3 Tactile Crafts Your Kids Will Love

Arts and crafts have always been a staple in our house. My 8 kids, at one time or another, have gone through many stages where creativity and all things glue and glitter took center stage over any other toys or items on their play time agenda.  In fact, three of my children who were severely speech-delayed thrived when they were able to get lost in a great hands-on project.

Preschoolers learn through their five senses. The senses of touch, sight, smell, taste, and hearing are how young children explore the world around them. For toddlers and preschoolers, everything is new so experiencing new activities that are not part of their normal routines can be fascinating to them.

For most children, simply engaging in everyday play activities that allow for exploration, touch, and movement allows for healthy development of the tactile sense and as parents it is our job to help them explore their senses by providing appropriate activities for sensory play and learning.

Angie Dorrell, a NAEYC accreditation validator and former commissioner, puts this in perspective when she explains in an article titled Developing and Cultivating Skills Through Sensory Play  “Imagine trying to teach a group of four-year-olds about melting without allowing them to hold an ice cube as it melts in their hands or to watch cheese on bread in the microwave. As a grownup, imagine learning how to use a computer without actually sitting in front of a computer!” Ultimately and without a doubt, we need to experience certain properties with our own senses in order to comprehend and communicate important properties.

Mighty Mommy agrees wholeheartedly with Ms. Dorrell and has personally experienced the benefits of engaging kids in gooey, glittery activities over the years.  Here are three tried and true favorites that her children still enjoy today.

#1.  Ultimate Fluffy Slime

My 11-year old daughter has been concocting various versions of this very easy and fun to make ultimate fluffy slime for months now.  In fact, she’s gotten so good at making it that she’s sold it at local craft fairs and within our community.  There’s a wonderful DIY video on You Tube you can check out here.  Ultimate Fluffy Slime

Here are the ingredients and step by step instructions:

Ingredients:

1⁄2 cup (120 ml) school glue

1⁄2 cup (120 ml) shaving cream

Slightly more than 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cornstarch

Borax

1 cup (240 ml) hot water

Lotion

1⁄2 cup (120 ml) foaming body wash, or foaming soap (optional)

Food coloring (optional)

Instructions:

• Start off by making the borax solution. Take 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of borax powder and add it into 1 cup (240 ml) of hot water. Mix it until it's thoroughly dissolved and set aside for later use.
• Pour ½ cup (120 ml) of glue into a separate bowl.
• Add ½ cup (120 ml) of shaving cream into the same bowl as the glue.
• Add ½ cup (120 ml) of foaming body wash or soap (optional). Adding the foaming body wash or soap can make the slime fluffier, but it's okay to forgo this step.
• Mix until there are no lumps. The substance should have a thick and fluffy texture, similar to marshmallow cream.
• Add in slightly more than 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of cornstarch. The cornstarch helps to thicken the slime and allows it to retain its shape.
• The cornstarch isn't necessary for the recipe, but leaving it out will result in a thinner slime that won't hold its shape so much.  Mix thoroughly, but carefully. (Cornstarch is easy to spill.)
• Add lotion to your slime. To make your slime stretchier, add in two pumps of hand lotion to your slime.  It's okay to skip this step if you don't want to add it at the moment - it can always be added later.
• Add in food coloring. Too much of some kinds of food coloring can stain your hands or other surfaces, so if it's a potent one, start with just two drops. Mix it well until there are no more white streaks.
• Add 3 teaspoons of the borax mixture to your slime. Stir thoroughly, then continue adding the borax mixture 1-3 teaspoons at a time until the slime is at the consistency you’d like it to be.
• You will likely not use all of your borax mixture! It is important to not add too much of it or your slime will harden and break. The original recipe only uses 6-9 teaspoons (44 ml) of the borax solution.
• Knead the slime. Once the slime has clumped into a ball and is easy to remove from the bowl, place it on a flat surface and begin kneading it with your hands to thoroughly mix it.
• If the slime is still too sticky, add about 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of the borax mixture and carefully knead it in.
• Rub lotion into your slime for a stretchier slime. If your slime is fluffy, but not very stretchy, add a few pumps of lotion into your slime, rub it into the slime, and then knead it again. Repeat until your slime is as stretchy as you want it to be.
• It can take up to 16 extra pumps of lotion to reach the desired stretchiness, so don’t hesitate to be generous!

Now it's playtime.  This slime is stretchy, squishy, and fun to play with - it's great for keeping your hands busy!

