eensies

Pack a Poem

2011-04-05T14:25:00.000-04:00

So, it's April, have you been celebrating? I'll confess. I. completely. forgot!!! Until now. So I just pulled out some of my fave poetry anthologies and put a few out on the kitchen table and another on the bean's pillow. Tonight should be fun- it's taco night, grandma and grandpa are coming over and we're all gonna read some poems!

And then tomorrow morning when I'm packing lunch, guess what I'll be wrapping around the bean's string cheese?
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A Simple Way to Encourage More Reading

2011-03-30T23:09:00.000-04:00

Back in the day (has it really been 4 years!!!), one of the things I most prided my classroom on was the library. Picture a very well-curated, neatly organized, beautifully displayed, inviting little collection of books. Lots and lots of careful consideration went into it's location, the furniture and the set up- it was the epicenter of the classroom after all! And whenever something changed in there, it was big news.
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{Read This} Top 10 Children's Poetry Collections

2011-03-21T17:32:00.001-04:00

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month? Time for you to gear up, so we'll all be ready to join in on the celebrating. I'll be sharing some specific how-to ideas throughout the month, but for now let's make sure you have some good resources to pull from.
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{guest post} Sure Shot

2011-03-07T22:34:00.002-05:00

New Year's resolutions don't work. For me. It's all about the timing. I've shared my thoughts on how October through January is just an insane stream of presents in our family. It's also just. too. damn. hectic!!! Holidays, birthdays, parties to plan, dinner's to host, cupcakes to frost, valentine's to make- yeah, the madness actually continues through February folks! I love it all, but I just don't get a second to breathe. So, there's nooo time to stick with any sort of new year's resolution (well that's the story I'm sticking with for now). My solution? Drumroll please... birthday resolutions (mine was yesterday). I have a long, ambitious mental list that I really need to pair down a bit if I want to be successful. But I'm ready to go public with a few.

{re-post} Nonfiction Roundup

2011-02-28T11:27:00.000-05:00

This post was originally published in 2009, but I have a feeling lots of you never saw it and might enjoy the booklist. I was recently reminded of it when a friend was explaining to me that she was having a hard time finding good, age-appropriate non fiction picture books for her very curious 4 year old. Hope this helps!

Here's a tip: exposing kiddos to quality nonfiction nurtures their curiosity and provides them with a wonderful opportunity to explore their questions independently. Win-win! "What does nocturnal mean?" Grab a book and look for the answer! These days there are sooo many excellent nonfiction titles out there, but here are a few I recommend in particular:

Bats by Gail Gibbons (trust me, Gibbons is the big cheese of children's non-fiction)
Tools by Ann Morris (Morris uses wonderful photo illustrations in her books)
From Seed to Plant by Alan Fowler (check out some of the other books in the Rookie Read-About Science Series)
How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
Are You a Snail? by Judy Allen (all eight titles in the Backyard Books series present a unique look at common backyard creatures)
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
I Want to Be an Astronaut by Byron Barton
Building a House by Byron Barton
What Is a Life Cycle? by Bobbie Kalman

What non-fiction titles is your kiddo loving? Please add to the list in the comments below!

A Plea for Slow Crafting

2011-02-14T12:15:00.000-05:00

I love, love, love celebrating Valentine's Day with children. A whole day to revel in love and friendship- could anything be better? As I prepared for the big day this year, I was truly amazed by all the creativity I found throughout the blogoshere. Each idea I came across was better than the last. In the end, I decided we'd make some thumbprint valentines. I procured all the necessaries in advance. Card stock, check. Stamp pad, check. Glitter glue, check. Heart shaped sequins, check. Sorting out all the red and pink markers, check! I set out all the materials, rolled up my sleeves and demonstrated how to make the perfect thumbprint heart. Okay, time for the bean to give it a go. "Wait, nooo..."

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{sharing} Homemade Art Supplies

2011-02-08T13:52:00.000-05:00

photos: 1. Flickr member FrankenberrysKiss licensed for use under Creative Commons 2. Heather Hackett/Lilac Silhouette 3. Sarah Rae Trover/Ohdeedoh 4. Tiffany Teske

You guys know I'm a HUGE fan of making your own playdough and have shared many variations with you over the years. Most recently, my princess dough brought all the excitement back to playdough in our house. I've also shared other homemade art recipes with you, like my goop and finger paint. But I'm always looking for new recipes for fun, so you can imagine how psyched I was to find this fabulous round-up of homemade art supplies over at the lovely Ohdeedoh.

