Sunday, June 27, 2010

Kool Aid Play Dough

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
2 packages unsweetened Kool-Aid powdered drink mix
1 7/8 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons oil

Mix flour, salt, Kool-Aid and oil until blended. Add boiling water, mix with spoon until cool enough to knead. Continue kneading until color is blended. Store in air tight bag or container in the refrigerator.

Note: water must be boiling. If playdough does not thicken, simply cook mixture on medium heat until it comes together, then knead when cool enough to handle.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Gak

1. Make concentrated borax and water solution by dissolving 2 tbsp Borax in 1 cup water. All of the borax may not dissolve. That is fine, use the liquid at the top.

2. Mix equal parts glue and water (1/2 cup of each works well).

3. Add food coloring of choice to glue and water solution. Since the glue is white you will end up with pastel colors.

4. Point out to kids that you have two solutions. Ask them what will happen when you combine them.

5. Slowly add concentrated borax and water solution to the glue mixture. Add a small slosh of borax then mix. Add a little more, then mix. If it sticks to the spoon, smoosh it off and mix some more.

6.You should end up using about 1/3 to ½ cup of the borax solution to your 1 cup of glue/water solution.


Notes:
*Use Elmers all purpose white glue. School glue does not work and other brands do not give the best results.
*Borax can be found in the laundry detergent aisle.
*A plastic spoon and two old margarine tubs work well to make one cup of gak.
*If you plan to use this with a large number of kids (Birthday party??) mix the borax solution ahead of time. Also mix up a big batch of 50:50 glue:water mixture.
*If gak is sticky, add more borax solution. If it is slimy then add more glue.
*Be sure your hands are super clean before you work with it. Get kids to wash hands before and after playing with gak.
*Store in ziploc and toss in trash when you are done.
*Be careful with Borax and be sure to keep this project away from food.