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#2:  Homemade Glowing Bouncy Ball

These rubber-like balls are so easy to make and so much fun to play with.  These are great for your younger kidss as well as tweens and teens.  To be honest, I’ve seen plenty of moms and dads have fun with these bouncy balls too.   There's a DIY video on You Tube you can check out here:  Glowing Bouncy Balls

Here are the ingredients and step by step instructions:

Ingredients:

1/2 Tsp of Borax

4 Tbsp of Corn Starch

4 Tbsp of warm water

Combine in a small bowl, mixing until all ingredients are dissolved

In a separate Bowl Combine:

1 Tbsp white glue

1 Tsp Fluorescent or Glow in the Dark Paint

Mix well until the paint is completely blended into the glue.  If you have homemade glow in the dark glue on hand you can also use that and skip the mixing.

Once the ingredients of both bowls are well mixed combine the two bowls.  Allow the ingredients to react by themselves for a minute before stirring them.  As you stir a sticky hard, slimy material will form.

Instructions:

• Take the material and continue to work it with your hands, rolling and shaping it into a ball.
• As you roll the material it will lose it's sliminess and become dry and rather hard, yet still moldable.
• Once you have formed 6 separate balls, break them apart.  You can break each ball into 6 pieces to make 6 Rainbow bounce balls.
• Take the 6 pieces and work the varying colors together.  Its fun to stretch and pull them into a rainbow before rolling them together to form the individual bouncing balls.

Notes about the bouncing ball from the website—Growing a Jeweled Rose

·         The material of the bouncing balls is very similar to slime only thicker.  The balls lose their shape if left to sit.

·         Placing your bounce ball material in the refrigerator before playing helps the balls to hold their shape longer.

·         These balls are different from store bought bouncing balls.  They do not bounce nearly as high nor do they bounce on all surfaces, but a big part of the fun is the experience of making the balls & experimenting with them.

·         When play time is over you can store your bounce ball material in a zip-lock bag in the fridge for future play. Next time you are ready to play just pull out the material and and re-form it to make bounce balls

·         The bounce ball material is also fun to play with in other ways. It is essentially a thick slime.   It can be used as a sensory material in it's own right, and glows brightly which is always a hit with kids.

·         Adults should handle the borax and/or closely supervise children.  Borax is not meant for consumption and should be kept out of the reach of small children who may be tempted to taste.  The same rule applies to the borax bounce ball material.  Please use your own judgement to determine if this activity is suitable for your child.

#3:  Homemade Floam

One of the hottest tactile crafts to hit the market over the past few years is a fun invention called Floam.  Floam is like slime with polystyrene beads in it, that kids can mold into shapes. You can sculpt with it or use it to coat other objects.  My kids have enjoyed Floam for the past few years, and I must confess, I love to dig my hands into it as well.

You can buy Floam at your local craft store, but it’s also very easy to make.  You can follow this you tube link for a guided visual recipe in addition to the directions listed here.

Floam Recipe

2 tsp of borax

1/2 cup of warm water & 1/4 cup of warm water- divided

2 oz of white school glue

1 & 1/3 cups of polystyrene beads (bean bag filler)

Optional: Food coloring or liquid watercolors if color is desired

Directions:

• In a bowl combine 2 teaspoons of borax with 1/2 cup of very warm water. 
• Mix until the borax is dissolved.
• In a separate bowl combine 1/4 cup of white school glue with 1/4 cup of water.  Add several drops of food coloring or liquid watercolors if color is desired.
• Once the ingredients of both bowls are mixed pour the glue mixture into a zip seal bag.  Add the polystyrene beads and then add the borax and water mixture and seal the bag. 
• Once sealed mix the ingredients of the bag well until the Floam is formed.
• You can use more or less of the borax and water mixture to create different Floam consistencies.  Use more for a stiffer and more mold-able Floam.  Use less to create a more slime-like Floam. 

Mixing the Floam is really fun for kids and is an activity all in itself

After lots of mixing you will have Floam!  To get vibrant coloring you will want to add a lot of food coloring.  You can also use liquid watercolors, which work really well! 

Floam can be stored in an air tight container for endless play, or kids can leave their creations out to dry and preserve their works of art.

What types of hands-on arts and crafts projects do your kids enjoy?  Share your thoughts in the comments section at http://ift.tt/1zMEe2L, post your ideas on the Mighty Mommy Facebook page. or email me at mommy@quickanddirtytips.com. Visit my family-friendly boards at http://ift.tt/1wyJKr5.

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