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{sharing} How to Select a Good Picture Book

2011-02-03T21:27:00.001-05:00

photo: Ohdeedoh

There's something I've been meaning to get off my chest. My name is Rebecca, and I am a children's literature snob. For reals. Even my daughter is starting to pick up on it.

It hit her hard on a recent trip to Barnes & Noble when my sweet little angel handed me a thick stack of Toy Story & Disney Princess spin-offs. I just. couldn't. do it. I put them down, looked her in the eye and told her ,"mommy doesn't like to read these kinds of books." Is that horrible?

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{sharing} Sled Roundup

2011-02-01T23:45:00.006-05:00

Seems like my 10 Things To Do The Next Time It Snows post hit home for lots of you out there. And guess what? More snow is headed in our direction- eek! Therefore, I thought I'd share this wonderful sled roundup that I found on a new Martha Stewart blog I just discovered, Living in The Family Room.

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Game On: Early Childhood Board Game Roundup

2011-01-31T23:03:00.000-05:00

photo: One Hungry Mama

Whose been stuck inside more than they care to admit lately? Show of hands. Thought so. It's been bruuuuutal here in the BK! Some days the time from school pick-up to dinner feels like an eternity, even with all the tricks I have up my sleeve. What's a mama/papa to do? Keep reading their eensies of course and get your hands on some board games!

Recently, my BMF (OneHungryMama) and I have discovered the amazing power of the board game. Whip one out and suddenly you've kept everyone happy, occupied and maybe even a little bit better off than before, if you pick your games carefully. Check out my recommendations below and toss a few in your amazon cart ASAP. You wont be sorry!
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10 Things To Do Next Time It Snows

2011-01-25T23:30:00.002-05:00

Here in Brooklyn we've been slammed with snow, upon snow, upon, well... more snow. I really can't remember a snowier winter here in NYC. What to do with all this snow? Get creative! Here are 10 ideas that go beyond sledding and snowballs (which by the way, I have nothing against).

1. Bust out the sand toys- kids love filling up buckets with anything and those rakes and sieves can be used to make cool designs in the snow

2. Raid the kitchen- measuring cups, potato mashers and bundt pans all make great snow toys

3. Snow write- give your kiddo a stick or chopstick and let them scrawl a secret message or have some fun practicing those sight words

4. Snow draw- hand your weensie a stick and let them poke holes, make patterns, stir and swirl

5. Snow paint- Make some snow paint using water and food coloring, fill some spray bottles and let your children express their artistic side in the snow.

6. Bring it inside- the perfect idea for those days when you can't face bundling everyone up again

7. Make snow cream

8. Make snow cones- whip up a batch of snow cone syrup with your kiddo, scoop some snow into a bowl and have the kids drizzle the syrup on top

9. Set up some experiments- give your kiddo a pan of snow, a cup of warm water, a cup of cold water, and a cup of hot (not too) water. Then give them droppers and show them how to squeeze drops onto the snow. How does a drop of cold water react to the snow? Hot? What if you pack down the snow and try it? What if you sprinkle salt? Sand? Sugar?

10. Play some snow games

Nominate eensies for Best Kids Design Blog

2011-01-23T13:45:00.001-05:00

I'm a little late to get in on this one, but Apartment Therapy / Ohdeedoh have just announced the 2011 Homies Awards, so I'm going to be shameless and ask you to vote for eensies. It's not about winning for me, as that is highly unlikely. But it is about being a name in the mix, as this is a great way to introduce new readers to what we're doing here.

So here's what you need to know:

Voting for the finalists takes place now though Tuesday, January 25 (until midnight EST).

To vote, follow this link, scroll to the end and post the following information as a comment:

Name: eensies
URL: http://www.eensies.com/

Thank you my dears!

xoxo,
R

{re-post} Spread the Love

2011-01-23T13:00:00.000-05:00

photos: Bloesem Kids

I'm sorry my dear readers, but in my humble opinion this idea is just too cute not to revisit. Therefore, we will be doing just that this valentine's. Lucky for us the bean switched schools this year, so no one will be receiving the same valentine they got last year. So, without further ado, I (re)present heart hand stamps...

