Great Ideas for products from Back 2 Basics 4 Kids.
Magnetic Wand Rice Box - In a plastic shoe box or 10 gallon rubber maid container, place 3-10 lbs white rice, colored rice, magnetic marbles, counting chips, colored paper clips, and non-magnetic items such as buttons, beads, small wooden objects, and plastic bugs. Stir the contents of the box so that the rice covers everything. Use the wands to pick out the magnetic items. For very young children place all items but the magnetic wands in a two-liter plastic bottle and seal the cover. The wands will draw the magnets to the side of the bottle. This is a very good early science activity as children guess what is magnetic and what is not.
+
Hand Prints: Use heavy cardstock in dark colors such as burgundy, navy blue, forest green or deep red. Using silver or gold metallic tempera paint and one or two colors of either valutemp or washable paint, place several handprints on paper. Don't wash the child's hands between colors, the mixture gives the non-metallic paint a shimmery effect. Dry completely. Place a picture of the child and a typed copy of a handprint poem on top of the paper, allowing some handprints to show. Cut around edges of picture and poem with a scalloped edge or pinking sheers for nicer lines. Frame with an inexpensive wood or metal frame and you have a gift that parents or grandparents will treasure forever.
Use the molds with plaster of paris or other hardening clays. The Bowl Molds and Big Bug Molds also work well with modeling clay, Playdough, or homemade doughs and clays.
Recipe for Homemade Dough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar or alum
1 cup water
food coloring or liquid water colors (page 5)
2 Tbsp oil
Mix all ingredients together in saucepan until smooth. Cook over low-medium
heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to form a ball. It will be sticky and lumpy. Turn out onto floured counter top and knead until smooth.