Here are a few cheap and easy ways to keep them from destroying the house before you pack them off to school again. -
> Take them to the beach. It is too cold for swimming but not for a walk. Get them to collect treasures such as shells, driftwood and dried seaweed. They can then take them home and create a collage or decorate old photo frames.
> Standard scavenger hunts can take time to set up, but not photo scavenger hunts. Set out a list of items for your children to record on a digital camera. These can be funny, straightforward or challenging.
If a camera is not available, get them to draw them on paper. Their collection can then be shared at the end.
> Take older children on a trip down memory lane by dusting off family photo albums and making them blush at photos of them crawling on the floor.
They may cringe at first but they will enjoy watching themselves grow up and reminiscing about their younger years.
> Get your children to organise a concert to entertain you. Set a day and time for the big show and they will spend hours creating routines or puppet plays to make you smile.
> Go tadpoling. Take an old jar or sealable container and head to ponds and streams in your area. Get the kids to hunt out tadpoles and keep them at home to watch them grow into frogs.
> Make a kite out of wooden skewers, paper and string. Your child will enjoy not only making their own toy but flying it as well.
> Put old magazines to use by letting the kids attack them with scissors. They can create collages or scrapbook-style books with pictures from the glossies.
> Have a competition to make the biggest bubble. Pull a wire coathanger into a circle shape, dip in a flat dish filled with water and dishwashing liquid and let the fun begin.
Let your kids write secret messages to you or each other. Use a toothpick or brush dipped in lemon juice or vinegar to write on a piece of paper. Hold it up to a 100W bulb (careful, it's hot) and watch as the message magically appears.
> Macaroni is not just for eating. Create necklaces with string, macaroni, popcorn and any other items you can think of. Arts and crafts need not cost much money.
> Stamps can be made from potato (help them cut out their shapes with a sharp knife); let the kids create a range of different paintings with star, square, circle and even face shapes.
> Give orphan socks a new lease of life by transforming them into puppets. Take some wool for hair and buttons for eyes and you have an easy-to-make new toy.
Making playdough
Playdough is a fail-safe way to entertain kids for a couple of hours and it is easy to make with basic ingredients.
Get the kids to help make it before they play with it.
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup boiling water cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp food colouring (optional)
Mix everything together in a bowl.
Add boiling water, stirring and folding the mixture constantly.
It will lose its stickiness and will start to gather into a big blob.
Turn it out on to a floured board and knead until the mixture is smooth.
It is best played with when it is still warm but will also keep in an air-tight container.
Different items around the house can be fun to experiment with.
Try a garlic press to create hair-like strands, an old comb for lines and patterns, shells and leaves for imprints, and biscuit cutters for different shapes.
Teach your kids about mixing colours by having them mash blue and yellow playdough together to make green, or red and yellow to make orange.
Making clay
For a more permanent sculptural experience, try making clay that can be baked in the oven.
Ingredients
4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cups water
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Food colouring
1 egg, beaten
Mix all the ingredients together and knead until smooth.
Separate into parts and mix in a few drops of food colouring.
Kids can make photo frames, boxes, or animals and faces: the options are endless.
If they would like to make something to hang on the wall, before baking make a hole in the back which can hook on to a nail once hard.
When the kids are done creating different shapes and sculptures, brush the beaten egg over the top and place on a baking sheet.
Heat the oven to 150degC and bake the pieces for about one hour or until the clay is golden.
Once cooled, they can be painted.
Making papier mache
For children with a bit more patience, teach them about papier mache.
A range of different things can be created with basic items from around home.
You will need
Paper (newsprint is ideal)
Glue
Paintbrush
Paints to decorate
Glue can be made from wallpaper paste, which can be bought from home-decorating stores, or by mixing a large spoonful of plain flour with water to make a thin, smooth cream before adding boiling water while stirring to thicken it.
Set the kids up with a bowl of paste, a pile of torn-up newspaper and a plastic sheet to catch any spills.
The idea is to wet paper in glue and layer it to create a hard surface.
Small hands will love getting all gluey.
To make a piggy bank
Blow up a balloon and cover in papier mache.
After a couple of layers, get an egg carton and cut out six of the cups.
Attach four of them on the bottom for feet, one on the front for a snout and cut one in half and attach for ears.
Cover all in multiple papier mache layers and allow to dry.
When it is hard, cut a slit in the top to insert money, and paint as desired.
To make a mask
This is the same principle as the piggy bank but with a change in the placement of the cups.
Blow up a balloon and cover it in papier mache.
Attach an egg-carton cup for a nose and half-cups for ears if desired.
Once hard, cut the balloon in half for two masks.
Cut eye and mouth holes and thread in string to attach to the head.
Paint as desired.
Design your own T-shirt
Let your children put their mark on their clothes.
Printing on to T-shirts is not complicated when you use crayon.
You will need
Old crayons
Old vege peeler or grater
Plain white T-shirt
Stencil if desired
Baking paper
Paper
Iron
Shave crayons with the peeler or grater, keeping them in their individual colours, until you have a decent pile.
If you want to use a stencil, cut out words or a shape from a piece of paper with a craft-knife (paper is best so it and the crayon stay close to the material).
Lay the T-shirt out on a flat surface.
Place a piece of paper or card inside it (so the crayon does not go through to the back).
If using the stencil, place it down on the T-shirt and sprinkle crayon on top of it.
If you are not using a stencil, simply sprinkle crayon in whatever manner you like over the T-shirt.
Take a piece of baking paper and lay it over the crayon.
Heat the iron and run it over the top of the baking paper until the crayon has melted into the fabric.
Leave to cool.
While the crayon will not wash out, it may fade over time.
This creates an unusual speckled effect and different looks can be created using different colour patterns.
• With thanks to Shirley Woodrow from Dunedin Budget Advice for her contributions.
