6 Ft. Bubbles
1 c. Yellow/blue ultra Dawn or Ivory dish soap
3-4 T glycerin
12 c. Clean cold water (up to 50% more on dry days)
Measure 12 cups water, then add dish soap. Add the glycerin. Stir, but not too much. If it froths, skim off the top.
Flubber
2 cups white glue
2 cups water
1/3 cup warm water
About 10 drops food coloring
1 tablespoon Borax
Ziploc baggie or plastic tub
Mix together 2 cups of water, glue, and food coloring until well blended. Dissolve Borax into 1/3 cup warm water and mix until blended. Add Borax ixture to the glue mixture. Stir immediately! Magically the mixture will thicken. Repeat Borax and warm water step two more times, these times using 3 tablespoons Borax and 1 cup of water. Let it set a few minutes and its ready to use. Store in a Ziplock baggie (remove air if possible) or a little plastic tub. This will keep a long time, it’s not messy like playdough, and it;s not sticky. Borax is toxic, so make sure you tell children not to put this in their mouths.
Silly Putty I
Elmers School Glue
Liquid Starch
Pour equal parts of glue and starch into a container. Mix by hand. If mixture looks stringy, add more glue. (Note: This is a wonderful manipulative for children to work with. However, it will be extremely difficult to remove from clothing). This substance stretches, snaps and expands into a bubble if blown through a straw. See who can blow the biggest bubble!
Goop
1 box of cornstarch
Water
Add cornstarch to a container. Add enough water to the cornstarch to reach the desired consistency. It changes its form, going from a solid to a liquid, then back again.
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Gak
8-oz. glue bottle
2 cups water
1 tablespoon Borax
Food coloring (optional)
Extract (e.g., mint, orange, vanilla for scent – optional)
A) Mix the glue and 1 cup of the water, then set aside. B) Boil 1 cup water with 1 tablespoon Borax. Mix A and B together and knead until all the liquid is gone (few minutes of hard work!) Store in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Mix in food coloring and/or extract, if desired. Borax is toxic, so make sure you tell children not to put this in their mouths
Cornstarch Dough
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup water
Food coloring
Pour cornstarch into a large bowl. Tint the water with food coloring before combining it with the cornstarch. Mix by hand to form a soft, velvety dough. This dough does not store well—one-time use only.
Ice Cream in a Bag
1 cup very cold milk, heavy whipping cream, or chocolate milk (soy or rice milk for lactose or
casein-free diets)
2-3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Rock salt or kosher (coarse) salt
Ice (4x more ice than salt)
One quart-sized freezer bag
One gallon-sized freezer bag
Chocolate syrup or fruit toppings (optional)
Food coloring (optional)
Scented extracts (optional)
Mix milk or heavy whipping cream with sugar and vanilla. Seal in a freezer bag. Place bag in a gallon-sized freezer bag packed with ice and rock salt. Knead, toss, and squeeze. Cut the tip off the sandwich bag and the ice cream squirts out like soft serve. Have the kids write down the recipe or draw pictures of the sequence, or cut the steps apart and have them sequence the steps.
Chocolate Playdoh
1-1/4 cup flour
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup salt
½ tablespoon cream of tartar
1-1/2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup boiling water
Mix the dry ingredients, then add the oil and boiling water. Stir quickly, mixing well. When cooled, knead with your hands until mixed. Store in airtight container.
Coffee Playdoh
1 cup used coffee grounds
1 cup flour
1cup water
1 cup salt
Mix ingredients. If you want it less gooey, use ¾ c. water to begin with, then add up to ¼ c. more gradually.
Pretzel Letters
1 package dry yeast
1-1/2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
4 cups flour
1 beaten egg (optional)
Combine above ingredients except the egg. Knead dough for at least 10 minutes. Brush the egg on the pretzels, if desired. Bake on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees for approximately 12 minutes (depending on thickness of pretzels).