Soap Doodlers

For some good, clean fun, cook up this concoction, then doodle with your soapy crayons in the bathtub.

 

Here's What You Need 

Two 3.1-ounce bars Ivory soap

Cheese grater

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoons water

Saucepan

Mixing Spoon

2 teaspoons food coloring

Oven mitt

Plate or baking sheet

Wax paper

Soap and water

Airtight container

 

Here’s How You Make It

1. Grate the bars of soap using the smallest hole on your cheese grater.

2. Place the soap shavings, vegetable oil, and water in the saucepan.

3. ASK A GROWNUP to help you place the saucepan on a stove burner and heat the ingredients on medium-low. Stir the mixture constantly with the spoon until the soap melts and the mixture is doughy.

4. Mix in the food coloring.

5. ASK THE GROWNUP to help you use an oven mitt to remove the saucepan from the heat.

6. Spoon the soap out of the saucepan and onto a plate or baking sheet. Immediately soak the saucepan and spoon in hot water.

7. When the soap is cool enough to handle but still warm, knead it with your hands for about 1 minute.

8. Divide the soap into 4 sections. Or divide it into 2 sections for chunky crayons.

9. Using the palms of your hands, roll the soap into log shapes, then roll a piece of wax paper around each log.

10. Place the crayons on the plate or baking sheet and set them in the fridge to harden for about 1 hour.

 

Here’s How You Use It

Color with the crayons on the bathtub walls. Be sure to clean your artwork off the bathtub walls with soap and water when you’re done.

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Here’s How You Store It

 Store the crayons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks.

 

Variations

-Form the soap into balls instead of logs.

-Press the soap into individual sections of an ice cube tray or individual cups of a muffin pan to make chunky crayons.

 

Edible Finger Paints

Food, glorious food! Get ready for some downright messy fun with these fingerlickin’ finger paints.

 

Here’s What You Need

Plastic drop cloth or newspapers

Edible finger paints (choose 1 or more):

·    ¼ cup chocolate pudding mixed with ¼ cup whipped cream or Cool Whip

·    ½ cup vanilla pudding mixed with 3-4 drops food coloring

·    ¼ cup corn syrup mixed with 2-3 drops food coloring

·    ¼ cup chocolate syrup mixed with 5-10 drops flavor extract

Small mixing bowls

Mixing spoons

Wax paper

Airtight containers

 

Here’s How You Make It

1. Lay a drop cloth or newspapers on the floor under your work area.

2. Mix up the edible finger paints in separate bowls with separate spoons.

 

Here’s How You Use It

1. Wash and dry your hands.

2. Finger paint with these concoctions on a sheet of wax paper.

3. When you’re done, have great fun eating your artwork!

 

Here’s How You Store It

Store each finger paint in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

 

Chunky Crayon

What do you do with those itty-bitty crayon pieces you find between you couch cushions and at the bottom of your crayon box? Recycle those broken pieces into a big chunky crayon!

 

Here’s What You Need

8-10 brightly colored crayon pieces

¼ teaspoon vegetable oil

Nonstick muffin pan

Baking sheet

Oven mitt

Toothpick

Paper or other artwork

Crayon box

 

Here’s How You Make It

1. ASK A GROWNUP to help you preheat the oven to 275°F.

2. Remove the labels from the crayon pieces.

3. Pour the vegetable oil into a muffin pan cup.

4. Add enough crayon pieces to fill one-third of the muffin pan cup. If you add more crayon pieces, they won’t melt evenly. If you use fewer crayon pieces, you’ll get a thin crayon that will break when you use it.

5. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

6. ASK A GROWNUP to help you bake the crayon pieces in the oven for 4-6 minutes. Watch them closely because they melt quickly.

7. When the crayon pieces start to melt and blend, ASK THE GROWNUP to help you use an oven mitt to remove the baking sheet from the oven.

8. Stir the crayon mixture gently using a toothpick.

9. Set the crayon mixture aside to cool.

10. When it’s cool, pop the crayon out of the muffin pan.

 

Here’s How You Use It

Use the crayon to color on paper or other artwork.

 

Here’s How You Store It

Store the crayon for several months in a crayon box or wherever you keep your store-bought crayons.

 

Tip: It’s easy to peel the labels from your crayons after you soak the crayons in a bowl of hot water for about 10 minutes.

 

Variations:

-To make a solid-colored crayon, use similar-colored crayon pieces and stir well in step 8. To make a rainbow crayon, use different-colored crayon pieces and stir gently in step 8—don’t overmix.

-Add ¼ teaspoon glitter during step 8 to make a sparkly crayon.

-To make an interesting crayon shape, use a heat-resistant metal mold instead of a muffin pan. Experiment with small animal-shaped molds. Use pink crayons in a pig-shaped mold or green crayons in a frog-shaped mold. Be creative!

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