Easy Slime Recipe!

In my effort to save money around the home, I decide to do some fun projects with my little ones. My son has asked more than once for a slime making kit at a local craft store. It was over $5! When you see the recipe, you will see how the packing, labeling, advertising, and shipping inflate the price!

I made slime many years back for my preschool class sensory table. It was easy, icky, and fun! I did a quick search and found these slime recipes. I choose to do the one with the slime recipe with borax. Borax can be found in the laundry section for around $3 a box and can be used for a gazillion different things! So for the tablespoon this recipe calls for cost maybe 5 cents???!! I had some white glue left over from a project, but I know I bought small 2 oz bottles at the dollar store (4/$1) and I used 3 (explanation later on my change in the recipe). Plus the tap water, that means this cost less than $1 to make.

Using the recipe linked above, I mixed my water and glue, but probably not thoroughly enough. When I added the borax water, it did not combine well, but I was able to pull out the slime from the watery mix. Then I just emptied another 2 oz. bottle into the water and stirred quickly. That gave me some more slime.

If you are going to color the slime, I would recommend adding it to the borax water or the water before mixing it with the glue solution. Then combine the two together.

Have fun! And save money (plus packaging, gasoline, etc!).

Brain Boosting Crafts

You cannot beat crafts that also make children think! Brain Boosting Crafts can do just that! These crafts are from the Disney family. They are fun, allow for creativity, and are educational. Check them out for complete details.

Visual Art for Preschoolers

I am not a real crafty person. I do not really like all those projects that come home looking exactly the same. I feel preschoolers should be able to explore and create what they want, not what the teacher wants.

Tonight I was working on the visual arts resource page for my Preschool Activities site. I listed a bunch of galleries and artists that you can view their work online. This is a great way to expand your child's thinking and imagination.

Do not get hooked on pretty projects that do not allow your child to think and create. Be free in your thinking about art and see what your child will create. They may be the next Picasso!

Nature Craft

This is a simple nature craft, but one my son loved. He found the glue stick and wanted to glue. My husband sent him outside and told him to get sticks, grass, and leaves and bring them back in. He only brought leaves. He glued them down to the paper and now it is on the refrigerator. He was so proud- it was so easy! And he had fun!

Developing Creativity

Do you ever wonder what type of craft to do with your preschooler? Of course there are many websites with printable coloring sheets or complicated projects. Those are great for classrooms, but to truly develop your child's creativity, they need to be able to be creative. Most color and cut projects are great for following directions, but not so great on allowing a child to create what is in his heart!

The best way to do this is to give your child some materials and do not tell them what to do. This is difficult to do for most parents. We have been trained to want the "cookie cutter" projects that look beautiful, but are not really a representation of our child.

Gather together the crafts materials for home and pick a few to start with. Give them the liquid glue and don't worry if it becomes on big pile (that is a motor skill anyway). Give them some paper or old magazines and see what happens. Children will use what they understand developmentally and will use it how they understand it developmentally.

They may just surprise you!