It is really too hot for the kids to play outside. If I had time to take them swimming, then that's where we would go, but I don't. I have to go back to work, and their friends from across the street have come over to play, and Georgie is asleep.
What to do? I like it best when they do projects. I like their play to productive, instructive and fun. Not something that I always achieve, but today, I really wanted to achieve it. So we all gathered around the stove, and I taught them how to make play dough.
You should have seen their incredulous stares when I started with 1/2 cu. salt. Then I added 1/4 cu water and a glutenous mass of salty, ickyness emerged. They stirred and stirred as they waited for the mixture to heat up. Then we added 1/2 cu of cornstarch, and they all said, "ew!" We stirred some more. Added some food coloring and presto! I felt like a magician. They thought I was the most amazing person in the whole wide world! We kneaded and pressed and cajoled the color to work its way through the dough, and then they marched out to the living room to play chef, artist, sculptor.
No comments:
Post a Comment