Tactile Art Projects or Squishy, Gooey Crafts
Make Putty, a Drawing Slate, or a Simple Print
Sep 18, 2009
With easy-to-find supplies, children can mix up putty, create a simple paint print, and a reusable drawing slate. For kids who like to get their hands right into the materials, they’ll enjoy kneading clay, running their finger through a cornstarch mixture, and spreading paint with their hands.
Homemade Putty
For each batch, mix one cup of white glue (not washable glue) with one and a half cup of liquid starch. Add a few drops of food coloring for tinted putty. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand overnight. The next day carefully pour off any liquid standing on top of the glue and starch mixture.
With the hands, knead the putty until it feels like clay. The putty is finished. Roll, press, and play with the completed clay.
Squishy Drawing Slate
Put one cup of cornstarch in a mixing bowl and add one-half cup of water. Stir until the mixture is smooth. To get a smooth consistency, add a little more cornstarch (if the mixture is too watery) or a little more water (if the mixture is too thick), half a tablespoon at a time. Add a couple drops of food coloring and stir until the color is worked throughout the cornstarch and water mixture.
Spoon half of the mixture into the bottom of a food storage bag with a “zipper” or press-and-seal strip. Lay the bag flat on the table and press the air from the bag while avoiding pushing any of the mixture from the bag. Seal the bag. Press the mixture so that it coats the inside of the bag.
With the fingertip, draw designs on the bag. The thin layer of cornstarch will get pushed out of the way, revealing designs. Run the hand over the bag to smooth away the pattern and try again.
Blob Channel Prints
Place newspaper or an old vinyl tablecloth over the work area. Fold a piece of construction paper in half. The paper can be white or colored. Select a shade or two of paint that contrasts with the color of the paper. Add a couple of squirts of tempera paint to one half of the folded piece of paper.
Fold the paper, pressing the blank side of the paper onto the paint. Rub fingers over the top of the folded paper. Open the paper to see the design created in this piece of art called a channel print.
Have a little more fun with this simple print, by looking for shapes that occurred by chance and trace them with a black marker after the paint has dried. Another option is to cut out whatever shape is desired, allowing the blobs of paint to create a fun pattern.
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