liquid. Pour boiling water into the bowl – then stir until the mixture thickens. Add food colouring and let cool. Use this exactly as you would use store-bought finger paint.

Puffy Paint

Flour

Salt

Water

Tempera paint

Mix equal parts of flour, salt and water in a bowl. Add a small amount of tempera paint to the mixture and pour into a small plastic squeezy bottle. Repeat this over and over to make as many colours as you wish. Squeeze this onto heavy paper or cardboard to make crazy designs. Mixture will harden into puffy shapes.

Colourful Salt

1/2 cup salt

5 to 6 drops of food colouring

Add food colouring to salt. Stir well. Cook in microwave for 1-2 minutes or spread on waxed paper and let salt air dry. Store in an airtight container and use as you would glitter.

Summer Fun!

Progressive International PLP-1 Freezer Pop Maker $17.44 Chill out and make some icy treats with Progressive’s ice pop maker. Designed to be used in the freezer, the maker can freeze up to ten delicious treats. Perfect for parties, snacks, and birthdays, the pops can be made with any liquid you choose; fruit juice, yogurts, and more. The maker includes 50 wooden ice pop sticks to get you started, and uses an included lid to protect the pops while in the…

Nostalgia Electrics ICMP-400BLUE 4-Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker $37.49 Nostalgia Electrics ICMP400BLUE 4-Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker, Blue Type: Ice Cream Maker. Creates a Variety of Ice Cream Flavors. 4 Quart Aluminum Canister. Plastic Bucket . Plastic Dasher. Electric Motor Does the Churning. 50 watt Motor. Recipes Included in Instruction Manual. Easy to Use, Easy to Clean…

Big Mouth Toys The Grill Sergeant BBQ Apron $11.99 n the epic battle of Man vs. Meat, you’ll be prepared to bark out orders (or take them!) in a camo-patterned survival apron! Includes assorted pockets and holders for 6 beverage cans, all your grilling artillery and utensils–plus a bonus bottle opener! 100% cotton with side ties & adjustable neck strap; one size fits all. 34″ long from top of bib to bottom hem. Accessories not included. Importe…

Happy Summer Days [VHS] $12.99 …

Life Under Water (PBS American Playhouse) [VHS] $1.00 Keanu Reeves and Sarah Jessica Parker star in this adaptation about five unusual characters whose lives interweave late one summer along the lush beaches of East Hampton, New York. [cc] 1984, 59 minutes/Not Rated. Grades 7-12….

Disney Sing Along Songs: 101 Dalmatians / Pongo & Perdita [VHS] $9.80 It’s the day of the annual Bow-Wow Ball at the Dalmatian Plantation! Pongo, Perdita, and Nanny do their best to keep your favorite puppies from Disney’s live-action hit, 101 DALMATIANS, out of trouble before their friends arrive for the big party. Videos features a never-before-released song from Disney’s animated 101 DALMATIANS. Don’t be late — you’ll have a ball….

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Big Splash $8.95 Aloha, Everybody! Ready for waves of laughter and adventure? Then put on your floaties, grab your boogie boards and jump in! It’s the hottest day of the year — even Goofy’s chicken noodle ice cream cone has melted into soup! So Mickey and his pals are cooling off at Star Lake. Pete’s hosting a Hawaiian luau, and it just might be the best beach bash ever, but only if YOU can help the gang pick the…

Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer $3.99 …

Shag $4.02 It’s not too surprising that Shag flopped on its 1989 release but found a devoted cult following on cable TV and home video. This featherweight comedy looked like a waste of space on the big screen, but it plays very cozily on the tube, where it lends itself to popcorn breaks and pajama parties. (The lousy title must have had something to do with the movie’s initial failure, a problem worsene…

Jell-O Gelatin Dessert, Watermelon, 3-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 4) $4.96 Watermelon Jell-o 3oz box…