Creative crafts for your kids—in a pantry near you
By Amy Clark
of The Motherload
As a parent, I’ve sometimes made the mistake of buying toys for my kids, thinking that they will entertain my children for months. Many times, my kids lose interest before I’ve even come close to getting my money’s worth out of the items we’ve bought.
I’m learning that with a little creativity, I can find oodles of fun using ingredients from our own pantry and craft supplies. The best part about creating your own entertainment is that it not only is frugal but also allows you to bond with your children.
Here are just a few of my favourite recipes to keep the kids entertained when the weather’s bad and I’m looking for a creative way to keep them busy.
Scratch and Sniff Watercolours
15 mL (1 tbsp) unsweetened powdered drink mix
15 mL (1 tbsp) warm water
Several Ziploc® brand Containers
Mix the water and unsweetened drink mix together in a Ziploc® brand Container. Repeat this step several times, using various flavours of drink mix to create different colours of paint. Encourage your kids to then paint on paper. Allow finished works to dry overnight before scratching and sniffing.
Silly Putty™*
15 mL (1 tbsp) liquid starch
30 mL (2 tbsp) white glue
Food colouring
Ziploc® Snack Bag
Mix the white glue and food colouring together in a small bowl. Pour the liquid starch into a second small bowl. Slowly pour the glue mixture on top of the liquid starch. Allow the concoction to stand for five minutes or until the glue absorbs the liquid starch. Remove the putty from bowl and knead it. At first, this mixture may look as if it’s a mistake, but it isn’t. The more you knead the putty, the better the consistency will be. Store in a Ziploc ® brand Snack Bag so that you can keep the putty fresh and reuse it for days to come!
Pudding Paint
1 large package of instant vanilla pudding 100 g (3.4 oz)
125 – 250 mL (1/2 – 1 cup) of cold water
Food colouring
Saran™ Premium Wrap or Saran™ Cling Plus®
Ziploc® brand Plastic Containers
Whisk the water and instant pudding together in a bowl for two minutes. Cover the bowl with Saran™ Premium Wrap or Saran™ Cling Plus® and refrigerate it for five minutes. Divide the mixture into several Ziploc® brand Containers. Add five to seven drops of food colouring to each container and mix. You can paint with a brush or use them as finger paints.
Edible Play Dough
60 mL (1/4 cup) peanut butter
125 mL (1/2 cup) powdered milk
7.5 mL (1/2 tbsp) honey
Ziploc® brand Easy Zipper® Storage Bag
Pour the peanut butter, powdered milk and honey into a Ziploc® brand Easy Zipper® Storage Bag . Close the bag and knead it until the mixture turns into dough. Do not reuse or store this dough. You can use raisins and assorted candies to add eyes, mouths and other features to your edible creations.
Invisible Ink
30 mL (2 tbsp) pure lemon juice
Cotton swab
Ziploc® brand Containers
Pour the lemon juice into a small glass or Ziploc® brand Container. Soak one end of the cotton swab to write a secret message or draw a picture on a sheet of paper. When you’re ready to view your secret message, hold the sheet of paper near a light bulb. The heat will slowly turn the lemon juice dark brown and reveal a hidden message.
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* Silly Putty is a trademark of Crayola LLP.
