These are recipes that we use occasionally in the classroom that you can also use at home!
Play-dough
2 cups plain flour (all purpose)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
Up to 1.5 cups boiling water (adding in increments until it feels just right)
food coloring (optional)
a few drops glycerine (optional-adds more shine)
Mix dry ingredients plus oil in a large mixing bowl. Add the food coloring to the boiling water (this will help the color blend a lot better). Then, add the water to the dry ingredients and stir until it becomes a sticky dough. Add glycerine if you wish. Allow it to cool down and then knead the dough for a few minutes until it is less sticky. If after a few minutes it is still a little sticky then add a touch more flour.
Slime (Flubber)
1/2 cup Elmer's white glue or school glue gel
1 teaspoon borax (found in the laundry detergent isle)
1 1/2 cups water
food coloring (if desired)
2 bowls
Mix 1 cup water and borax in a bowl and stir until borax is dissolved, then set aside. In another bowl, mix 1/2 cup water, glue and food coloring. Add the glue mixture to the borax solution, stirring slowly. The slime will begin to form right away. Stir as much as possible and then take slime out of bowl to knead it. Knead the slime until it becomes less sticky.
Floam
2 tsp borax
1/2 cup of warm water and 1/4 cup of warm water divided
2 oz of white school glue
1 1/3 cups of polystyrene beads
food coloring (optional)
Combine borax with 1/2 cup of very warm water and stir until the borax is dissolved. In another bowl, combine remaining warm water with glue. Add food coloring to clue mixture if desired. Pour both mixtures into a ziploc baggie and add the polystyrene beads. Seal the bag and mix inside the bag until the floam is well formed. More or less water will allow different floam consistencies.
Moon Sand
9 cups very fine sand (Crayola makes colored sand that is very fine)
3 cups constarch
2 1/2 cups water
Mix cornstarch and sand then add water. Start with 2 1/4 cups water and then continue to add until you have the right consistency. Each time you bring out the sand to play you might need to add an additional couple tablespoons of water to moisten the mixture.
Watercolor Paint (found via growingajeweledrose.com)
Method 1- Liquid Watercolors:
Dried-out markers
Water
Jars/containers
Tape
Bundle the markers together by color, using at least three for each color of watercolor paint that you are making. Tightly secure the marker bundles with tape. Then, place the bundles upside-down in containers of hot water. Leave the markers to sit for 2-4 hours.
Method 2- Watercolor Cakes:
Baking soda
Food coloring
Water
An ice cube tray
Begin by filling each slot of the ice cube tray roughly 3/4 of the way with baking soda. Add 1-2 drops of food coloring to each slot, using varying colors as you go. Then, slowly begin to add water to each slot and gently mix. As you add water the baking soda will dissolve. Finish the slots with more baking soda, slowly adding more and gently mixing until you have a really thick consistency with minimal residual water. From here you can leave the watercolor cakes out to dry, or you can pop the tray in the freezer for faster results. Drying out of the freezer may take up to 24 hours, but in the freezer the watercolor cakes will be set in 3-4 hours. Once the watercolor cakes are set you will be left with beautifully vibrant paints that kids can use again and again! All you need is a bit of water and a few brushes!
Puffy Paint
1 tbsp self-rising flour
food coloring
1 tbsp salt
little bit of water (begin with 1/4 tsp)
Mix all ingredients together and add more water if needed.
Chalk Paint
1 cup water
1 cup cornstarch
food coloring
Mix water and cornstarch together and pour into small cups or a muffin tin. Add desired colors of food coloring to each cup. That's it!
Dry Colored Noodles (great for lacing and developing fine motor!)
Rubbing alcohol
Uncooked pasta (if you are wanting to make a necklace, noodles with big holes are easier for little hands)
Ziploc baggies
Food coloring
Separate noodles into different baggies, one for each color. Add one tablespoon of alchohol to each bag and a few drops of food coloring. Seal the bags and shake around to distribute the color. Once the pasta is coated in the alcohol and coloring mixture, pour the pasta out onto a lined cookie sheet until the noodles dry out.
