Less TV, More Playdough!

In an effort to cut down on the embarrassing amount of TV watching that goes on in our household, I have been trying to come up with different activities for the kids to do. Last week Gavin was over and I decided to break out some Apple Jacks and yarn to make necklaces. I'm not sure any of the cereal actually made it on the yarn by their doing (they mostly were eating 5 to every 1 they put on... and then eating that 1). Truth be told I ended up stringing the cereal for them, but they loved eating the cereal off and it made me feel good that I was able to have an activity that didn't include Diego!
Yesterday I decided to be adventurous and make playdough for the boys to play with. Now the last time I attempted this same task (about 3 yrs ago) it didn't work at all and ended up being a HUGE gooey, yucky mess. I was determined to make it work this time though and it did! It's funny how, as a Mom, successfully making playdough can make you feel great about yourself. haha The best part though was that the boys had a great time cutting out shapes and making snakes and snowmen. I literally had to tear it away from Tyler after about an hour to eat lunch.

Here's the recipe I used in case anyone else wants to give it a go :)

Playdough

2 cups baking soda
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup cornstarch


Mix with a fork until smooth.
Boil over medium heat until thick.(I kept stirring until it was a big lump resembling mashed potatoes)
Spoon onto plate or wax paper. (let it cool for about 10 min, then knead it all together. Don't be deterred by it looking a little crusty, once mixed in it's fine)