Give me some indoor activity ideas - it is so stinkin' hot out and I want to keep them involved inside. All ideas are welcome, especially ideas that don't cost much.

I have been thinking about this lately too. And one thing I tried to do with ds was painting with homemade paint. He may still be a little young because he was more interested in drinking it than painting. But anyway, you just mix cornstarch with water and add food coloring. I don't remember exact amounts, but I would start with less water next time, like maybe 1/2 a cup, for each color. This was super easy and super cheap. There are also some great homemade play dough recipes on the internet too, and making it is usually as fun as playing with it.

This could possible be an indoor activity, if you had a tarp! But we did it today on our deck. For my MIL's B-day, I bought a big clay pot & let Kaya decorate it with paint. Its crazy, abstract toddler art! I put her name & year on the rim of the pot. After it dries, I'm going to spray a clear coat of paint on it to seal it so her artwork doesn't wash off. This part would definitely have to be done outside and by an adult. We are going to get plant for it and give it to her for her b-day. I hope she likes it. I think this would be a good gift for anyone in the family and it was fun for us to play in the paint. Afterwards, we let her run around outside in her diaper while I hosed her off. She thought that was a blast. Okay, in hindsight maybe not really and indoor project. But something fun to do on a hot day!

We did something really fun two days ago. I bought a kit from Target - something like $14.00. It was supposed to make 4 small stepping stones. It included the plaster junk, little glass "gems", stickers, glitter, some other stuff.

We made 3. Two small ones and one larger one with her handprint in it. I know it isn't exactly what you're looking for, but I think it'll make a nice gift for my mom. She's closing on her house this week and I thought it would be a cute housewarming present.

Another friend suggested cutting various pictures out of magazines and letting the kids glue them to paper. They can make a collage or a new face out of assorted lips, eyes, etc. I bought a few glue sticks and she doesn't make too much of a mess with them. I let her cut things sometimes with little safety scissors I bought, but I watch her like a hawk. I have too many friends with littles who decided to cut their own hair, lol.

This isn't a craft, but we just made a tent by pushing together two chairs and throwing a sheet over the top. (I'm going stir crazy for things to do with her.) I remember doing that as a kid.

We also bought some Wikkistix today. She's been having fun with those. They're really cheap - like $3.50 for a pack.

So, here are some of my Mother's Day Out craft projects. These are what are coming to mind, my project folder is at school right now.

Marble painting - Put paper in the bottom of a box (shoe box, cereal box, etc with top cut off), dip marbles in paint, drop on paper and shake box to roll marbles around.  Higher sides on the box mean less marbles escape. I do this with my classroom of one year olds, we just help them hold the box.

Along the same lines, paint with something other than a brush.  Dip a toy car in paint and drive it around paper. Anything laying around that will give a different texture.

You can use markers on coffee filters and then spritz them with water to make the colors run. Or drip watered down paint onto the filter. You can turn these into butterflies using a clothespin to gather the middle.

When you finish a roll of toilet paper you can cut strips into both ends of the cardboard and then bend them back to make flower petals. Paint and then stuff the middle with tissue paper, painted wads of paper, etc to look like the middle of the flower. Attach to some sort of stem.

You can also wrap toilet paper rolls in construction paper and make them into animals. As an example, for Thanksgiving we wrapped the rolls in brown paper and drew on eyes and a beak. Then trace the kids hands onto colored paper, cut out and glue to the back to make tail feathers. This could be any sort of bird.

Use paint or stamp pads and make fingerprints all over the paper. Then help the child turn their fingerprints into bugs, animals, monsters, etc.

Paint pasta and make jewelry.

Paint seashells or rocks.

Wow, April, I knew you would have some good ideas! Thanks for sharing, especially the cars in paint on paper thing, I never would have thought of that but how easy and fun that could be.

