So the other day I needed to get some work done and my oldest son really needed something to do besides watching SpongeBob :)
What I needed to do was time sensitive, so I had to think fast. We just moved so a lot of his stuff was still packed, and he was pretty tired of everything we had for him to do. And coloring was out cause that only keeps him occupied for about 20 seconds, and after that we usually end up with some beautiful wall art ;)
My first thought was "Why not set him out on our porch on this gorgeous day and give him something to do out there?" So my next thought was that if he was outside, he could do something messy, which he loves of course. He is the epitome of boy-ness. And really, what 2 year old doesn't love to get their hands in goop and make a mess? :)
"Finger paint! That is the answer!" He's never really painted much before and I knew he would love it. But alas, there was no finger paint readily available. Of course. I usually have great, grand ideas, but they usually fizzle out when it comes to the actual execution. But I was just too sure about this craft-ivity that I wasn't gonna let a lack of Crayola deter it!
So I grabbed a few plastic sauce containers, some food coloring, and some dish soap. Now I know what you're thinking- FOOD COLORING??? Yes it was quite messy, but all evidence was erased the next night at bath time :) So while this experiment was a ton of fun for him, it was rather stain inducing, so I don't recommend having your kid try it right before church in their cute little blazer with the elbow patches on it. It is, however, the perfect thing for a gorgeous day right before bath time :)
My recipe was crude- five drops of food coloring to five drops of soap. Just enough for him to paint with and not spill every where. But more than enough to leave him looking like he just got home from a toddler paint ball tournament as evidenced below:
But trust me, it got MUCH worse :D
So I definitely recommend this crafty project, even if it is messy, cause the results are totally fridge-worthy. :)
And he absolutely loved it :)
But you might try different ratios- more soap and less food coloring might give you better stain results! :)
So what are some of your favorite messy (and non-messy if you prefer :)) summer craft-ivities?
You are so smart! What an excellent idea!
ReplyDeleteThat is such a great idea! I like to make the home-made playdoh with the kids, then I can catch a few minutes to myself while they have a blast. We also use that to make handprint and footprint plaques for special people like grandparents:) The recipe is basically the same then you bake them to harden the dough.
ReplyDeletethe world, but it definitely works in a pinch and I wanted to share :)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I need a good playdough recipe! That is next on my list. What is yours?
I also want to learn how to make that gak/ goop stuff- very messy but the kids love it! And cornstarch and water is always a hit! :)
1/4 cup salt
ReplyDelete1 cup flour
1/4 cup water
food coloring (more for darker coloring, less for lighter coloring)
This doesn't hold up as long as the cooked version, but it's cheap and simple enough to throw away and remake. I used to have a recipe for the goop, but not sure what happened to it. I love the cornstarch and water myself! Ok, who am I kidding, I still play with all of it lol!
Hahaha! I know, I love to play with all that stuff too! And thx for the playdough recipe. It's so simple! I'll have to make some for the kids tomorrow :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by - what a fun project. I loved making finger paint with my daughter. Maybe I'll try the playdough recipe, too!
ReplyDeleteYes, I can't wait to try the play dough! Glad you liked the finger paint! My son flipping loves it :)
ReplyDelete