Craft and Connect: Rainbow Fish
Kids can use a variety of materials to make a colorful fish.
This is what you’ll need:
- Paper plates (the cheaper, paper kind work best)
- Black permanent marker
- Glitter glue
- Bingo bottles filled with washable tempera paint
- Paintbrushes
- Glue or hot glue
Step 1 – Prep the Project
Cut a large triangle out of the paper plate. The opening where the triangle was will be the fish’s mouth. Glue or hot glue the triangle piece to the opposite side of the plate to form the tail of the fish. Draw some scales on the fish with a permanent marker. This makes the project a little less abstract and kids can really envision that they are going to be decorating a fish.
Connect: Kids can get scissor practice by cutting out the triangle themselves.
Step 2 – Decorate the Fish
Give kids the glitter glue to squeeze onto the scales. Smaller kids may want to squeeze all of the glue out at once. You can let them, or you can encourage them to use less. (I like to say, “dot, dot, not a lot.”) You can also refill the glitter glue containers with some clear glue to reuse them! Once there is plenty of glitter glue on the fish, let the kids know that they are almost done using the glue. Remove the glue from the table and hand out paint brushes. Kids can then use the brushes to paint the glue around the fish. The next step is to further decorate the fish using bingo bottles filled with paint. This adds bolder color to the decoration.
Connect: Talk about the scales. Explain what they are called. Try to encourage your child to put one dot in each scale. It’s OK if that doesn’t happen, though!
Product Recommendations from Discount School Supply®:
Elmer’s® Washable School Glue – Gallon
Colorations® Glitter Glue – Set of 6
Colorations® Washable Clear Glue
Colorations® Simply Washable Tempera Paints, 16 oz. – Set of 15
Colorations® Non-Roll, No-Drip Paint Brushes – Set of 24
Set of all 12 Colorations® Extra-Safe Plastic Glitter
Bingo Bottle Refillable Markers with Tips & Caps – Set of 12
Activity Hour: Rainbow Slime
Explore different sensations, learn about color, and experiment like a scientist.
What you’ll need:
- Clear glue
- Liquid starch (either in a pourable bottle or in a non-aerosol spray)
- liquid watercolor
- Mixing bowls
- Scoops and spoons
- Optional: Glitter, craft sticks, dull knives, jewels, sequins
- Something to protect your surface: cookie sheets, plastic tubs, or a waterproof tablecloth or shower curtain liner
Step 1 – Make the slime
Squeeze some of the clear glue into your mixing bowls. Add a few drops of liquid watercolor to tint it and stir it up. Then add an equal amount of liquid starch to the mixture. (It doesn’t matter what quantities you use as long as the starch to glue ratio is fairly equal). Mix it up.
*Tips for Parents: Your child can help you with the mixing. You can also have older children help with measuring. As the glue/starch combo begins to combine, it will seem to separate into chunky bits, then it will slowly come together as a sticky goo. If you keep mixing vigorously, it will form a ball that pulls the sticky pieces away from the sides of the bowl (similar to bread dough). For the most part, the more starch you add, the more solid—and less sticky—the slime will be. However, I’ve found that when mixed with red liquid watercolor, all the starch doesn’t mix in, so you end up having to pour some out. That’s the science experiment part of this activity!
Step 2 – Play, Squeeze, Stretch, and Scoop
Set the slime out on a low table (or even the kitchen floor). I like to put each color in a segment of a chip-and-dip tray, or simply put each bowl out with a spoon in it. I give each child a cookie sheet, a few spoons and measuring scoops, and let them mix, scoop, poke, and explore the material.
*Tips for Parents: Some kids are hesitant to touch the cold, slimy goop. Don’t push it; they can explore it with spoons, dull knives, or even craft sticks. Encourage kids to mix the colors together, or make it more festive by adding glitter or jewels. Talk about the texture. Is it thin or thick? Wet or dry? Cold or hot? The longer you leave it out, the more it will dry out into more of a clear, flubbery play clay that can be rolled into a ball or logs. Explore the material on different days and talk about how it has changed.
Product Recommendations from Discount School Supply®:
Elmer’s® Washable School Glue – Gallon
Colorations® Washable Clear Glue
Colorations® Liquid Watercolor Paints, 8 oz. – Set of 21
Best Value Paint Bowls – Set of 6
Set of all 12 Colorations® Extra-Safe Plastic Glitter
Little Hands, Big Imaginations 