How to make homemade Play Dough Recipe Ideas (Edible) and Pistachio Experiment

Ever wonder how to make play dough at home? 

We love to play with squishy dough. It is great for sensory play, especially when it has a scent. This recipe for how to make homemade play dough (Play-doh) is scented and edible, but not very tasty. Enjoy?

Scented Play Dough for a true Sensory experience.

How to make your own DIY Edible Face paint Ideas & Recipes & Build Self-Esteem: The Thing About Monsters is

How to make edible face paint and recipes for Toddlers and Kids of all Ages

Remember, You Can do it with Creative Play and a Can-do Attitude. Recently, we did a post about Monster Trouble (Our first KCC Kids Video) check out the fun here. SCROLL DOWN to see DIY Face Paint Recipes for face paint/makeup, lip gloss, sensory play and Witchy Me.

Monster Trouble?

Face Paint Kit by Alex Toys.

In the video in the post, a sneaky monster is made with items from our costume trunk/creative play stash and Alex Toys Face Paint Studio. Not once, have we posted pictures or recipes of our homemade and edible face paints. During our creative play and messy classes playing with face paint has been a staple. So, read on to discover many ways to create self-esteem, a fun day of creative play, how to make less of a mess, and enjoy the little time you have with your littles and not so little ones.

Sneaky Monster peeks out of the brush.

I see you and your Monster Face paint.

It's hard to see, but he was modeled after the Connect a giant Monster kits above from Alex Toys. The Monster has a purple and green nose and red and orange eyes. This is a great kit for your older kids. Give them a mirror and a book of silly face ideas and let them go wild! Creative Play is a great self-esteem builder. Let them try out different faces, remove the paint with a little water or vaseline on a cotton ball, and be sure to tell them how great it looks. No buts or maybe ifs allowed.

Homemade face paint.

What's that you say? You don't want to have to clean up the mess? Put them in an empty tub the mess will clean itself, but make sure your little Max Factor helps. They might complain, but cleaning up after themselves teaches responsibility and independence. I can do it! Yes, you might have to tidy up- just don't complain about it.  You don't want your child thinking they can't do anything. If they can't even clean up after themselves they'll stop trying! So, count to 10, take a deep breath, and then say, I love how you are learning to clean up after yourself; it makes me so proud!

Do you want to be remembered as the Mom with the spotless house or the Mom who was so fun and positive? Your choice, you decide.

Crazy Blue Face Paint Fairy.

How to Make your own Face Paint (Recipe):

Cold cream, Food coloring, Cornstarch, Egg Carton.

Start with 1 C. of cold cream (Noxzema type)

Slowly mix in 1/2 to 1 C. cornstarch until it is a smooth, creamy consistency.

Divide into an egg carton or muffin tin.

Add 1-2 drops of food coloring. Experiment with more or less and color combinations.

Use cotton balls or paint brushes to paint a masterpiece on your face.

Most colors will wear off quickly or wipe off easily with water due to the cold cream. Sometimes, yellow requires a little petroleum jelly to remove all the residue. 

With experimentation you can get professional results with these ingredients. It does dry and get crackly. Some kids don't like this sensation others think it's cool.

Homemade Face paint and makeup recipes.

Make your own Edible Face Paint for Preschoolers and Toddlers:

Caregivers, do you need 20 minutes of me time? This is AMAZING. If you don't want to leave the little alone in the bathroom spread an old, white sheet or vinyl tablecloth on the floor. Cornstarch, food coloring or colored drink mix, water, white flour, big spoons, and mixing bowls.

Start with 1/4 C. of flour

Mix in 1/2 C. of cornstarch or powdered sugar (think icing)

1/2 to 1 C. Cool Whip (Readiwhip doesn't work.)

Sift with fingers to mix and enjoy the sensory aspects.

Slowly add 1/4 to 1/2 C. water stir with spatula

Water and cornstarch make an interesting science experiment so make sure to add the flour and Cool Whip first. Mix to a creamy icing consistency ~ Spreadable.

Divide into egg carton and add food coloring or Drink Mix powder (Kool-Aid) works best.

The little will have a blast studying their face and admiring their handiwork  Let them remove their shirt and paint tattoos on their belly or  bugs on their hands. This is a fun way to teach babies eyes, nose, mouth, etc.

The ingredient measurements are guidelines. Warm water vs. cold, warm house vs. cool all of these can affect the makeup- experimentation is key.

Mixing paint is great for fine motor skills and sensory learning.

Make your own EASY FACEPAINT / MAKEUP

Kid’s Yummy Lipstick Recipe:

Petroleum jelly, honey, maple syrup, or non-imitation vanilla, unsweetened drink powder for color and flavor.

Put Petroleum jelly into microwave safe dish

Microwave the petroleum jelly for 30 seconds to one minute until 

warm, remove and stir.

Add Kool Aid and Honey

Mix well
Spoon into gift containers, refrigerate.

Changing Hair Color:

Experiment with Conditioner or Petroleum Jelly and unsweetened drink powder, & Baby Powder. Spray Aqua Net to set the color. May take several washings to wash out. We found a YouTube Video here.

