Looking for activities for rainy days or just need something fun to do with children?  We have compiled a list of craft activities and ideas for you to make with children of all ages.  To help us make a huge list of ideas for Townsville Kids we would love for you to submit your craft ideas.  Please submit your idea below and we will have it live on our site to share. 

Craft Recipes
Using simple ingredients, most you will already have

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WITH CHEMICALS -Although these substances are not considered hazardous, you should treat all chemicals with care and wash your hands after handling. Do not taste or eat any of the materials described in these activities. Children need to be supervised at all times.

Water Colour Recipe 1 tb White vinegar 1 tb Baking soda 4 tb Corn starch 1 tb Corn syrup Food colouring Mix together the vinegar and baking soda. When it stops foaming, add enough food colouring to make it as dark as you want. Add the corn starch and corn syrup and mix well. Store in small containers.

Swamp Slime Make green jello. Put some of it in clear plastic containers and put some aside. When the jello starts to solidify, add various gummy bugs. Beat the rest of the jello to a froth and add to the top of the slime. Let set.

Super Putty 1/4 c. Elmer's Glue 1/4 c. liquid starch Pour glue into bowl. Slowly add liquid starch. Knead with fingers to desired consistency. If watery, add more glue. Store in covered container (not a baggie).

Uncooked Playdough Bowl 1 cup cold water 1 cup salt 2 teaspoons vegetable oil Tempera paint or food coloring 3 cups flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch -In bowl, mix water, salt, oil, and enough tempera paint or food coloring to make a bright color. -Gradually add flour and cornstarch until the mixture reaches the consistency of bread dough -Store in a container

Coloured Playdough 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/2 cup salt 1 tablespoon cream of tartar Food coloring Saucepan 1 cup flour 1 cup water - Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm. -Remove from heat and add flour. -Stir, then knead until smooth. -Store this dough in an airtight container or  freezer bag

Salt Playdough 1 cup salt 1 cup water 1/2 cup flour plus additional flour Saucepan Mix salt, water, and flour in saucepan and cook over medium heat. Remove from heat when mixture is thick and rubbery. As the mixture cools, knead in enough flour to make the dough workable.

Soap Crayons Ivory snow flakes Water Food coloring Mix all ingredients. (Proportions not given.) Shape and let harden. Can be used in the tub

Silly Putty 1/2 c Elmer's glue 1/2 c Starch -- liquid Food coloring  Slowly add starch to glue and knead with fingers. The more you work with it the better it jells. Add food coloring if you want.

Modeling Goop 2 c Salt 2/3 c Water 1 c Cornstarch 1/2 c Water Combine salt and water; heat over medium for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine cornstarch and water; add to salt mixture. Stir until smooth and return mixture to low heat and continue to stir until thick.

Street Chalk 1 c Plaster of paris (do not pack) About 1/3 to 1/2 cup cool water Liquid tempera paints, any color Pour plaster into a disposable container (i.e. margarine container or large paper cup.) Stir in most of the water. Add 2-3 tablespoons of liquid tempera, mixing well, especially at the bottom. Add a little more water as the mixture thickens. Stir well and pour into containers. Three-ounce paper cups work well. Peel paper off when the chalk is dry.

Stamp Glue 1 pk (1/4 oz.) unflavored gelatin 1 tb Cold water 3 tb Boiling water 1/2 ts White corn syrup 1/2 ts Lemon extract I n a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin into cold water. Put aside until softened. Pour softened gelatin into boiling water and stir until completely dissolved. Add corn syrup and lemon extract. Mix well. How to use it: Brush gum thinly onto the back of a stamp. When dry, moisten the stamp and apply it to paper. This gum will gel overnight. To return it to a liquid state, warm container of gum in a pan of hot water. If stored in a pill bottle, stamp gum will keep for several months.

Soap Crayons (Non-Edible) 1 3/4 c Ivory Snow; (powder) 50 Drops food coloring 1/4 c Water Mix water & soap flakes together. Add food coloring & put mixture into an ice cube tray. Allow to harden. Break or cut into pieces. Fun to write with on the tub when bathing & face & hands!!!

