The festive season is a great time to get creative and tackle a few of those projects that caught your eye while browsing the internet. But it’s also a time where kids seem to get bored much easier. Here are a few projects that are sure to keep them busy for a while …
Snowglobe
This is actually surprisingly cheap and easy to create. All you need is a glass jar with a lid, some glue, water, glitter and a toy.
Glue the toy on the inside of the jar’s lid. Next fill the jar with water and add a generous amount of glitter. Glue the lid onto the jar, turn it over and voila! Give it a shake and watch the glitter stir.
Home-made clay
You don’t have to buy expensive modelling clay, you can make your own with a few pantry staples.
Mix one and a half cups of salt with four cups of flour, then add about a cup and a half of water. Knead it until it forms pliable dough. Store in an airtight container when not in use.
The kids can use the dough to create sculptures or tree ornaments. Paint it and then let it dry for about a day or bake it in the over until hardened.
It can also just be used over and over if your kids love sculpting.
Home-made slime
This can get a little messy so do it in the kitchen or place a plastic bag on the surface you’ll be working on.
Mix about ¼ bottle of school project glue and ¼ cup of water. Add a few drops of food colouring (optional).
Add in ¼ cup of Borax to the mixture and stir slowly.
Keep stirring and kneading until it grows less sticky and then enjoy your slime. If there’s a bit of water left in the bowl, just tip it out.
Store the slime in a plastic bag or container in the fridge otherwise it will get mouldy.
Lava lamp
This project is a favourite among organisations promoting science.
You’ll need a bottle, cooking oil, water, food colouring and a fizzy tablet like Eno.
Firstly pour in the cooking oil to about two thirds of the way and then pour in water until about 3 cm from the top.
Add a few drop of food colouring and then break the fizzy tablet in a few pieces and drop one in. It will fizz and create lots of tiny bubbles.
Screw on the lid and tilt the bottle to enjoy the lava lamp effect.
Bowling set
Collect ten 2 litre cooldrink bottles. Paint them, fill them with about 2 cups of water or sand. Place them in a triangle like bowling pins. Decide how you’re going to mark the boundaries of your lanes. This can be done using masking tape, ribbon or even bricks.
Use a tennis ball to knock the pins over.
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