Microwave Puff Paint

The kids had fun painting with microwave puff paint...a fun recipe that I found in family fun magazine.  

We mixed up different colors and went to work (they are painting with Q-tips)

 Hannah had so much fun microwaving her picture and seeing the results  

Microwavable Puffy Paint

Source: Family Fun (www.familyfun.com)

Mix for each color

1 Tbs. flour

1 Tbs. salt

1 Tbs. baking powder

2 Tbs. plus 1 or 2 tsp. of water

Several drops of food coloring

Stir until smooth. Apply paint to card stock (works the best) – all we had was construction paper (it worked fine but the edges curled up in the microwave). To dry and make the paint puff up, put the artwork in the microwave for 20 seconds. Keep adding 10 seconds at a time until dry.

Finger Painting

In between diaper changes and feedings, we have been able to squeeze in a little bit of toddler school. It's actually easier to do toddler school, than to try to go anywhere because we can just fit it into our day. On Tuesday, Hannah had a ball finger painting with a mixture of glue and shaving cream (I just used equal parts of glue and shaving cream and added a little food coloring). It's funny how she started out with just using a few fingers and by the time she was done it was up to her elbows, in her hair, and on her belly...but boy did she have fun. The cleanup was easy...just threw her in the shower :)

Fun with a Cardboard Box

Mommy needed a new flagpole for the house and found a great deal online. We love online shopping because, we don't have to go to the store, and I get to play with the boxes. This was a really tall box, so Mommy flattened it out and traced my body on it (she said that the kdg teacher in her couldn't resist). I've been coloring on it for 3 days now and still loving it.

Christmas Card Puzzles

Still have some Christmas cards floating around your house? Don't throw them away!
This was a fun little activity that we made with Christmas cards. I used an exacto knife to cut out one or two shapes, creating a puzzle with each card.

Hannah enjoyed matching the pieces back to the correct "puzzle". This is good for fine motor practice and problem solving. It can be adapted for older children too...just cut each card into puzzle pieces that can be put back together.