Soap Crayons 1 c Soap flakes -Food colouring 2 tb Hot water Have one large bowl and several small bowls, one for each color. You will also need an ice cube tray with different sections, or containers to act as small molds. Put soap flakes in a large bowl and drop the hot water into the soap flakes, stirring constantly. The mixture will be extremely thick and hard to stir. Spoon some of the soap into each of the small bowls and color each separately, adding the color by drops until the soap has the consistency of a very thick paste. Press spoonfuls of the soap into your molds and set the crayons in a dry place to harden. They should take a few days to a week to dry completely. When dry, remove from the molds and allow to dry for a few more days before using. Yield: 20 Crayons

Soap Crayons 1 c Soap flakes -Food colouring 2 tb Hot water Have one large bowl and several small bowls, one for each color. You will also need an ice cube tray with different sections, or containers to act as small molds. Put soap flakes in a large bowl and drop the hot water into the soap flakes, stirring constantly. The mixture will be extremely thick and hard to stir. Spoon some of the soap into each of the small bowls and color each separately, adding the color by drops until the soap has the consistency of a very thick paste. Press spoonfuls of the soap into your molds and set the crayons in a dry place to harden. They should take a few days to a week to dry completely. When dry, remove from the molds and allow to dry for a few more days before using. Makes: 20 Crayons

Silly Putty 2 c White all-purpose glue 1 c Liquid starch WARNING: Non-Edible Mix together well. Set on trays for play, or use waxed paper. Can be used as the commercial Silly Putty is. Store in an airtight container.

Sidewalk Chalk Plaster of Paris Water Colored Tempra Paint OR Food Colors Mix 2 qts. plaster of Paris w/ 1 part water. Mix in desired color. Pour into paper towel or TP tubes (about 3" high). Let dry thoroughly (may take several days). Remove from tubes and give to your favorite artist.

Sawdust and Flour Molding Mixture 4 c Sawdust (strained) 2 c Flour 1 c Water 2 tb White liquid glue Mix sawdust and flour. Gradually add water until the dough holds together. Before forming objects for drying and painting, add 2 tablespoons of white liquid glue.

Sand Sculpture 2 c Sand 1 c Cornstarch 1 c Water a spoon Mix the sand, cornstarch, and water together in a saucepan. Heat the mixture over low heat and keep stirring; remove from heat when the mixture is thick. Let the mixture cool, then make your sculpture. Allow sculpture to dry and harden.

Nutty Putty 1 tbsp. liquid starch 2 tbsp. white glue 3 drops food coloring (optional) Plastic egg or screw top jar Bowl Put starch in bowl. Add glue and let set 5 minutes. If desired, add coloring. Mix until starch is absorbed and color is spread smoothly. Hint: The more you mix, the better it gets. Store in plastic egg or small jar overnight before using to pick up pictures from comics. Use to bounce, pick up pictures from comics or newspaper, and mold into shapes. Do not leave in open air, it will melt and turn hard. Add 1 teaspoon more starch for a tougher, more rubbery putty. Dip into warm water and knead if putty dries out.

Easy Break Glass 1/2 c Water 1 3/4 c White sugar 1 tb Light corn syrup Boil the water and stir in the sugar and syrup. Let it reach a hard boil. Boil six minutes. This will be extremely hot - over 300 degrees - and very dangerous. Carefully pour it onto a clean plate. Let cool for an hour and it will pop out of the plate. This is break-away glass, like they use to smash over people's heads in the movies. It is also hard candy.

Monster Goop - (Non-edible) 1 c Elmer's blue 2 1/2 c Liquid starch Food coloring. In a medium bowl, mix glue and 1 cup of the starch together. Add a few drops of red/yellow food coloring (to make orange). Cover bowl and let it stand overnight. The next day slowly stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the starch until a big glop forms. Pour off extra starch. Store in a covered container or place in individual zip-loc bags to be included in the kid's treat bags.

Molding Flakes 1 c Soap flakes 1/4 c Water If you are unable to find soap flakes, make your own with a kitchen vegetable grater and a bar of Ivory Soap. Add half the water to the soap flakes. Beat with a rotary eggbeater until the mixture has a flaky appearance. Add more water if necessary. Mold as desired. This dough has a nice texture, but it takes a long time to dry.

Modeling Goop 2 c Salt 2/3 c Water 1 c Cornstarch 1/2 c Water Combine salt and water; heat over medium for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine cornstarch and water; add to salt mixture. Stir until smooth and return mixture to low heat and continue to stir until thick.

