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KIDS CLAYS & OTHER NON-FOOD RECIPES

© Christine Barron

Welcome to summer! Kids are just starting to get out for summer vacation, and it's important to have interesting and educational activities for them to do over their break. There's a lot to learn from playing with clay and from creating other non-food concoctions, and the best part is...It's just FUN for them! They have no idea that it's educational for them! They can have hands on experience measuring ingredients and can practice small-motor skills as well. The benefits are overwhelming! I have come across some great ideas working with my children on projects using non-food recipes, and I have found tons of great ideas on the web as well. I hope you find some of them useful and that you share them with your children!

One of my favorite things to create in the kitchen with the kids is clay. It's just magical to watch a few simple household ingredients turn into clay. Use your imagination...you can add glitter and coloring to the clay, and it's also nice to add scents to them too, provided you make sure it's non-toxic and that the child won't eat it! ( It's sooo tempting for a child to want to eat it if it smells and looks yummy!) Encourage your child to take the clay project even further...make small objects out of the clay and attach them, after they dry, to a simple carboard or wooden picture frame. Or take those small clay objects and hang them with fishing line to make a cute and colorful mobile. Glue them to a board to make a welcome sign or a picture for their room. Try making Christmas ornaments or gift tie-ons. Or make napkin rings and place cards to create a festive table. Make beads and string them on shoe strings. Please keep in mind that these clays can also be used by you bigger grown-up kids too, so take some time and make this creative time a wonderful family experience for you and your child!

I have found that most clays can be created by using simple, household items that most folks already have in their pantries. My favorite clay recipe is made using corn starch and salt, and cooks up easily and consistently. It can be found at this site, along with MANY other recipes: http://members.mintcity.com/countrykidsc... I love to add bright colors to this clay, and the cornstarch give it a nice sparkle all on its own. It has a good shelf life too, and can simply be stored in an airtight container or baggie. Check out Jim Speirs' page, http://www.melborponsti.com/speirs/crafts for some wonderful clay recipes and other non-food creations to make with your children. Here is an edible clay...(a HEALTHY edible clay...what a concept!): http://parentingteens.about.com/library/...

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