by Patricia Caskey

Make Your Own Playdough, Paint, and Other Craft Materials contains more than one hundred recipes for making craft materials-dough, clay, paint, glitter, and other creative -materials-with young children.

Parents, as well as childcare providers and teachers, will find recipes that use ingredients easily found in their kitchens. Many of the recipes have less than five ingredients and take just minutes to make. Besides saving money by not buying commercial craft materials, the process of making the materials can be just as fun and educational as the activities that can be done with the finished products. Included with the activities are some new ideas for materials that providers and teachers can use in discovery bottles and discovery tables in childcare settings.

In addition to common craft materials, there are recipes for:
Dryer lint clay
Edible candy clay
Non-toxic scratch-and-sniff paint
Waterproof glue
Sidewalk chalk
Clean mud
Bubbles
Soap crayons
Bath salts
Perfume
Invisible ink
Colored macaroni or rice

Children will be thrilled to discover the works of art they can create with their new craft materials as they enhance their senses of touch, taste, smell, and sight. All of these recipes have been tested for safety and outcomes if followed as directed.