Magic Reindeer Food Mix together oatmeal and glitter. Put some of the mixture in an empty small plastic bag. On a heavy piece of paper, like construction paper, about a 2 x 4 1/2-inches rectangle, print the following instructions. MAGIC REINDEER FOOD On Christmas Eve, sprinkle the Magic Reindeer Food on your Lawn--The Magic Glitter sparkling in the Moonlight and the smell of the Oats will guide Rudolph to Your House. Fold the paper rectangle in half and staple to the top of the plastic sleeve (bag) in such a way that the reindeer food will not spill.

Gak (Homemade Silly Putty) 1 c White glue (Elmer's) 1 c Liquid starch Food coloring Put glue and coloring in plastic container. Add starch a little at a time, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until mixture holds together like putty. Test with your fingers, if too sticky, add more starch in small amounts until mass is smooth and rubbery. Have fun pulling, stretching, bouncing and taking transfers off of the Sunday comics, etc. Store in a plastic bag or airtight container.

Glurch (Homemade Silly Puddy) Elmer's glue Liquid starch; (Sta Flo) Mix together equal portions of glue and starch. Knead together. If too sticky, add more starch; if too stringy, add more glue. Store in plastic bucket in the refrigerator.

Face Paints 6 ts Corn starch; divided 3 ts Water; divided 3 ts Cold cream; divided -Food coloring 6 c Muffin tin In each cup of the muffin tin, put 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon each of cold cream and water. Add a different color food coloring to each cup. Mix well. Now you are ready. See if you can get your grown-up assistant to sit still and let you practice.

Eggshell Chalk 6 Eggshells 1 ts Very hot water from the tap 1 ts Flour The eggshells should be washed so they don't have any egg left in them. Dry them well. Take them outside and grind them with a rock on the sidewalk or other concrete surface. Make sure the rock you're using for grinding is clean so you don't get dirt ground in with the eggshells. Grind the eggshells into a fine powder. You'll need one soupspoonful of this powder to make a stick of chalk. When you're absolutely sick of grinding and have enough powder, pick out any little bits of eggshell that are still not ground up and throw them away. Scoop the eggshell powder into a paper towel and bring it into the house for the next part. Measure the flour and the hot water into a small dish. Stir them together to make a paste. Put the soupspoonful of eggshell powder into the paste and mix well. It may help to mash it with the back of the spoon. Shape this mixture into a chalk stick. Then roll it up in a strip of paper towel. Let it dry. Drying takes about three days, so put it in a safe place and get on with your life. After three days it's ready to use. Just peel the paper off one end and you're ready for some sidewalk art. (This chalk is for the sidewalks only, not for chalkboards.)

Edible Tempera Color for Cookie Decorate 2 lg Egg yolks Liquid food coloring Lightly beat 2 large egg yolks and divide evenly among 5 small containers. Use liquid food coloring, adding a few drops at a time, to color each mixture as desired. Apply colors with small clean paint brush before baking cookies.

Easy Goop 1/2 c Cornstarch 1/4 c Water Food colouring Mix together on a cookie sheet that has a small edge around it. Add a drop or two of food colouring. The mixture is somewhat thick and just barely smooth.

Easter Eggs 1/4 lb Butter 2 pk Vanilla pudding mix 1/2 c Milk 1 lb Confectioners sugar 1 ts Vanilla Melted chocolate to coat Melt butter. Add pudding and stir until blended. Add milk and stir well. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Let boil for two minutes while stirring. Remove from heat and add sugar and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, shape into eggs. Chill thoroughly. When cold, coat eggs with chocolate. BUTTERSCOTCH EGGS: can be made by substituting butterscotch pudding and adding 1 tsp. maple flavoring and 1/2 cup chopped nuts. CHERRY EGGS: are made by adding 1 tsp. almond flavoring and 1/2 cup diced cherries, well drained. CHOCOLATE NUT EGGS: can be made by substituting chocolate pudding and adding 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

Easter Egg Dye 1 tsp. food coloring 1 tbsp. vinegar 1 c. hot water Let hard boiled eggs soak in this mixture a few minutes to turn colors. Add vegetable oil for marbled coloring. Crayon markings will resist the dye

Do It Yourself Play Doh 1 c Flour 1/2 c Salt 1 c Water 2 ts Cream of Tartar 1 ts Salad Oil Food Coloring Mix together all ingredients and cook for 3 minutes over low heat. Stir well. Add food cloring. Store in a plastic container. Kids love it and it is easier to clean up.