I am in L-O-V-E with this kidorable (yeah, i just coined that term) valentine idea I spotted over at the lovely blog, Bloesem Kids. I've been thinking about doing something this year with the bean to be festive, but wasn't sure what exactly to do. Well, this. is. it! These heart hand stamps are a super simple way to celebrate the holiday and "spread the love". We're gonna whip up a batch for the bean to pass out to friends at school.

What you'll need:
*red paint (washable tempera is best)
*white paper (i'd skip xerox and splurge for something a little thicker)

Step one:
Cover the side of your child’s closed fist in red paint as shown.

Step two:
Stamp onto a piece of white paper to create a half heart shape (addendum: decide how many heart stamps you will ultimately want to have and prep all of them with step two before moving on to step three).

Step three:
Using the alternate hand, repeat steps one and two.

Now use 'em to make cards, cute gift tags, wrapping paper, etc.

So what are you cats & kittens doing to celebrate Valentine's Day?

Snow Day!!!

2011-01-11T23:30:00.002-05:00

Back in the day, when I was still in the classroom, I'd probably have spent the night on the phone with my girls debating the situation while doing some sort of elaborate snow dance. I'd go to sleep with fingers and toes crossed that Julie or Ali would call me bright and early with the good news and we'd meet up at the movies. Fast forward a few years and I'm PRAYING that school is... OPEN. Isn't life funny that way?

Let me clarify a little. If it was just me and the bean at home, we'd surely head out to the park first thing for a snowy adventure, go out to lunch and then spend the late afternoon snuggled up on the couch watching Mary Poppins. But we're not alone and little bro is not so sure of the snow just yet. And honestly, I can't imagine pushing him alllll the way to Fort Greene Park (even in the boo). So what will we be doing if school's canceled? Taking a deep breath and making lemonade of course!

Okay, not literally, but you can bet we'll be doing some cooking to pass the time. Maybe we'll whip up a batch of these chocolate dipped pretzel rods I've been wanting to try? Or perhaps we'll scoop up some snow from the back yard and make some snow cream? Then maybe we'll spend some time with our ever increasing lid collection or make some goop or fill up the sink or all of the above. And you can bet we'll be reading lots of our winter faves, like The Mitten and The Snowy Day and Owl Moon. Hopefully we'll all survive! I'll let you know if I come up with any new tricks :)

{weensie} Winter Survival 101

2011-01-09T23:30:00.002-05:00

With the temp dropping outside, lately we seem to be spending more and more time inside. I must confess that every year around this time, I start to go a little stir crazy. Even the dude seemed to be getting a little antsy the other day. Is it possible for a 14 month old to get bored?

Anyways, I decided it was time to dust off the ole bag o' tricks and start introducing my little one to some weensies. I started out with old reliable- the sensory tub. I've really yet to meet a child who doesn't enjoy them. And... it was a massive success! I choose pasta over my usual go to dried beans, cause my guy is still VERY much into exploring the world with his mouth and I decided beans would be much trickier to dig out of his mouth (if need be) than the pasta shapes I had on hand. I also have dark wood floors and knew that the stray pasta pieces would be much easier to spot at clean up time than the black beans in question (umm, can you say "aha moment"). So I tossed together a mixture of penne and "flowers" (a.k.a. fiori) in a big bowl and gave my guy a few containers and a scoop.

Was I nervous? Nope. Really! I found that a few gentle reminders was all it took to keep the pasta in the tub and out of his esophagus. And the best part was that later that afternoon when the bean, whose about to turn FOUR, came home from pre-K she was also thrilled to get in on the action. I gave her a muffin tray (an empty egg carton would work well here too) to step things up a little and she got right to sorting. Two birds, one stone- phew!

What have you been doing to keep busy and, more importantly, sane this winter? Please share! And if you're newish to eensies, please, take a look around. There are tons of ideas to keep you and yours busy at play.

What's On Your Book Shelf?

2010-12-02T09:30:00.002-05:00

Saw this post over at Inhabitots, 5 Best Board Books for Independent Reading. Loved the title, but not so much their selections. Which got me thinking what are my fave 5? And what are the dudes? And which is more important anyways? Well my darlings, it's definitely the later. You should be reading your babies the books that they love. We want to get our littlest readers excited about reading, right? So even though I am sooo over Noisy Farm right now. We'll probably read it like 10 more times today, LOL. Also high on the dudes list right now are Dear Zoo, Say Goodnight, and Baby Faces.

