Project 2: Homemade Playdough with texture

Recipe from here: http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/06/03/homemade-playdough-from-homemade-by-jill/

We added small dry brown beans (actually they were black eye peas) to the dough for a fun texture. We also tried uncooked and rice and noodles; neither of which worked very well, but the beans were really fun! They made the dough feel kind of like one of those soothing balls, and they made awesome eyes for the creatures we made!

They boys helped make the play dough and played with it after. (Actually only one of the boys since the other didn't get his chores done in time.)

Supplies needed:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons cream of tarter
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/4 cup salt
• food coloring
• dry beans

Prep: HARD
Clean-up: MEDIUM
Time it took: 30 minutes to make plus 30 minutes to play

Notes:
Motivated boys to do chores: YES
Kept their attention: YES
Easy: YES
Stress Level for Mom: LOW

Required supervision: YES for the first 30 min., NO for last 30 min.
Messy: A Little
Breakable: NO
Harmful/ Dangerous to play with: NO

And so it begins... Project 1: Stick Snakes

Idea from here: http://www.creativejewishmom.com/2010/06/summer-crafting-painted-stick-snakes-sssssssss.html

Our simplified version:

Supplies Needed: Paint, Paintbrush for each color of paint, Craft googly eyes, All-Purpose Glue, Sticks (the boys found these in our yard as part of the activity), Garbage bag to cover table

Prep: EASY
Clean-up: MEDIUM
Time it took: About 20 minutes to paint, but then I let them paint on paper and that kept them busy for at least 30 minutes more which gave the paint time to dry so we could glue the eyes on.

Notes:
Motivated boys to do chores: YES
Kept their attention: YES
Easy: YES
Stress Level for Mom: LOW

Required supervision: YES
Messy: YES
Breakable: YES, If played with eyes may fall off
Harmful/ Dangerous to play with: NO