Monday, July 15, 2013

Giant Bubble Creation




Ingredients:
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 cups dishwashing soap
  • 6 cups of water


Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, combine water and corn syrup together
  2. Add dishwashing soap slowly, mixing well 



Note: We like to stand in a kiddie pool and create a human bubble! While child is standing in the center of the pool, place a hula hoop around their feet. Soak the hoop well, and slowly raise it over the child’s head.
 


 



Mango Paletas (A.K.A. summer time popsicles!)




Summer time Popsicles
Serves 10
2 large mangos or 4 small (peeled and diced)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  Add more water if needed.
Pour into a paleta mold (essentially a popsicle mold), insert wooden sticks and freeze for about 4 hours. Run your mold under warm water to loosen the paleta.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Silly Putty: by Crafts for Kids, PBS


We here use theraputty with different levels of putty strength to increase the muscles in our hands and fingers. Silly Putty is a wonderful tool used to support developing dexterity skills.

Ingredients:
  • Elmer's Glue-All multipurpose glue
  • Sta-Flo concentrated liquid starch
  • Food coloring


Directions:
  1. Mix entire glue bottle and food coloring
  2. Pour the liquid starch into the mixture (the same amount as the glue)
  3. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes
  4. Pull the putty out of the mixing bowl and set it on a paper towel. Knead the putty in your hands for five to ten minutes.




DIY Playdough: by Artsy Farts Momma


Who doesn't like to create shapes and objects with soft playdough? This activity helps developing fine motor skills with pinching and smoothing the fingers to shape the dough.
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 2 tbsp cream of tartar
  • gel food coloring


Directions:

  1. Pour the water and vegetable oil in a saucepan. Add in the flour, salt, cream of tartar and a teaspoon or two of gel food coloring. Lightly stir together to combine.
  2. *The dough will end up being about the same color that it is now, so add more food coloring now if you want the color to be richer/brighter.
  3. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly. It should be done in about 4-5 minutes. Because you might panic and think you've ruined it, here is a breakdown of what it looks like throughout the cooking process:
  4. Minute 1: The mixture will combine, and look smooth and beautiful!
  5. Minute 2: You'll start to get chunks. Make sure to keep scraping the bottom and edges of the pan to prevent any pieces from burning.
  6. Minute 3: This is where you might begin to worry that you've messed it up. Looks like a clumpy mess. Don't panic! Just keep stirring!!
  7. Minute 4: The dough will start to form into a ball. You'll know when it's ready when it's not sticky and pulls away from the pan. You can test by pressing the dough with your fingers. It will be hot!
  8. Remove the dough from the pan and place on a plate to cool.
  9. Once cool, knead the dough. This can be done by you or little helpers!
  10. To store, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in a sealed container.