Frugal Ideas For Homemade "Things To Do"

[cat lover]

Children's Soap Bubbles


2/3 cup water
1/3 cup dish soap (palmolive works best)
3/4 tsp glycerin (available at drug stores)

Mix the water, soap, and glycerin and blend well. You can also add food coloring if you want. Good to make ahead of time in large quantities and store in a plastic container.

[RobertaD]

I read a cute tip this week for a way to use up those little chalk pieces. Grind them up keeping the colors separate then add a little water to each color to make a chalk paint. Then let the kids paint on the sidewalks, etc. when it is time for clean up you can easily hose it off.

Roberta

[Coll]

Save up cardboard tubes. Challenge the kids to create something. They can make a marble tube run, binoculars, etc.

[Lifestar]

I used to do this when the girls were little. I'd also have them do their finger painting in the bathtub. it made cleanup (of the craft and the child) a snap!

Home Made Finger Paints

2tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 cups cold water
1/4 cup clear liquid dish soap
food coloring or food coloring paste (the paste/gel colors make more vibrant paints than the liquid coloring)


Directions:

Mix together sugar and cornstarch in a small pan, then slowly add cold water.
Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture becomes a smooth; almost clear gel about 5 minutes.
When it's cool, stir in clear dishwashing liquid.
Scoop equal amounts of the mixture into containers and stir in food coloring or, for even more vibrant colors, use food-coloring paste.

I used recycled cup-sized deli containers to mix and store the paints.

[ajrsmom]

Originally Posted by Lifestar

I used to do this when the girls were little. I'd also have them do their finger painting in the bathtub. it made cleanup (of the craft and the child) a snap!

Home Made Finger Paints

2tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 cups cold water
1/4 cup clear liquid dish soap
food coloring or food coloring paste (the paste/gel colors make more vibrant paints than the liquid coloring)


Directions:

Mix together sugar and cornstarch in a small pan, then slowly add cold water.
Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture becomes a smooth; almost clear gel about 5 minutes.
When it's cool, stir in clear dishwashing liquid.
Scoop equal amounts of the mixture into containers and stir in food coloring or, for even more vibrant colors, use food-coloring paste.

I used recycled cup-sized deli containers to mix and store the paints.

Did you find that using the paste food coloring it stained the tub or kids?