Four Fun Projects Kids Can Make with Corn Starch

Kids love to create weird concoctions. What better way to spend a rainy day with your children or teach them a science or math lesson than to get messy in the kitchen? Those experiments and projects don't have to be expensive. My kids and I try to use items found in the kitchen cupboard or the rest of the house. Here are four fun things we've created using cornstarch.

Make sidewalk paint. This easy-to-make paint works great for painting large sidewalk pictures, hopscotch grids or roads for toy cars.

What you need:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
8 drops food coloring of your choice

How to make it:
Simply mix the water and cornstarch in a small bowl, and stir in the food coloring until you get the color you want.

Create your own clay. Does your child want to play with clay but there's none in the house? No problem. Just grab the cornstarch, baking soda and water to make your own. This concoction is a favorite with my kids.

What you need:
2 cups baking soda
1 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cups cold water

How to make it:
Mix the cornstarch and water in a small pan. Add the water and stir until smooth. Heat the mixture over medium for approximately five minutes, stirring it often. Continue to stir until it thickens into dough. Remove the dough from the pan and allow it to cool. Knead the clay for a few minutes before use. Save your child's creations by letting them air-dry to harden.

Make magic slime. Your kids will have a blast experimenting with this mysterious muck that transforms from liquid to solid and back again. It's also a fun way to teach them about liquids and solids.

What you need:
1/3 cup cold water
3/4 cup cornstarch
6 drops food coloring of your choice

How to make it:
Stir the water and food coloring together in a bowl. Gradually add the cornstarch, but do not stir it. Let the mixture to sit for about three minutes. Have your child grab a handful of the magic slime and squeeze it until it forms a ball. When she opens her hand again it will turn from solid back into a liquid.

Create your own bath time finger paint. This homemade concoction always makes getting my kids in the tub a pleasure instead of a chore.

What you need:
1/3 cup clear, mild liquid dish washing detergent
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Food coloring
Ice cube tray

How to make it:
Blend the cornstarch and dish washing detergent in a small container. Pour equal amounts of the mixture into the separate sections of the ice cube tray. Add 2 drops of food coloring to each section and stir gently.

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