Summer Activities: Clay and Cinnamon Ornaments
This is such an easy idea, I hesitated even to mention it, but it occupied the girls for well over an hour. It was simple, easy, creative and mess-free — so I just had to share!! This would even be a great activity to keep the kids occupied on a long car trip. Our local Dollar Tree had some modeling clay available and the consistency was perfect. I wish I had gotten a picture before the girls had torn into the package, but it had twelve bright colors… which I think is why they found it so appealing.
DD made a white cat and birds in a tree. Meanwhile, ED made a cat, tree and flower. It has an adorable mouth. I wish it had come out in the photo. After I took this photo, the girls went on to make more birds, clown fish, lily pads, flowers and more.
My kids also really like Model Magic clay and of course homemade play dough is still a big hit from time to time around here! Here’s the recipe that we normally use to make homemade play dough (you can omit the glitter and you can add different scents such as pepperiment):
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup salt
- 1 Tablespoon Cream of Tartar (in the spice aisle of your grocery store)
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 1 cup of near boiling water
- almost 1 teaspoon of glycerine (this isn’t necessary, but it sure makes the play dough feel smooth. I had to hunt around for ours. I got it at a local pharmacy.)
- 1-2 teaspoon silver glitter
Place all the ingredients in a saucepan. Mix. Then heat until the dough thickens.
I thought I would also share an activity we did last fall: Cinnamon Ornaments. They smell really lovely and it’s another fun activity to do indoors when it’s hot outside.
These ornaments are SO easy to make and smell wonderful! You could use whatever cookie cutters you have on hand.
How to Make the Dough:
- 1 cup cinnamon
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1 tsp. cloves
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
Have fun!
My friend makes these and she said she places them in a clear glass fish bowl with colored lights. The heat from the lights warms them up and makes a beautiful smell. We haven’t done this, but it sounds lovely!
Looking for other fun ideas for the kids? Be sure to check out the entire Summer Activities Series by clicking on the link!
See you next time or at our Homeschool Facebook Page. ~Liesl
