Tuesday, January 28, 2014

I Hope It's Gonna Be a Long, Hot Summer

If you live most anywhere in the US, chances are you're feeling the cold. And you're tired of it.  If you have small children, like I do, you are running out of ideas for keeping them busy (and the fighting to a minimum.)

Recently, a friend of mine posted art activity ideas on Facebook. One of these ideas was to make homemade paint.  I am not crafty.  I don't even like art.  (Not true...I like looking at art.) I'll happily color a picture in a coloring book, but you can forget about free hand sketching, painting, or really anything else artsy.  However, my children LOVE art and painting is probably their favorite creative outlet.

You guys, my kids sat at our table and painted for over 1.5 hours.  No fighting.  No whining.  No crying.  Nothing but sweet peace for me and a good time for them.  We have so much leftover that we're painting again tomorrow.  Once again, school has been cancelled.  It's been a cold, cold winter.

Would you like to try homemade paint too?  Here's how you make it.  (It's so easy!)


All you need is sweetened condensed milk and food coloring.  That's it!  You may also want to put some newspaper down on your table.  This stuff is a bit sticky and food coloring may leave a stain.  If you have elementary school aged children, you'll likely have some Scholastic fliers hanging around.  I save ours just for projects like these.

Divide the sweetened condensed milk into whatever cups or bowls you wish to use. I used two cans to fill 11 Dixie cups 1/2 full.  Add food coloring according to the color guide on your package, or make your own combinations.  I halved the amount of drops suggested.  Ex: if it called for 6 blue and 2 yellow, I used 3 blue and 1 yellow.  Mix well with a spoon.  Look at all the wonderful colors I was able to make from 5 small bottles of food coloring!





G3, getting their art on.

 

Today's work.  As you will see, the paint dries super shiny.  This was an incredibly easy way to make my kids happy today.  I hope it goes as well tomorrow.  




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