With the economy going into a recession and all kinds of fears being bandied about, I got thinking about how we could focus on saving money that’s spent on essentials for our preschoolers. Toys, crafts and art supplies, clothes…the list of preschool needs is endless, and a few ways to cuts costs wouldn’t be untimely, I think.

I thought I‘d start out by collecting a few basic how tos for making play dough at home.

Here are a few recipes for home made play dough.

• Dissolve a cup and half of salt in about 3 cups of water. In a large pan, put 3 cups of flour, 6 teaspoons of cream of tartar, and 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the salt water mixture, and place on medium heart. Stir constantly until you end up with a ball. Now knead this dough until you get play dough like consistency. You don’t have to refrigerate cooked play dough.
• For play dough with a different texture, mix half cup salt with half cup hot water, and bring to a boil. Take another bowl, and mix half cup cold water with a half cup cornstarch, adding water slowly and mixing all the time. Make sure it’s well blended and then, add this corn starch mix to the boiling water. Stir briskly. Keep stirring until all the lumps are dissolved. If you want to add some food coloring to the dough, put in a few drops. Take off heat and let cool. Knead until it becomes smooth.
• If you’d rather not cook, just take cup of flour, about a quarter cup each of salt and water. Add the salt to the flour, and then mix in water slowly, kneading in the flour the entire time. Add some food coloring if you want. Keep kneading until you get the required texture. Uncooked play dough is easy enough for your child to help you with. Store in plastic containers and refrigerate. Uncooked play doesn’t last as long as cooked play dough, however.
• Mix one cup flour with 3 tablespoons of oil, half cup salt and one packet of Kool-Aid. Add one cup of hot (boiling) water and stir. Knead until it forms the required consistency.

Tips

Coat your hand with oil before kneading to avoid a sticky mess, and for a smother consistency.

Add glitter while kneading the cooked dough, to create sparkling art pieces.

Finger Paint Recipes

• Mix a quarter cup of laundry starch liquid with a few drops of food color. Blend well.
• Mix a half cup of corn starch, 3 tablespoons of sugar, half teaspoons of salt and 2 cups of cold water. Cook over low flame for about 190 minutes or so. Remove when the consistency is smooth and thick. Let it cool and pour into separate storage containers. Add whatever colors of food colors you wish to each container, and blend well. Store in air tight containers.
• For an even quicker one-time use finger paint, mix canned milk with food coloring. Or mix a cup of yogurt with food color.

Cheap Art Supplies

Find other cheaper sources of drawing and art supplies.

• Save shirt boxes with white interiors and cut them to use as painting boards.
• Print coloring sheets from websites and cover them with a photo magnetic sheet from an old photo album. Or simply slip into a clear plastic sheet and seal the ends. Your child can work on the plastic cover with erasable non toxic marker pens and simply wipe them off to use again.
• Buy powdered paint from a teacher’s supply store, and create your own paint.

Look for unconventional and cheap sources of art materials for artwork that you don’t intend to display.

• Use shaving foam or instant pudding, and mix with food color to create paint that sits well on a cookie sheet.
• Mix egg yolk, dry detergent, and food color to use as a paint that can be used on glass and foil. The ingredients help the pain to stick to the surface.

Tip

To help them mix only as much color as is necessary, use empty egg cartons as a palette.

So, what are your proven cost cutting tips for art supplies?

This little girl’s parents are so pissed.

3 year Leonie Terry walked out of her school in Manchester England, managed to cross four streets on her own before a passerby spotted the lone preschooler and escorted her safely back.

The school, in question, Aspinal School in Manchester, apparently had their gates left open, and little Leonie who didn’t quite fancy the pork chops they were serving for lunch, decided to go off home, and get herself a more appetizing meal.

According to the beleaguered school which is being attacked vociferously by the girl parents and child safety experts, they have recently installed high routines and perimeter fencing to ensure kids’ safety.

Umm…News flash, Aspinal. 3 year old kids are more likely to walk through open doors, than vault over 8 foot high fences. Jeez.

If this was my child, heads would have been rolling by now.