Pool Noodle Marble Race Track-- Lots of Fun and Super Inexpensive To Make!!

 

I was looking for something to do with my kids to keep them busy indoors due to the rainy and muddy conditions over the last few days. Last night, we got over 4 inches of rain alone! I am only aware of that because my oldest is working on his weather merit badge for Boy Scouts and has a handmade rain gauge outside. I had seen this in a Family Fun magazine and thought it was such a great and frugal idea.

 

I grabbed a pool noodle from our pool stuff (which originally only cost me $1 at the Dollar Tree) and basically butterflied (cut it in half without going all the way through) it with a serrated knife.

 

First, I cut through the first layer, then I held it flat with my hand and cut ALMOST, but not COMPLETELY through the second layer.

 

I flipped the noodle over, pushed it flat on the ground, and used packaging tape to hold it in place.

 

We added some signs and racing flags that we cut out and taped to toothpicks and leaned the marble race track against our coffee table... We grabbed our marbles and were ready to race!!

 

 

After some runaway marbles, I decided to place a baking sheet at the end of the track to help catch them.

 

 

My kids raced over and over! We got hours of play out of this at our playdate today too! It really came in handy since the kids could not play outside like they wanted to due to the rain and mud. The kids had so much fun and I believe I finally retrieved all of the marbles they had!

 

**Another fun idea-- Tape 2 race tracks side by side to accommodate more racers!

Another Silly Putty Recipe!

I came across another recipe to make our own Silly Putty, so of course, we had to try it out.

Of the 2 Recipes we tried, we liked this one the best. This one is less sticky and gooey than the other recipe. This silly putty definitely resembles traditional Silly Putty more that the other recipe-- it even bounces a little. This recipe makes a small individual amount, so each of my kids made their own batch.

 

 

All you need is:

1 Tablespoon Elmer's Glue (white school glue)

1/2 Teaspoon Epsom Salts

1/2 Teaspoon Water

Mix the salts with the water.  Add the glue and mix well.

 

 Remove the putty and pour out any remaining liquid.

Have fun!

Store in a Ziploc bag to preserve.

 

A Rainy Day Band with Homemade Musical Instruments!!

We gathered all of our homemade musical instruments today and had a rainy day band! Our band was loud to say the least and was made up by a variety of musical instruments.

We had a popsicle stick harmonica, bells on a ring, straw flute, and egg shakers. We also had a set of wooden cymbals, some shakers, a drum, a den-den daiko drum (like the one from the Karate Kid) and a giaro (a Spanish instrument). All of these instruments are sure to end up in our Music Sensory Tub that we will be setting up in the next day or two.

30 Second Homemade Egg Shakers!

 

I made these egg shakers for our Rainy Day Band and to add to our Music Sensory Tub. All I did was take some leftover plastic Easter eggs (I love the animal print designs on these), put some beans in them, and glue them shut with glue gun. If you put different mediums and amounts of mediums, they all will sound a little bit different.

Colored Rice for Fun Sensory Play!

My kids love to play with colored rice, especially on a rainy day like today. It makes for the perfect indoor "sandbox!" It is a great filler for Sensory Tub too!

The best part is, it is super easy to make!

All you need is food coloring or acrylic paint and rubbing alcohol. Put your rice in a gallon size Ziploc bag and add equal parts of paint or food coloring. Close the bag and mix it all up. Add more paint/food coloring and alcohol until you achieve the color desired. Dump the rice onto a baking sheet and let it air dry.

 

My son loves to play with it in his sensory tubs, but his favorite way to play with it is in a container with his men! He loves to pretend that the rice is quick sand and bury his men in it! 

Who Knew Play Dough Could Smell So Good?-- Kool-Aid Play Dough

My son wanted to play with play dough today, I decided to one up it by letting him make some. It only took 10-15 minutes to make, it kept him busy for hours, and my house smells nice and fruity!  I had everything I needed on hand, with the exception of the Kool-Aid, which I picked up a generic pack of 24 last night for $1.00.

Recipe:
1 packet Kool-Aid (any brand works)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup boiling water

 

We made 2 batches in about 20 minutes.  Because of the boiling  water, it needs some time to cool before you can knead it properly with your hands.  I used the cooling time to work on my second batch.

The first thing I did was put1 cup of water on to boil.  Feel free to boil it on the stove or in the microwave, whichever method is easiest for you. Now it is time to measure our ingredients.

 

 

Pour the Kool-Aid packet into a medium-sized bowl and add your flour and salt. Mix these dry ingredients together really well.  The better you mix it when it is dry, the less you will have to knead it to even out the color when it’s hot.

 

  

Once your dry ingredients are mixed well, add  the 1 cup of boiling water and 2 Tablespoons of oil.  Stir contents with a spoon. DO NOT try to knead this with your hands right away, it is way too hot! Once you can no longer make any progress with the spoon, set the bowl aside to cool.

 

Look at that smile, he is so proud of his work!

 

If you are making multiple colors/batches, use this time to start the next one. When the dough is cool enough to handle, knead the dough until everything is thoroughly combined and the color is evenly distributed throughout the dough.

 

 

 That's it, it is that simple! Now, it is play time!

Sensory Fun with Ivory Soap

Today, my oldest went hiking with his Boy Scout Troop. My youngest was heartbroken, I had to find something to put a smile on his face. A bar of Ivory Soap did it. That .33 cents I spent to buy the bar of soap gave my son over 2 hours of enjoyment and play! This was an awesome little "experiment," not only was my 4 year old amused and amazed, but I was too!

 

 

All you need is a bar of Ivory soap.

 

Unwrap it and cut it into 4 pieces.

 

Microwave one piece at a time on a microwave safe plate for 30 seconds and watch it grow. Scrape the soap fluff into a container or sink for play.

Repeat with the remaining pieces.

 

 

Let them play and take notice of the different textures of the soap and how quickly it changes.

 

First, it is almost like a dough...

 

 

As it cools, it gets very powdery.

 

My son added some men to play with for added fun.

 

After awhile, I added 2 cups of water to the bin. The water was filled with bubbles, which he thought was great.

 

As time went by, the soapy water turned into a paste.

 

It is crazy how many different textures and consistencies you can get from a simple bar of soap!

 

 

 

 

Fun with Homemade Paint

 

Today, we had so much fun making and using paint! It was so simple, inexpensive, and super fun to make. The kids had a blast making and mixing paint and had even more fun painting. Luckily for me, it was a beautiful day out so the boys could paint outside. 

 

We made 4 batches, each one was a different color and split into two containers. 

All you need is: 

1 Cup flour

1 Cup Salt

1 Cup Water

Food coloring

 

 

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl or container.

 

Add enough food coloring to achieve the color desired.

 

 

Have fun!!!

 

 

They started with paint brushes....

 

But quickly switched to using their hands!

 

 Things progressively got messier and messier! LOL

 

 

 They really had a blast!

 

 

 

BONUS!!!  The paint did wash completely out of their clothes!

 

 

Free Ultimate Rainy-Day Activity Book

Head on over to the Melissa and Doug Blog to download their free Ultimate Rainy-Day Activity Book. It includes a bunch of fun inside play ideas, rainy day crafts, and activities to keep your little one busy indoors. Download yours Here.