Family Fun
Indoor Crafts:
As parents we constantly search for ideas to keep our children occupied. Whether at home all day or taking vacations with those hour long car rides we strive for fun activities they can do on the go or at the table. As a mother I hear, “Mom I am bored.”, at least three times a day. So, to find ways to keep my children happy and not so “bored” I search Pinterest and Google for the latest ideas. Some parents do not have access to Pinterest or Google so I have taken the ideas I have found to share with your home through this article.
Pinterest and Google both provide activities that are easy, educational, and fun for all ages. The crafts I have found can fit into any budget. What parent doesn’t like cheap fun? Smiles on children are priceless but some of the things it takes to put them there can be rather pricey. Worry no more. I have found a way to help bring those smiles and save your wallet. Most of the supplies for these crafts can be purchased at local hobby stores or wait for it, my favorite, the Dollar Tree. Yep, you read that correctly. Some of the crafts I am going to share did not cost more than ten dollars between three children. The fun I had with them was amazingly awesome. Even more awesome that I was not broke afterwards.
Some of the things my children (which are two, eight, and nine) enjoy are painting whatever needs a splash of color or making something from scratch. We have made mini aquariums without actual fish and our own homemade slime. Yes the slime was a blast until it got into the carpet. Then it was not much fun. Of course the kids thought it was hilarious. I however am still appalled at the mess it made. So take caution when making slime. Do that craft outdoors. It is difficult to remove from fabrics but it is a blast to make.
My older children love science. There are several activities listed that can teach a diverse amount of educational things involving nature. The tornado in a bottle always seems like a winner. There is also habitat in a jar or even just making your own flower pot and watching with them the beauty of nature. These kind of activities would be great for homeschooled children. Photosynthesis is much better when you can experience it happen.
Having fun on a budget should not be impossible. There are so many homemade crafts out there waiting for you to find them. Your imagination is limitless. I took some ideas from my home to share with yours which means there are a lot more that can be done. I had plenty of fun making the crafts I found with my children. Watching them learn as they painted or come up with the fish they wanted to put on there aquarium was the highlight of my day. Smiles and learning as they have fun, what more could you want?
The Crafts:
Slime
To make slime, all you need is Borax, white OR clear glue, water, and food coloring. Mix 1 tsp Borax with 1 cup water- dissolve. Mix 1/2 cup glue with 1/2 cup water stir in another bowl. Add food coloring to glue/water mixture) stir two mixtures together. Store slime in plastic baggy. You can add glitter to make this super sparkly. You can add small items like little toy bugs to make it a game. There are many possibilities that can be used in slime fun.
Lip gloss made with Kool Aide flavors:
To make lip-gloss you need, Kool aide packs any flavor you want, 1 jar of vaseline, containers to store it in and optional labels or tags.
Directions:
Pour the Kool-Aid packets into separate bowls.
Add about a tablespoon of Petroleum jelly to each bowl.
Microwave it for about 15 seconds at a time until the solution is liquefied. WARNING: The contents are extremely hot. DO NOT let the kids do this process. I found it to be easier to melt the petroleum jelly a little bit at a time instead of all at once. You can heat this up over the stove in a sauce pan too if you don’t want to use a microwave.
Make sure to mix the ingredients completely so that all the Kool-Aid contents is dissolved. If you find the mixture is solidifying again simply microwave it again until the Kool-Aid dissolves completely. I had to reheat the petroleum a few times to get the Kool Aid mixture to dissolve.
Pour the mixture into your lip gloss containers and let it set for a few hours to completely solidify again. You can add cute little labels and give them as gifts too!