And one more thing, I am seriously lovin' the Dwell Studio Bus Bookshelf featured in that post! It's a bit of a splurge, but if you could control yourself and buy just one gift for the new baby in your life this holiday season, wouldn't this be perfect?

So tell me dear readers, what book is your kiddo loving ?

Gift Guidance (Part One)

2010-11-30T20:00:00.000-05:00

Someone's recently entered the obsessive drawing/writing/cutting phase of early childhood. Which I happen to know, from my many years spent teaching 4-6 year olds, has quite a bit of longevity to it. Deep breath, LOL.

As a result of said obsession, we've been going through drawing pads like water around here! So the other day I asked my husband to bring home a ream of white copy paper from his office. When I presented it to her the next morning, it was as if we had just handed her a fistful of diamonds. Seriously, she was that ecstatic.

Well, I have to say, I can relate. Like, a lot. There's something so promising about a fresh ream of blank paper. It's so... full of possibility. That got me thinking, wouldn't this have made the. perfect. gift. Rats, I gave it up too early. But wait. What about pink? Have I mentioned that the bean has recently fallen pray to the power of pink? There it is- a ream of "light, light, light pink" (her preferred shade) copy paper! Okay, one gift down, seven more to go (yup, we're a Chanukah family).

So why not head on over to your local office supply shop and snatch up a ream of paper for your lil' artiste? You could even add some new crayons, markers, colored pencils or a shiny new pair of my fave blunt-tip kid's scissors (like I did) and you've knocked out another gift! Easy, peasy!

Do you have a simple gift idea you're really proud of? I could use one or two more ideas friends.

{sharing} Gifts that Keep Giving

2010-11-29T10:00:00.001-05:00

With one, two, THREE birthdays, Halloween, Turkey Day, Chanukah and Christmas basically back-to-back we've got a constant stream of parties, treats and gifting from October through January. Add to the mix two VERY generous grandma's who love to shop, a couple of great-grandma's (we're so lucky!) and a few aunties and we've got a whole lot of presents going on.

So, I've made a conscious effort to scale back in the present department and keep things simple for the holidays this year. I'll be sharing some of my pared down gift ideas with you later this week, but first I thought I'd point out this uh-mazing gift idea I spied over at Ohdeedoh.

5 Gifts That Keep Giving

Instead of giving a whole bunch of smaller gifts they suggest setting up a designated play or "work" area for your kiddo at home. Genius! Why didn't I think of this? Long after they're bored with a flashy toy, they'll be able to create at their art table, write in their workshop, or read in their own little library. We recently set up a workshop for the bean and it is hands down her favorite place to be now.

If you L-O-V-E this idea as much as I do but are, ahem, lacking in the creativity department don't fret! Ohdeedoh has culled a few of their favorites for inspiration like Jennifer Hallissy's drool worthy young writer's workshop (pictured above). And here are a few more ideas for inspiration that'll fit the bill too:

Short on space? That's no excuse!
Set up a simple dress up box with this how-to.
And here's a lovely little writing corner for the space challenged.

In a time crunch to get your holiday shopping done?
You can easily whip up a sensory box.
Or cook up a batch of my famous playdough, wrap it up with a few cookie cutters, a plastic knife and fork and call it a day!

{sharing} Keepin' Kiddos Busy in the Kitchen & Beyond

2010-11-19T17:00:00.000-05:00

Seriously, when did we reach mid-November? I CANNOT believe turkey day is already upon us! I thought those of you tackling the big day yourselves this year would really appreciate this post 5 Ways to Keep Kiddo Busy While You're Holiday Cooking from my BMF (best mama friend- okay i just coined that term) One Hungry Mama. She checked in with Allie McDonald of No Time for Flashcards to get the skinny on how to keep the kiddos ocupado while you're holiday cooking. Allie's 5 simple ideas to get the kiddos involved or better yet keep them busy and outta your way in the kitchen are fabulous and can easily be adapted to different ages.

And while I'm in the sharing mood, here's a very similar post (Everybody Helps) we wrote a few years back which includes some ideas that'll extend beyond the pre-holiday prep to get your kiddo in on the day of action handing out hors d-oeuvres, doing coat check and even entertaining your guests. Now that's helpful!

