I try to limit screen time for the kids to early mornings (when I’m usually too tired to think and just want a cup of tea in peace). My eldest son is now going to playschool 3 mornings a week but there is still plenty of time left in the day to be filled with crafts and endless energy for ball games.
With all this rain we have been having, you have to get creative when it comes to keeping the little ones busy, and I’ve gotten a lot of requests on how I make my play dough and slime recipes for the boys so I thought I’d just put it out there for all to share, honestly, these are so quick and easy, you can have homemade fun and banish boredom in less than 5 minutes:
Playdough:
I have my friend Zelda to forever credit for giving me this recipe.
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
- Between 1 and 2 cups warm water (you keep adding until it feels right)
- food colouring (optional)
I usually do the initial mixing here while the water is still a bit warm, and then I hand the bowl over to the kids and let them get stuck in there. This should keep up to about 6 months in a sealed container. There is honestly no reason to ever buy playdough ever again!
Slime
- 1 bottle art and craft glue (clear or white – I used Bostik’s art and craft glue) (100ml)
- 100 Ml Water (pour the water into the empty glue bottle its easier)
- ½ tsp of borax dissolved into ¼ cup warm water
- A drop of food colouring
Mix together the water and the glue, in a separate bowl dissolve the borax into the quarter cup of warm water, and add a drop of food colouring. Pour this mixture into the water/glue bowl and stir. You will immediately see a gloop ball start to form, keep mixing until it all comes together. (There may be some excess water which you can just discard). You can also add glitter to the slime to really create an intergalactic experience.
TIP: Ive made this 3 times before, a pinch more borax and you can end up with a more solid “bouncy ball” consistency, if this happens you can try adding a little more glue and seal it in a bag to absorb.
TIP 2: Try to avoid getting this onto carpets or clothes, the longer it sits, the more in soaks in. If it does a brush and some vinegar should get it right off.
I hope these two recipes give your kids as hours of endless fun as they do with my boys ! Happy playing!
Lexi and I are very excited to try the slime recipe. She is going stir crazy with this rain ☺