This easy kids fort for the backyard is a super space for kids to play in. It’s really easy and inexpensive to make, and is such a fun base for playing, relaxing and reading. Here’s how to make it, along with some extra ideas to fill it full of play and learning.
Transform an ordinary jigsaw into a special puzzle just for your baby with this idea for a hide and seek personalised jigsaw puzzle featuring some of your baby’s favourite people.
Here’s a super easy DIY craft recipe that shows you how to make clay (that’s actually more like an air-drying dough) and turn it in to some beautiful butterflies.
Click play on the video above to see our playdough masterclass.
This video gives you everything you ever wanted to know about play dough: how to make homemade playdough with quick and easy recipes; the benefits of playdough for children; and lots of sensory play activities using play dough including playdough math activities, playdough literacy activities, and playdough fine motor skills activities.
Plus find out how to get printable playdough recipe cards and printable play mats. It’s an excellent beginners guide to play dough!
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To make the air-drying clay/dough you will need one part PVA glue and two parts cornflour {UK name} / cornstarch {US name}.
Then all you need to do is mix the two together.
In a matter of minutes you’ll go from this :: to this :: to this, and you’ll have a lovely, white moldable dough, similar in consistency to ready-roll icing/frosting.
Then you can roll out the dough and use some cookie cutters to stamp out some shapes. We’re making butterflies today, but watch out for a beautiful loveheart version in my play dough e-book.
You can use a pencil or skewer to make a hole in your butterfly, if you want to be able to hang it up.
And you can use a dry paintbrush to sweep over the surface and remove any clay dough crumbs that you might have on the surface of your butterflies.
Then you can set your butterflies on a flat surface {we used a baking tray lined with baking parchment} and leave them overnight to dry out.
Once they are dry the hardened clay dough is a wonderful surface to decorate, and it takes pencils and wax crayons really well.
Your children can add colour and patterns and symmetry to make each butterfly unique.
Then you can add string or ribbon threaded through the holes so you can hang up your butterflies. We’re adding ours to our seasonal tree which sits year-round in our entrance hall – click through if you’d like to see the Valentine, Easter and New Year versions.
Baby and toddler sensory play can now include glitter, sequins and lots of tiny, shiny delights! Here’s how to make sensory discovery bottles so the youngest children can join in the fun.
Looking for things to do with children in May? These May activity plans are perfect for play-based, creative learning.