So tell me darlings, what are your favorite ways to keep the littles engaged while you’re busy in the kitchen?

Collection Agent {greensie}

2010-11-15T22:45:00.005-05:00

Is your kiddo a collector? I'd say most children are at some point. Some just dabble in it from time to time, while others are born collectors whose collections are constantly growing, transforming and evolving over time. The bean falls into the latter category and comes to it from a looong lineage of collectors on both sides of her family.

This girls got collections tucked away all over the house. Some are obvious- coins, buttons, bottle caps, sillybands. Some are are secret- ribbons, sequins!!! And some are downright strange- washcloths (she snags them from the laundry basket, especially the baby ones). WTF?

You know what goes really well with collections? Containers! OMG, don't get me started on containers, baskets or bins. I can seriously spend hours at the container store drooling over and dreaming up uses for all those different receptacles. I have a problem. Well, obsession. No, deep admiration for a great receptacle. There's something so satisfying about finding the perfect match between contents and holder. Okay, I digress.

The point I'm trying to make here is that introducing a new container to the collector in your life can be a good move. Really good, trust me. It has the potential to seriously extend a collections shelf-life (translation- your kid will be entertained by said collection for a longer periods of time). And for the intrepid collectors (like my bean), sometimes a new container inspires a whole new collection to be started.

So without further ado, here are a few items you probably have lying around your house waiting to be thrown away that could inspire some good ole fashioned play...

for small collections:
empty baby food jars (these are the beans fave!!!)
clear travel size toiletry containers (just make sure you clean and dry them out first)
drawstring pouches (from sunglasses or jewelry)
old contact lens cases (perfect for a sequin or tiny bead collection)
small gift boxes (the kind jewelry comes in)
empty playdough containers (these are also perfect for storing your homemade princess dough)
egg cartons

for larger collections:
empty shoe boxes (ah, the classic collection receptacle)
oatmeal canisters (get crafty and cover them with some pretty paper)
empty plastic wipes holder
an old jewelry box you're no longer using

Whatever you put them in, collections are great! Click here for more ideas on what to do with them.

So tell me, what does your kiddo like to collect?

How Pink Saved the Day

2010-11-11T15:00:00.005-05:00

Hi there, remember me? No big promises, just dipping my toes back in the proverbial water. Hopefully there are still a few of you out there waiting for an eensie to hit your inbox?

To catch you up, I've had my hands quite full for the last year (seriously, how did that happen so quickly?) getting to know my little monkey AND keeping up with the bean who is now 3 and 3/4s going on 16.

So pink is the new "lellow" and princesses have taken over completely. School is closed for the day and we've got a baby brother who still needs a morning nap. What to do? On the weekends we usually bake while baby bro is snoozing, but my waistline just can't deal with anymore brownies. However, cooking always seems to make the morning just fly by. Hmmm... We could make playdough? But that ole standby seems to have waned interest with the bean, in favor of hours and hours AND HOURS of drawing and cutting. Are we alone here?

Enter pink.

It's amazing the power this color holds. Turn something "pinkalicious" as we say around here and the ordinary suddenly becomes magical. So pinkalicious playdough it is.

"Princess playdough?" the bean enthusiastically whispers in the voice she reserves only for the most amazing, exciting, over-the-top life plans. You bet your magic wand sister. And there it is, playdough is back! Thanks pink.

For those of you not in the think of pink, why not whip up some dragon dough (green)? Or add a sprinkling of glitter to any shade you've got and voila- fairy dough!

Say, what have you done to zhuj something (that's lost it's lustre) back up for your kiddos? Please share!

*FYI, today we halved our usual recipe, which yielded a much more manageable amount. Makes sense as my original recipe is intended for the classroom.

A Few Good Ideas

2010-03-28T23:55:00.002-04:00

Lame, lame, lame. That's how I feel about my lack of posts as of late.

Today, in an effort to feel better about this, I've decided to share a few good ideas I've found around town so to speak. These are quick, fun ideas, some might even call them "eensies" (LOL), perfect for the school break many of us are facing over the next two weeks. So without further ado...

for the weensies:

Have you got a car enthusiast at home? Then set up a car wash or make a ramp like Mom & Kiddo did!
Remember this sanity saver? Take it to the next level by setting up a necklace making center!
If you loved my thumbprint hearts, you'll also enjoy making these handprint butterflies- hello Spring!

for the school-aged set:

Working on letter-sound correspondence? Print out a few of these animal alphabet letters and grab the colored pencils (thanks for the link Jennifer)!
Have them make a map! Great ideas for how-to here.
Do some comparing & contrasting while exploring the fresh new Spring greenery
Love, love, love this grocery store game over at Today Is Fun! It teaches kiddos the value of a bargain and throws in some great real-world math.