Holy moley. April rocks.

chiming in late, and i just read amanda's reply with what i was going to say!  i can't say enough about the site, kidscraftweekly.com.  i love it! the last issue was about light and creating simple things that show kiddos how light interacts w/ art.  the mama is so amazing & creative.  and most of her ideas are indoor projects, and often use things that you have or you can find outdoors.
 
we also do more cooking when it's so hot outside.  i know it's challenging w/ a baby around too. but if you can find simple recipes (muffins, nut/granola balls, etc.) it occupies the toddlers for a bit.

april: i love the car & paint idea! kai will love that.

justina

I am also chiming in late...guess you can never have too much to do. I have a put a plug in for felting. you can do it in the baby pool or the bathtub...small bits of wool and water, and let the children do what they will. Make balls, pictures....a truly renewable craft supply.
I also love bleeding tissue paper. You can have little ones rip and tear bits of it, "paint" a sturdy piece of paper with water, and place the bits on the wet paper. Let it dry only slightly, then take off the tissue paper. Leave as is for pictures, or cut into squares to decorate packages, cards, etc.
MaryJane's farm book had a cute idea. Take a piece of masking or duct tape and tape it, sticky side out, around a child's wrist. Take a nature walk and put the things you gather on the tape. You can make rain sticks out of toilet paper tubes, or paper towel tubes. Put toothpicks sticking across the tube, tape the ends, put a couple of tablespoons rice in there, tape the ands shut, and paint or decorate. You can also papier mache the outside.
Make paper. Soak shredded bits of newspaper, bills, old drawings, construction paper, etc. in water for a long time....a day is great. You can put bits of dried flowers, found weeds, etc. in (after blending-sorry, getting ahead of myself) Put this in a blender, with LOTS of water, and only a scant handful of the soaked paper. Now put plant bits in, if desired. Strain the pulp, and roll between two kitchen towels for a flat sheet, or make a bowl by shaping the pulp inside of a fine round sieve.
Make play-doh.
Make "slime" with white glue, food coloring, and a couple of teaspoons of Borax already dissolved in water. Mix...now THERE'S a science lesson.
We like to cook, too, and you can make butter in a glass jar with marbles added, add the whipping cream, and shake 'til your arm falls off.
Angie

Would anyone like to come do some of these projects at Mama's Hip next week? Starting Wednesday I will have a little helper(my 11-year-old sister) with me for about a month, so I think I can brave a potentially messy project! I'd love to try the painting project April mentioned with marbles, cars, etc. I was thinking I could provide the paint, probably homemade, and paper and everyone could bring something unique to paint with. Kind of a co-operative activity.
We could do it Wednesday or Thursday, I'm open to suggestion. And if it goes well maybe make it a weekly gathering.

I would love to.  Thursdays are better for us.
Sounds like fun!

I would be interested in something like this too. Thursdays are better for me as well. Thanks!

Thursday's good for me, too. And count us in. Sounds like fun.

So Thursday it is! How about 10:30 ish? I say "ish" because that is the state of my life right now! And anyway, this should be a pretty laid back affair. I look forward ot meeting you all, and don't forget to bring something unique to share.

It just occurred to me that I COMPLETELY forgot about this. I swear I'd forget my own head if it weren't attached to my body.

How did it go? We really did want to attend.

It was fun!  DD is still talking about it!  Both of mine seemed to enjoy painting w/hands and feet more than anything....and still have the blue toes to prove it!


Maybe you guys can make it next week?  I think it's going to be make-your-own playdough and BYOB(bring your own mixing bowl! ) 

We had lots of fun too! And we plan on making it a regular thing. Like Erin said, we will be making playdough. I will provide the ingredients and everyone can bring their own mixing bowl.
I look forward to seeing you all here at Mama's Hip on Thursday at 10:30.

We're going to have to miss again. We're spending the night out at my mom's new house in teh far far East end to help unpack, etc. I don't feel like wasting the gas to drive back and forth so we're here for a few days. Hopefully we'll make it next week.

You might want to think about posting this separately on the Playgroup forum. I'm afraid it's being missed because we've kind of strayed from teh original topic, as threads often do.