My son is just now getting in to crafts. Help! I am probably the least crafty person that was ever in existence. I can't draw, I can't paint, I can't even colour within the lines. So my recent quest has been to find easy, safe crafts that my son (and I!) can enjoy. Still a couple of months away from being two years old, crafting is a pretty messy business around our house. If we're going crazy with the mess than I'll put one of my husband's old t-shirts on him and cover the table in a cheap plastic dollar store tablecloth, otherwise a plastic bib will do (I found really cheap plastic bibs with sleeves at Ikea). The other factor that I needed was to make sure that the products were safe and "edible" to make sure that if by chance a little bit ventured into his mouth, all would be fine. Here is what I came up with....
Homemade Playdough
Ingredients:
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- 6 tsp cream of tartar
- 3 cups water
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- Food colouring
Directions:
Mix flour, salt and cream of tartar in a large saucepan. Blend water and oil in a bowl and add to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Add several drops of food colouring until desired colour is formed. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove playdough from saucepan and knead for a few minutes, adding flour if its too sticky. This playdough will last about 3 months in an airtight container.
Gluten-free Homemade Playdough
Great for kids who still haven't been introduced to wheat or with wheat intolerances and allergies.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup rice flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup salt
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 tsp cooking oil
- food coloring
Directions:
Combine all ingredients except food coloring in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture thickens and forms a ball. Allow the dough to cool and then add in your food coloring. The dough may be slightly sticky, but just keep kneading and it will turn out well.
Homemade Finger Paint
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups cold water
- food colouring
Directions: In a medium saucepan, mix all ingredients together. Cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly until it is smooth and thick. After it has thickened, remove from the stove and let it cool. Once cool, transfer the paint to a storage jar and stir in food colouring. Store with a tight-fitting lid.
Cornstarch Goop
While not necessarily a "craft" this little gem will keep little ones occupied for hours! Well, okay, maybe not for hours, but definitely for tens of minutes!
Simply place 1 cup of cornstarch in a large flat dish (a metal baking pan works well) and add water a little bit at a time until "goop" is formed. It should not be too watery and not at all powdery – the consistency of clay. The goop will feel hard when the child picks it up and then will turn to liquid in their hands. The activity works best when the dish is a different colour from the goop. Try adding food colouring to the goop for even more fun!