Crepe Paper Modeling Plaster 1 pkg. crepe paper 1 1/2 c. flour 1/4 c. salt Cut crepe paper into narrow strips or small pieces; the smaller the pieces, the finer the texture. Place in large pan. Add enough water to cover. Let stand for 8 hours to overnight. Drain well but do not squeeze dry. Mix flour and salt together. Stir into crepe paper mixture gradually until mixture is consistency of thick dough. Knead until well blended. This is thicker and less messy than paper mache. Mixture does not store; prepare enough for each project.

Crepe Paper Modeling Plaster 1 pkg. crepe paper 1 1/2 c. flour 1/4 c. salt Cut crepe paper into narrow strips or small pieces; the smaller the pieces, the finer the texture. Place in large pan. Add enough water to cover. Let stand for 8 hours to overnight. Drain well but do not squeeze dry. Mix flour and salt together. Stir into crepe paper mixture gradually until mixture is consistency of thick dough. Knead until well blended. This is thicker and less messy than paper mache. Mixture does not store; prepare enough for each project.

Chocolate Finger Painting For young children, prepare instant chocolate pudding and let them do creative finger painting with no danger if some finds its way to their mouths!

Place Mats Let children draw their own pictures on fairly heavy paper. Use clear contact paper to cover the front and back of the drawing. They now have their own personal placemat. These make fun presents for Mom and Dad for special occasions.

Christmas Tree Ornaments 1 cup cornstarch 2 cups baking soda 1 1/4 cups cold water Mix and cook over medium heat stirring constantly about 4 minutes or til mixture thickens into a moist mashed potato-like consistency. Cover with a cloth while it cools enough to knead it. Roll out dough and cut into shapes using a straw to put a hole in the top for a ribbon to hang on the Christmas tree. Dry 24 hours. Paint with tempera paints.

DO-IT YOURSELF CLAY THAT'S SAFE FOR KIDS 2 cups baking soda 1 cup Argo Corn Starch 1 1/4 cups water Mix cornstarch and baking soda, add water, mix. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Thicken to consistency of mashed potatoes. Form clay into desired shapes, let dry for 36 hours, color with paint or felt-tip marker, and coat with shellac or clear nail polish.

Rainbow Finger Paint  1/2 c Cornstarch 3 c Cold Water, divided Food Coloring (red, yellow, green, blue) In a large bowl, place cornstarch and blend in 1 cup water. Add remaining water. Microwave on high 8-9 minutes or until thickened, stirring every 2 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup thickened mixture into each of six small bowls. Add desired food coloring. Cool.

Coloured Sand 1 c Sand 1/8 c Water (approximately) Food colouring Mix food colouring with water, stir in sand, spread out and let dry a couple of hours.  For large amounts of sand, mix up Rit colour and water, dump in sand, drain well, spread out to dry.

Coloured salt Salt Coloured chalk Sprinkle out some salt on a paper plate, colour it with the chalk. Pour it into a small jar.

Clown Make-up 2 ts White shortening 5 ts Cornstarch 1 ts White all-purpose flour Add glycerin as desired (obtainable at drug stores) Using a rubber spatula, blend the first three ingredients on a white plate until a smooth paste is formed. Add 3-4 drops of glycerin for a creamier consistency. Yield: Should be enough to complete a child's face. If you need more make-up, make the amount you will need before adding the coloring. After making the amount you will need, add food coloring one drop at a time, blending after each drop until you have the desired shade. For best results when applying the make-up to the face, stroke in one direction. For easy removal, use shortening, cold cream, or baby oil.

Basic Paper Mache Elmers Glue Water Strips of torn newspaper Mix enough water with Elmers glue to make a thin runny paste. Dip the strips of newspaper in the paste, wipe off excess, and place in layers over mold or base.

Artificial Snow 1/2 c Granulated Sugar 1/2 c Talcum Powder Mix together. Sprinkle mxiture over any area you want to decorate after it has been spread with liquid starch or a mixture of 1/2 glue and 1/2 water. Let dry. HINT: the more sugar the more sparkle.