Art Activity

Fabric paint used to decorate bibs, craft aprons, tote bags, t-shirts. The infants can make hand and foot prints and everyone leaves with something that they made.

Cupcakes and everyone can decorate them.

I have one but it has peanut butter. Don't know if any of the kids are allergic. HOWEVER, you should be able to find several online. Even if it isn't the edible kind, there are easy recipes and the colors can come out BEAUTIFULL and bright, depending on the type of color you use.

What about picture projects? This way, they can design them at THEIR level. Use food...beans, different pastas, etc.

How about simple games or divide them into two groups and each group play a game. Anything from Twister to Cootie, UNO, etc. Have them MAKE UP games. THAT'S ALWAYS enlightening!!

I SPY. Riddlee, Riddlee, Ree.

How about letting them make their own snack or snacks. Each brings or decides on a specific thing to put into the mix/trail mix....pretzels, chocolate chips, etc. Might make two and each child picks one thing to put into it. That way you have two different snacks and I would suggest adding a fruit. THEN, if you want, put both mixes together and see what you come up with.

I heard of an edible play do recipe that calls for equal parts powdered milk, peanut butter and honey. Have fun!!

I agree with sidewalk chalk - always fun! So are fingerpaints, but they can be a bit messy. Coloring is a hit for every age group, too!

I have 3-activities that I received from my daughter's Preschool.

Creamsicle OJ-

1 can (6oz) frozen oj concentrate
1 cup cold water
1 cup of milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
10 ice cubes (put in when ready to serve)

Mix well, add ice cubes.
I usually double the amount
Serves 4-6 people

Slime or Silly Putty

(A) 1 tsp Borax
1/3 cup water

(B) 1/2 cup Elmers All-Purpose Glue
1/2 cup water
food color

1) Mix (A) and (B) in separate bowls
2) Pour (A) and (B) into one bowl and stir
3) Mixture is ready when it does not stick to the spoon

Playdough

1 cup of flour
1 cup boiling water
2 TBSP cream of tartar
1/2 cup salt
1TBSP oil
food coloring

Mix and knead together

Enjoy, I have not done these yet. But, I have seen both with my daughter at school.

J. R.

My friend gave me a recipe for peanut butter playdough, I haven't tried ti yet but her 2 kids love it!
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
4-6 corn flour, corn meal or corn mix (Jiffy mix)
Combine peanut butter and honey, add corn flour until desired consistency
Use wax paper, create and eat!

sidwalk chalk is always fun

Since it's before Father's Day, if these are all children with dads at home, an activity we did with a group of kids a few years back was to make "hand prints" on homemade clay. It was airdry clay, made in advance with salt and corn starch (cooked on a stove top then cooled). If this is something you'd like, I'll look up the recipe - let me know. My daughters were five, and five years later, my husband still has these. :)

Hi J. ---how about getting cookies dough and making some small "gingerbread boys and girls" although they will like the regular cookie dough best. Just make a paper form to use to cut out the dough before baking. Make them big--the kids will love that and it is easier to decorate! Then some fun things to decorate with. Candies, pretzels make great hair, and of course icing from the can. You could even use fruit like sliced strawberries, blueberries and kiwi for it to be more healthy! It may be messy but it will be fun. This is an activity I used with my 3 boys for birthday parties, christmas and even easter activities (easter bunny cookie). My boys are now 27,24 and 12 ----but they have fond memories of this and the youngest one loves to help the little ones in our extended famil. L. from Columbus Indiana.

familyfun.com has a recipe, I've also seen a food based finger paint recipe someplace.

Crayola makes a washable sidewalk paint. Most of the kids could participate and really color up your driveway and sidewalk. My neighbor used it and most of it washed away after one rain. There was a very light and minimal paint left after the rain. Within the next rain, or day with the sprinkler, it had completely disappeared. It's non-toxic. I don't know if it stained clothes, but you could always have them put on old t-shirts or swim clothes since it was water soluable.

Also, this was a fun activity for the neighborhood kids. I live in a townhouse, so there are always like 10 kids playing out front. I went to a jacuzzi dealer and they had these huge boxes from the jacuzzi's they had set up. They were probably about the size of a refrigerator box. I got like 10 of them and set them up in an arrangement out front. I taped the openings, so they wouldn't fall down. The kids made a maze out of them. They were big enough that even the 10 year old boys next door could crawl through them... or I could...lol. The kids got out their chalk, markers and crayons to draw on the outsides of the boxes. They made castles, houses, animals, flowers, etc. They had tons of fun. They lasted about a week before the rain hit them. Then I just broke them down and put them in the sanitainer. It was great fun at no cost. Kids love boxes.

J.,

One great activity that the kindergarten on up can do is an easy one! If you buy a 5 x 7 plastic picture frame and on the OUTSIDE of the frame facing the inside tape a design on it. Have the kids use permanent markers on the INSIDE of the frame. When they are done coloring, take the picture off from the outside of the picture frame and crumple up aluminum foil...put that inside of the picture frame. Put your back on and you have a beautiful stained glass picture....