Enjoy!
R

Tick, Tock, You Don't Stop

2010-03-12T10:27:00.006-05:00

If you're like me you're ALWAYS running late. Whether it's a last minute poop or spit-up fest from the babe, a meltdown from the bean or just bad timing on my part we're always scrambling to get out the door. While my crew isn't quite ready for this eensie, it's perfect for slightly older kiddos who are learning to tell time. Assign your kiddo to be the family "timekeeper"! 5s, 6s and 7s love to be "in charge" and have important jobs, so this is right up their alley. All you need is an analog clock (which you should have around for you kiddos) with a clearly numbered face, hour and minute hands.

To start, you need to spend some time practicing "reading" the clock, once your kiddo is familiar with how the clock works, they're ready for hire, LOL. The timekeeper's job is to keep the fam, well on time! This comes in handy for cooking, naptimes, getting out the door, etc. Let your child know you need a notification at ___ o'clock and leave the rest to them. For example, "Come and find me when it's 12:15, so I can put your sister down for her nap." Or "Give a shout when it's 4PM, so the cookies don't burn." This teaches you kiddo to use a clock organically. Much better than filling in a bunch of worksheets- ick!

Hello Spring, Is That You?

2010-03-09T23:55:00.001-05:00

You know it's been a while when your own blog asks you to sign in with a user name and password- eek! Well better late than not at all, right? After a looooooooooooong winter, spring is finally starting to peek and push it's way up through the snow (we had an insane blizzard about a week ago and until yesterday there were still a few random patches of snow on the ground).

Last September, as a chill in the air arrived, I began to explain the concept of seasons to my little bean. At first it seemed to be a bit too abstract for her, but slowly, slowly she's come to understand the concept. And in the process, we've had a lot of fun observing and talking about the change in weather and our surroundings. Watching the world through the eyes of a 3 year old is magical, isn't it?

Walking home the other day, I noticed that the trees on our block were budding and some bulbs were starting to emerge. The next day I came up with this idea. I've talked about nature walks before, but this time we made it more of a nature hunt. We headed out with a mission- to look for signs of Spring! As we strolled all the way around our block, it was thrilling to find all the bits of green poking out of the ground and led to such rich conversation about squirrels and flowers and summertime (oh yeah!). Whether you live in a city, a suburb or the country, taking the time to go outside and look for spring is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and welcome the coming season.

And for you poor soles who are still deep in the doldrums of winter, here's an eensie for you too. Snow ice cream!!! When we were housebound during that crazy blizzard, we invited some neighborhood friends over and whipped up this tasty treat. Step one, scoop up some fresh, untouched snow. Step two, put it in a bowl and top with Sweetened Condensed Milk (fortunately, I have a bad habit of always having a can of this stuff around). Step three, dig in! Things being the way they are environmentally, I wouldn't go doing this often. But for a special once a year treat your kids will remember for a lifetime, this is it! It's freaking delicious!!!

Get in the Mix (weensie alert)

2010-02-10T23:55:00.002-05:00

The bean has been on a cooking kick lately. When we're not cooking something together, she's often whipping something "tend" up in her own kitchen. I've also been creating lots of opportunity for "mixing," "pouring" and "making" in her play. In the last few weeks we've whipped up batches of playdough, goop and flubber (stay tuned for this recipe). And this week we made our own finger paint- so fun!

I love these kinds of weensies cause they pack a mean punch- you get the fun of the making process and then you have something to play or explore with when you're done. Making this the perfect thing for all these looong winter afternoons.

So without further ado...

What you'll need:

2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 cups water
1/4 cup liquid dish soap
food coloring

What to do:

1. Mix the sugar and cornstarch together in a pot.

2. Slowly stir in the water.

3. Cook the mixture over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture is a clear, smooth gel.

4. Stir in the soap and remove from heat.

5. When cool enough to handle, transfer to storage containers and add food coloring.

6. Voila, paint and enjoy!