2 cups plain flour (all purpose)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
Up to 1.5 cups boiling water (adding in increments until it feels just right)
food coloring (optional)
a few drops glycerine (optional-adds more shine)
Mix dry ingredients plus oil in a large mixing bowl. Add the food coloring to the boiling water (this will help the color blend a lot better). Then, add the water to the dry ingredients and stir until it becomes a sticky dough. Add glycerine if you wish. Allow it to cool down and then knead the dough for a few minutes until it is less sticky. If after a few minutes it is still a little sticky then add a touch more flour.
Slime (Flubber)
1/2 cup Elmer's white glue or school glue gel
1 teaspoon borax (found in the laundry detergent isle)
1 1/2 cups water
food coloring (if desired)
2 bowls
Mix 1 cup water and borax in a bowl and stir until borax is dissolved, then set aside. In another bowl, mix 1/2 cup water, glue and food coloring. Add the glue mixture to the borax solution, stirring slowly. The slime will begin to form right away. Stir as much as possible and then take slime out of bowl to knead it. Knead the slime until it becomes less sticky.
Floam
2 tsp borax
1/2 cup of warm water and 1/4 cup of warm water divided
2 oz of white school glue
1 1/3 cups of polystyrene beads
food coloring (optional)
Combine borax with 1/2 cup of very warm water and stir until the borax is dissolved. In another bowl, combine remaining warm water with glue. Add food coloring to clue mixture if desired. Pour both mixtures into a ziploc baggie and add the polystyrene beads. Seal the bag and mix inside the bag until the floam is well formed. More or less water will allow different floam consistencies.
Moon Sand
9 cups very fine sand (Crayola makes colored sand that is very fine)
3 cups constarch
2 1/2 cups water
Mix cornstarch and sand then add water. Start with 2 1/4 cups water and then continue to add until you have the right consistency. Each time you bring out the sand to play you might need to add an additional couple tablespoons of water to moisten the mixture.
Watercolor Paint (found via growingajeweledrose.com)
Method 1- Liquid Watercolors:
Dried-out markers
Water
Jars/containers
Tape
Bundle the markers together by color, using at least three for each color of watercolor paint that you are making. Tightly secure the marker bundles with tape. Then, place the bundles upside-down in containers of hot water. Leave the markers to sit for 2-4 hours.
Method 2- Watercolor Cakes:
Baking soda
Food coloring
Water
An ice cube tray
Begin by filling each slot of the ice cube tray roughly 3/4 of the way with baking soda. Add 1-2 drops of food coloring to each slot, using varying colors as you go. Then, slowly begin to add water to each slot and gently mix. As you add water the baking soda will dissolve. Finish the slots with more baking soda, slowly adding more and gently mixing until you have a really thick consistency with minimal residual water. From here you can leave the watercolor cakes out to dry, or you can pop the tray in the freezer for faster results. Drying out of the freezer may take up to 24 hours, but in the freezer the watercolor cakes will be set in 3-4 hours. Once the watercolor cakes are set you will be left with beautifully vibrant paints that kids can use again and again! All you need is a bit of water and a few brushes!
Puffy Paint
1 tbsp self-rising flour
food coloring
1 tbsp salt
little bit of water (begin with 1/4 tsp)
Mix all ingredients together and add more water if needed.
Chalk Paint
1 cup water
1 cup cornstarch
food coloring
Mix water and cornstarch together and pour into small cups or a muffin tin. Add desired colors of food coloring to each cup. That's it!
Dry Colored Noodles (great for lacing and developing fine motor!)
Rubbing alcohol
Uncooked pasta (if you are wanting to make a necklace, noodles with big holes are easier for little hands)
Ziploc baggies
Food coloring
Separate noodles into different baggies, one for each color. Add one tablespoon of alchohol to each bag and a few drops of food coloring. Seal the bags and shake around to distribute the color. Once the pasta is coated in the alcohol and coloring mixture, pour the pasta out onto a lined cookie sheet until the noodles dry out.