rainy days...

The past few days have been rather wet & miserable around these parts. So to preserve everyone's sanity. we've been busying ourselves with a spot of arty play. 

Homemade fingerpaint & playdough  are very easy to make, with the added bonus of being cheap. I love the fact that I know exactly what is in them, so they're safe for little hands (& mouths, although they're not at all tasty).

Huckle loved the finger painting, getting messy is right up his alley. He was a bit unsure of the playdough & prefered to just wack it with whatever tool was on hand. But lot's of fun was had & it was a good way to distract a crazed, house-bound toddler. 

I'm putting together a little art station, so we can create together on a daily basis. So far I have these two, plus drawing supplies. 

Do you have an art box? I love to hear your ideas for arty play.

Here's the recipes I used, if you'd like to make your own. I'm unsure of their origins, but I think they're from a teachers resource. 

Playdough 

1 cup flour

1 cup water

1/2 cup salt

1 tbsp cream of tartar

1 tbsp cooking oil

food colouring

Mix the water & flour to a paste, add salt & cream of tartar. Stir over medium heat until thick. Allow to cool before adding dividing into quarters (or however many colours you'd like). Add colouring & 1/4 of the oil to each portion & knead until smooth. Store in an airtight container.

Finger paint

1/2 cup corn flour

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups water

food colouring

Mix over gentle heat until smooth. Divide into containers & add colour.

There are so many recipes to be found, I've pinned a few on pinterest for future makings. Next batch I'm going to try some natural dyes for playdough & some milk based finger paints. 

The sun is out, so we're off to make the most of it. Have a happy friday!