Creative Play Clay

1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup warm water
food coloring or tempera paints
shellac or clear nail polish (I've used the clay without the sealer)

1. Mix baking soda and cornstarch in a saucepan.
2. Add water (you can color the water first if you wish), stir until smooth.
3. Place over med. heat and bring to a boil.
4. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture looks like mashed potatoes.
5. Remove from heat and pour onto mixing board to cool.
6. When dough is cool enough to be easily handled, knead.
7. You can add food coloring at this stage if desired and knead it in. Or paint with tempera paint.
8. With rolling pin, cookie cutters, or free hand you can form shapes and figures.
9. When completely dry, cover figures with shellac or clear nail polish if desired.

For figures colored with food coloring, shellac is optional. If stored in airtight bag or container you can keep this clay for several weeks.

Makes about 1.5 cups. Double the recipe for large groups or for large objects.

Sand & Cornstarch Modeling Dough

This dough is grainy and stonelike, can be used to make interesting sculptures. It doesn't need varnish or shellac to protect it. Store leftover dough in airtight container.

1 cup sand
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon powdered alum
3/4 cup hot water
Optional: food coloriing

1. Mix sand, cornstarch, alum.
2. Add hot water, stirring vigorously until well mixed
3. Add food coloring if desired and blend
4. Cook over med. heat until thick, stirring constantly

Makes about 2 cups.

When sufficiently cooled form as desired. Dry in sunshine for several days.

Submitted by Kathleen Carpenter

Here's a recipe to make mice at school:

1 maraschino cherry with the stem
1 Hershey Kiss unwrapped
2 sliced almonds
melting chocolate
pink icing (optional)

1. Melt the chocolate.
2. Dip the cherry into the chocolate holding it by the stem. This will be the tail of the mouse.
3. Then take the hersey kiss and immediately stick it to the dipped cherry with the point out which is the nose of the mouse.
4. You should then put the two almonds in between (just slide them down) the cherry and the kiss for the ears.
5. Have them standing upright. You may take a little pink icing and put it on the tip of the kiss for a nose, but it looks cute without.

Adults like these too!

Submitted by:
BHill
by way of the Building-Blocks Mail Ring