A Recipe for Contentment: Kids, Creativity and Clay

This recipe can be prepared easily by children 12 or over and nothing spells contentment like kids, creativity, and clay. (Not to mention, these ornaments are a great gift for family members!) For younger children, have a parent or older sibling do the first few steps, then let children take over. This clay will keep for two weeks when stored in a zip-top bag or airtight storage container. Try creating it a week before school let’s out to keep kids busy and creative.

1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup hot water
1/8 cup cold water
1/4 cup cornstarch

Bring salt and water to a boil in a saucepan. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water. Once the cornstarch has dissolved, add to the boiling water, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low. Continue cooking and stirring constantly until mixture forms a stiff dough. Drop dough onto waxed paper and once cool knead for five minutes. Proceed to work with dough just like cookie dough. Roll to about 1/4–inch thickness and let children use a variety of shapes to cut ornaments. Make sure to remind children to put a hole through the ornament for hanging. Toss on some painting t-shirts and add tempera or acrylic paints.

When done: Let ornaments air-dry for 72 hours or cook in a 200-degree oven for an hour on a foil-lined cookie sheet.