14 Homemade Craft Recipes for DIY Play

To make cloud dough (also known as moon sand), add 6 cups flour to a large container or bin. Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in 1 cup oil (baby oil or a mild cooking oil). Mix together with a spoon. If you like the dough to be stickier, add less flour. If you like a more powdery consistency, add more.

Have fun digging and molding with scoops, bowls, molds and cookie cutters.

Kelly R:  Never run out of bubbles again with our super easy homemade bubble solution recipe. Gently stir 3 cups warm water (distilled is best but tap works as well) with 1/2 cup dish soap. Blue Dawn soap is a favorite, but any dish soap will do! Stir in 1/2 cup light corn syrup or 1/2 tablespoon glycerin. Note, if you use ultra-concentrated soap, double the corn syrup or glycerin.

Store in a closed container overnight for the best bubbles. Use bubble wands, straws, DIY pipe cleaner wands, or other creative tools to dip and blow bubbles.

Kristy Pepping:  Puffy paint can be a fun art medium, but much of what is on the market can be toxic. For a gentler version, take a large bowl and mix 1 cup flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Add just enough water to create a paste. Divide into smaller bowls and add food coloring. Pour into cake decorating plastic bags or plastic sandwich bags. Cut off the corner of each bag and you are ready to paint! Once you paint the project of your choice, let it air dry, pop into the microwave for 30 seconds, or dry with a hairdryer.

Kristy Pepping:  Finger painting is a favorite toddler activity and actually, it can be a lot of fun for older kids as well. Plus, there are no messy brushes to clean once you are done.

Mix 4 cups of water, 1 cup cornstarch, 6 tbsp granulated white sugar and 1 tsp salt in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Once it starts to thicken using a whisk to stir it, turn off the heat. Let this cool and pour into separate containers. Squirt a little bit of food coloring into each and combine.

Make as much as you are likely to use in a day or few, as these food-based ingredients will grow mold if left out too long!

Kristy Pepping:  Spray paint can be a fun project for some outdoor fun on a driveway or grassy spot. All it takes is two ingredients and some spray bottles. First, take about a teaspoon of tempera paint and mix with about a 1/4 cup of water in a spray bottle. Then shake it up. You can choose just a single color or if you have a few spray bottles, add a few more to the mix. Then simply spray it on a large poster board or something else your child wishes to paint.

Kelly R:  Homemade goop or oobleck is a fun semi-solid, semi-liquid sensory substance. Place 2 cups cornstarch into a large container (a shallow storage container or tray works well). Mix in up to 1 cup water, adding it gradually and stirring until you reach the right consistency. It should feel solid when you squeeze a handful, and melt into a liquid when released. Add food coloring if you like...have fun swirling it in!

Dig in and play with spoons, scoops and utensils. It gets messy, so you might want to play outside!

Make your own window paint by stirring together 1/2 cup flour and 1/3 cup water until smooth. Mix in 1/3 cup dish soap. Divide into smaller containers and stir in food coloring to each one to tint as you like. Use paint brushes (or fingers!) to apply the paint to your windows.

Alexandra F.:  Nothing easier than mixing a little shaving cream and food coloring to create a fun finger paint for bath time! Use a muffin tin, clean take out container, empty jars or other waterproof container(s) to separate the shaving cream and mix in different colors for your little artist.

Kelly R:  To make slime at home, mix 1 cup warm water with 1/2 tsp borax in a bowl until dissolved. In a second larger bowl, stir together 1/2 cup Elmer's glue (clear or white) with 1/2 cup shaving cream. Pour in a splash of borax mixture into the glue mixture. Add food coloring or glitter if desired.

Stir with a spoon until the mass starts to form, then grab and knead it with your hands until it becomes firm and smooth, adding more borax mixture as necessary. We usually use about a quarter cup of the mixture, but just add a little bit at a time until the slime holds together and is stretchy.

Note, you can substitute water for shaving cream if you don't have any, but will need to use a full tsp of borax for the solution, and your slime won’t be as stretchy.

Kelly R:  Combine 1 cup cornstarch and 1 cup water with a whisk or spoon until smooth. Mix in more water if you prefer a runnier consistency. Divide the mixture into the different compartments of a muffin tin, a few small bowls, or repurpose a divided takeout or food container. Add food coloring to each separate container to create different colors of paint.

This paint can decorate your sidewalk, patio or driveway! Use paint brushes, mini rollers, or even sponges cut into shapes to make stamps. The paint will become more chalky as it dries. Extra paint can be stored in airtight containers.

Kristy Pepping:  If you are like most parents, you have a bunch of broken crayons laying around the house. A fun craft project is taking all those little pieces and melting them down to make new crayon molds.

Preheat your oven to 150 degrees. Grab an ungreased muffin mold or tin. Remove all the paper from the crayons. If you have larger pieces, break these up so they will melt quicker. Add them to the muffin tins, either mixed or separated by color. Bake for 20 minutes or until crayons are totally melted. Let cool completely before taking out.

These make great favors for your next party or school celebration!

Alexandra F.:  Bath time is the perfect time to introduce messy art projects, as the mess can go right down the drain when you are done! To make your own bath paint at home, stir 1-2 tbsp water into 1/4 cup corn starch until smooth. Next, mix in 1/4 cup shampoo or body wash (this is a perfect use for the last dregs of your shampoo bottle).

Divide into waterproof containers like a muffin tin or small jars and stir in different colors of food coloring to each section or jar. Use paintbrushes, sponges or fingers to apply!

Kelly R:  Make your own playdough! In a large pot, combine 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup salt, and 2 tablespoons cream of tartar. Mix together and add 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon oil, and food coloring until you reach your desired color. Cook over medium heat and stir for about 5 minutes until the mixture forms into a ball. Remove from the pot and knead on a floured surface until the play dough is nice and smooth. Store in a container with a lid.

Shila:  In a bowl or bucket, mix a cup of fine-grain sand with 6 tablespoons of cornstarch. Knead this mixture together with 4 tablespoons of water to form a consistent gritty yet smooth texture.

Add a drop of food dye to make it colorful!