Happy Halloween and Haunting  or Go break a leg!

Recommended Reading:

Fun Face Painting Ideas for Kids

How to make play dough at home and 12 Fun Things to do with Play Dough

Looking for fun things to Make at Home?

Maybe you need an easy recipe for how to make dough or you're wondering how do I make play dough at home? How to make clay dough for older kids Here are fun clay and dough recipes to make at home with kids of all ages.

How to make play dough recipe:                                                         
2 c. corn starch, 1 c. salt, 1 1/2 c. boiling water, 2 tbs. cream of tartar, 2 tbs  oil (vegetable oil to keep it edible or baby oil to make it fun and a pleasant scent) Mix all ingredients together, then add a couple drops of your favorite food coloring. You can also separate into individual baggies, add a different drop of food color to each bag, and knead to mix. Let the kids do this for extra sensory play! You can make it without cream of tar tar too; the oil will fill the void it just might not stay fresh as long :)

 Sensory Guest Post from Krissy Sherman Bonning, Mama of 3, and Blogger  at B.Inspired, Mama!  (Connecting moms with kid-friendly arts & crafts, easy recipes, and preschool learning fun.) Hop over to Krissy's blog and check out all of the cool  fun from a Mommy with a Master's degree in Art Education.

I found an exciting feature on her blog, she accepts Submissions from other bloggers! Get your fun ideas posted and earn yourself some much deserved recognition.

Fun things to do with Playdough at home.

My kids’ go-to sensory activity is definitely play dough.  The ways you can play with it are endless.  And adding unusual objects and art supplies to it make it even more fun.  Here are some of our favorites:

1. Stencils – Use them to place on the play dough and trace around, press into the play dough to make impressions, and for imaginative play, too. 
2. Recycled Bottles – Next time you drink something out of a plastic bottle, check out the bottom.  It will probably make a really cool flower-like impression in play dough.  (from B-Inspired Mama)
3. Cardboard Boxes – Play dough details can turn boxes into buildings and even an entire city.  (from Inspiration Surrounds, Creativity Abounds)
4. Muffin Cups – Silicone muffin cups are perfect for making pretend cupcakes and muffins for an impromptu Birthday party or picnic.  (from B-Inspired Mama)
5. Fake Flowers – Plant them in play dough to make a beautiful flower garden for imaginative gardening fun. (from The Imagination Tree)
6. Animals – Green play dough makes the perfect jungle for little animal friends. (from Picklebums)
7. Googly Eyes – Bright your play dough to life and make silly monsters with lots of googly eyes. (from Pink and Green Mama)
8. Candy Molds – Use chocolate play dough to make pretend candies and fun shapes with candy molds.  (from Learning 4 Kids)
9. Laminated Play Dough Mats – Laminate images and learning worksheets for kids to add play dough details, letters, and snakes to.  (from Planet of the Apels)
10. Alphabet Cookie Cutters – Make play dough fun a learning opportunity by adding letter cookie cutters.  (from No Time for Flash Cards)
11. Glitter – Add lots of glitter to turn play dough into a glistening glob for galaxy fun.  (from Poppytalk)
12. Trucks & Cars – Play dough makes fun hills for driving over and tires on toy vehicles make awesome impressions.  (from B-Inspired Mama)

Do your kids like playing with play dough? Have you ever used anything unusual to make it more fun?

Recommended Reading:

Fun-tastic Clay Critters to Make

Modeling Clay Animals

Sensory Play Dough Recipe

Edible Paint Craft: Kissing Hand Preschooler Sensory Art

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn is the perfect Story for the First Day of School

This story is so sweet, a little tale about Mama and Baby Raccoon. Mama kisses her baby's hand before he heads for his first day of school. We've made a companion craft for preschoolers with a Sensory Play appeal that uses our special recipe for edible paint.

The Kissing Hand with Craft for Preschool and Kindergarten.

Chester Raccoon's Mom reassures him he will enjoy school. She takes his hand, gives it a kiss and tells him to touch his cheek when he needs a kiss. He gives his Mommy a kissing hand too. And, we've made one for you to share with your little ones.

How to Make an Edible Handprint for The Kissing Hand Book

Vanilla Jell-O Pudding Cups

Gel Food Coloring

Strawberry Gel Pie Filling

Sugar Sprinkles

And lotsa love...

Edible Paint Recipes

The Kissing Hand book.

Look, it's a craft. It's a dessert!  It's crafty, edible art!

This hand-print is 100% Edible and Yummy too.  Jell-O Pudding Cups make the perfect finger paint, just add a little gel food coloring. We let the kiddos mix in red and blue for a fun color mixing experiment, then we got some gooey, strawberry pie gel, plopped it in the middle to show where to kiss, and then added purple sugar sprinkles on top.  

It smells and tastes great and after six weeks this one still looks the same (no nasty rotting) so pin it on your fridge or better yet, frame it!

Recommended Reading:

The Kissing Hand

One Tricky Monkey

Ten Easy Sensory Play Activities for Children

Easy Sensory Play Activities for Kids

Squishy, slimy, cold, hot, ooey, and gooey are a just few good words to describe Sensory Play Activities which help children of all sorts, but especially those with Sensory Processing Disorders. Enjoy!

