Bubbles, Chalk and Outdoor Paint - 3 Homemade Recipes for Outdoor Fun

I've never been so thankful for Spring. Most people get excited about the warmer temperatures, blooming flowers and backyard barbeques this season. Not me, I am excited to send my kids outside.

Don't get me wrong. I adore my preschool-aged kids but they have been literally climbing the walls and destroying my home for the past four months. Spring is "me season" and I can't wait to send them in the backyard so I can take a long bath, read a magazine or just watch a television show that doesn't involve dancing Australians or talking animals.

Now that they can play outside, the challenge is keeping them outside. So far, my cherubs have managed to go through four buckets of sidewalk chalk and three jugs of bubbles. If this continues, we'll be broke by Fall. As a result, my three year old daughter and I decided to make a few a few of our outdoor "fun-staples" on our own.

Sidewalk Chalk: Making your own sidewalk chalk is fun and easy. Here's what you'll need:
Equal parts Plaster of Paris and water
Powdered tempura paint - (available at school supply and art supply stores
Molds - (the time it takes to dry the chalk depends upon the size mold you use.)

Simply mix the plaster and water until smooth and add powdered paint until you get the desired color. Then, pour the mixture into the mold. This is the fun part. You can make holiday chalks out of heart molds, egg molds, and even Christmas tree molds. Once the chalk is dry, simply bend the mold and pop it out.

Homemade Bubbles:
You'll need the following items:
1 cup water
2 tablespoons glycerin or Karo Syrup (the light version works best)
4 tablespoons dishwashing soap (liquid)

Mix everything together....dip, and blow!

Outdoor Watercolor Paints:
You'll need:
A tray of children's watercolor paints. (Available at most craft stores and in the toy section of most discount stores).
Several spray bottles filled with water.

Simply pop the paint out of the tray and place it into the filled water bottle. Shake it until the color mixes into the water. Your kids can "paint" a wall, fence or large piece of paper taped to a fence by spraying it. The watercolor paints wash off easily with water.

I hope you've enjoyed these outdoor fun recipes and I really hope you enjoy some well-deserved "me-time" while your kids play outdoors.