BAKING SODA CLAY Mix: 2 cups baking soda 1-1/3 cups water 1 cup cornstarch Cook while continually stirring. Cook until it resembles overcooked mashed potatoes and is one glob. Knead and refrigerate. BUBBLE RECIPE Mix: 6 parts water 1 part Dawn liquid dishwashing detergent Label "Bubble Mixture" because it looks like blue drink! Let sit overnight for best results. GOOP You will need: Measuring cups An aluminum pie pan Water Food coloring Cornstarch What to do: Have your child pour 1/4 cup of water into the pie pan. Allow him or her to add a few drops of food coloring, if desired. Then place 1/2 cup of cornstarch in the pie pan and have your child blend the mixture with his or her fingers until all of the cornstarch feels wet. Have your child squish the gooey mixture between his or her fingers. Then have your child slap his or her hand into the mixture and leave it there for a few seconds. Questions to Ask: "How does the mixture feel?" "How did the mixture feel when you first slapped your hand into it?" "What happened after you left your hand in the mixture for a few seconds?" To a child, this seems like magic! If you want to know the scientific reason why this happens, here it is: Cornstarch does not dissolve in water. Cornstarch particles are held up by water, forming a mixture called a suspension. The consistency of a suspension changes under pressure. The initial impact of the slap exerts pressure on the mixture, which causes it to feel firm. After a few seconds, the pressure is reduced. The mixture becomes more fluid and your hand sinks to the bottom of the pie pan. WARNING! Some young children do not like to put their hands into messy play materials like "Goop." If your child does not want to touch the mixture, don't force the issue. Try it again one day when they are a little older. KING CAKE Objectives: 1. Enjoy Cooking! 2. Learn to take turns and follow directions in order to achieve desired results. 3. Develop math concepts of 1/2, 1/4, whole, too much liquid, too little liquid. 4. Promote pre-reading skills by the use of recipes. With a coded recipe, the children learn color, shapes,and rebus reading. 5. Promote pre-writing skills by having children make signs saying, "HOT!" 6. Develop language and listening skills. 7. Learn more about taste, smells, and the source of ingredients. 8. Establish good health habits while preparing food. Materials: 3 cups sifted flour 1 envelope yeast 1 cup buttermilk 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1 cup Crisco 2 Tbsp. butter 1 egg 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. salt Procedure: All ingredients and implements must be readied before children arrive. Recipe is written in large, neat manuscript letters. Another list of ingredients is on the table top where children can check off ingredients as they are put in recipe. Code Recipe: 1 cup= 2 cup= 1/2 cup= milk= yeast= Combine 1 1/2 cup flour, yeast, baking soda. Heat buttermilk, Crisco, sugar, and 1 tsp. salt until very warm - until Crisco is melted. Add warm liquid to dry ingredients, add egg. Beat at low speed 1/2 minute, scraping bowl. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. Stir in remaining flour to make moderately stiff dough. Knead 5 minutes on floured surface. Cover, let rest 10 minutes. Halve the dough. Roll eadh piece in 9" by 15" rectangle. Spread with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon, roll up tightly. Join rolls to form a ring on greased baking sheet. Let rise for 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees, for 15 to 20 minutes (until lightly brown - we bake a doll in it). Frost with 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 or 2 Tbsp. milk and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Then decorate with colored sugar (we added food coloring to sugar and made our own colors). This recipe can be doubled for larger groups. OIL PAINTING Materials: Vegetable Oil Tempera Paint (powdered) Paper Shallow cake pan Water Spoons Cups Newspaper Art Experiment: Mix the tempera paint and oil in a cup until creamy. Fill the cake pan about 1/2 full with water. Spoon a few drops of the oil paint mixture on top of the water. Use a spoon to gently swirl the paint. Next, lay a piece of paper on top of the water and oil paint. Let the paper float for a minute or so. Carefully lift the paper by one corner. Immediately place the painting on newpaper to dry. Variations: Use oil painting designs as note cards, book covers, or wrapping paper. Create oil painting on waxed paper, paper plates, or plastic wrap. Add glitter on top of the wet oil paint. Mix salt and dry tempera to make a glittery paint. Oil and water won't mix because they are INSOLUBLE. The oily paint floats on top of the water in the pan because the water is denser than oil. Oil will not DISSOLVE in water; oil stays oil and water stays water. PLAYDOH Objectives: 1. To aid in the development of fine motor skills through pouring, stirring, pulling, pounding, and shaping. 2. To discuss the difference in the way flour, salt, and oil feel before and after they are mixed together 3. To strengthen the child's vocabulary by talking about the way dough feels: sticky, gushy, smooth, soft, and doughy! 4. To encourage the idea of size and measurement while preparing the dough. 5. To encourage dramatic play and conversation. Materials Needed: Hot plate - if not to be prepared in kitchen Large pan Spoon Measuring cups and spoons Recipe: 2 cups flour 1 cup salt 4 Tbsp. oil Food coloring 2 cups water Procedure: Combine all ingredients together. Cook over medium - high heat until dough becomes partially dry and is not sticky. Pour out onto a flat surface and allow to cool. Store in a container with a lid. SILLY PUTTY Mix equal parts liquid starch and Elmer's Glue. If it "doesn't work right" add more glue. If it is too sticky, add more liquid starch. Our humid climate usually requires more glue than starch. LESLIE'S JIGGLY PUTTY Mix 1 - 8oz. bottle of Elmer's Glue and 1 cup of water In a separate container mix 1/2 cup Borax with enough water to make a paste (about 1/4 cup). Mix the two together. TO BE ENJOYED UNDER ADULT SUPERVISION!!! NOT FOR CHILDREN WHO EAT PLAYDOUGH.