Sensory Play Based Learning Activities.

Splat! Release your inner Pollack:
Put on an old shirt, attach old white sheets to the walls and floors and get splatting. Don't be worried if it takes your child a while to warm up to the idea. Let them watch you or other kids enjoying the activity; before you know it your child will ease into the action. Some kids just like to watch. Their eyes are processing!


Wet! Release your inner Monet:

Play with your Food and Paint it with Milk Paint.

Milk paint on Toast. It is fun to eat!

Pound! Pretend You're a Chef:

Bake some Homemade Pizzas or Dough-nuts ~Donuts then pound, roll, and flatten. Even everyday family activities can be sensory play.

Pound a pretzel.

Baking is the oldest form of sensory play.

Slimy! Sensory Egg Sparkly:

Decorate them, crack them, and eat them. This is a virtually mess-free way to decorate eggs for those who have issues getting their hands dirty. Try to touch the eggs and compare and contrast the un-decorated egg versus the one with sparkle. How does it feel?

Decorating Eggs is a Sensory Activity.

Bump! Baby Boppers:

It's like Sumo Suits and Bumper Cars all rolled into one.

Bounce into your buddy or roll around on the ground- bet you 

can't get up by yourself! We got these at orientaltrading.com 

Bumper Rings.

Cold! Shaving Cream:
Shaving Cream, Food Coloring, and the Great Outdoors what could be better? I know, Cool Whip and Food Coloring. It works great as Sidewalk Paint too.

We made a shaving cream cake in our Messy Play Class for preschoolers.

Blow! Marshmallow Sensory Fun: Squishy, Soft, Suck in through a straw, Hold, Drop into a cup. Times Up ~ Most in Cup Wins.

Squish! Sensory Spaghetti with Edible Paint

Sensory Spaghetti Play Ideas

Think! Creative Play:  

Gone Fishin' with Rainbow Fish

and Ziploc Aquarium Squishy.

Pretend to fish with Pool Noodles.

Packing peanuts are fun, but please be careful and never leave a child unattended. They are a choking hazard and if left alone, a child could suffocate in a large pile.

Tickle! Packing Peanuts:
More fun than a ball pit. Play in them or make a Snowy Craft.

Bearded with Shaving Cream Fun.

Recommended Reading:

What is Sensory Play?

Pat the Bunny (Touch and Feel Book)*

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Wordless Wednesday: Things to do with Peanuts: Sensory Play

Packing Peanuts are Fun for Sensory Play

Baby Shipment via U.P.S. Baby had so much fun, even though he looks serious. Careful though, playing with packing peanuts makes a fun, sensory experience for babies and toddlers. Make sure you stay close, peanuts are a choking hazard and with this many peanuts baby could sink and get frightened in the pile of peanuts.

Baby playing in Packing Peanuts.

We never left his side, packing peanuts are a serious choking hazard.

Serious thinking while playing in packing peanuts.

"I feel like I'm inside a peanut avalanche."

Chillin' in Peanuts; now that's a fun thing to do with packing peanuts.

Turkey Footprint Art for Thanksgiving

Paper Footprint Art Turkey Thanksgiving: Easy, Cute Craft for Preschool

This turkey Footprint paper craft for Preschoolers is easy and fun for kids to make at home. Little ones will get a kick out of tracing their feet. Make it a sensory activity by tracing their feet for them- it tickles! Gobble Gobble. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links.

Paper Footprint Art Turkey Thanksgiving.

For the turkey above, use four feathers (footprints). The fourth
footprint becomes the turkey's body. Just attach feathers on the toes.

Paper footprint turkeys with handprint neck.

Paper Thanksgiving Turkey Footprint Craft.

You can also use four or more feet for feathers, and cut a body from brown paper. Don't forget to give your turkey feet.

Make a Footprint Turkey for Thanksgiving.

How to Make Footprint Turkey

Stand on construction paper and trace your feet. Bigger feet need two sheets, little feet only require one. Jake thought this was fun. He loved the idea of taking his shoes and socks off to do a craft project.

How to Make Footprint Turkey.

Make a fist and have someone trace it for you.

Trace your feet.

Trace your fist to make the turkey body and head.

 Cut the fist and the feet out.

Paper footprint craft.

Baby Feet.

Glue the feet together in a fan shape. The more feet you trace, the fuller your turkey feathers will turn out. Then, glue the fist cut-out into the middle of the feet-feathers.

The fist is the turkey's head and neck. Add feet, eyes, beak, and a gobbler. We added a body, because we thought he looked off balance. Additional feathers solve that problem.

When it's all done, cut up an old fridge magnet, and glue it to the back of the turkey with tacky glue. Pictured below is the head from Amanda's Turkey Snack Cup.

 

Magnet Turkey Craft.

  

Recommended Reading:

Eatable Edible Turkey Craft

All New Crafts for Thanksgiving (All-New Holiday Crafts for Kids)

Fall and Halloween Crafts for Children