Here are some more cornstarch uses for loads of interest and fun.
- You can let children sprinkle cornstarch all over the carpets. For easy sprinkling pour the cornstarch into an old parmesan cheese container, or a large spice shaker. Let it sit for thirty minutes while you read a good story to them and then let them
help you vacuum it up. They will have fun and you will have fresh smelling carpets. - If you have a dog your kids will love this. Use the same shakers. Let the kids sprinkle Fido all over and then brush it out for a fresh smelling pooch.
- Mix it with water for glue.
- Make finger paint by boiling ¼ c. cornstarch in 2 cups of water. Add a few drops of food color. Cool.
- Make face paint by mixing 2 parts cornstarch with one part vegetable shortening and then add some food color. Get a book on face painting from the library to add to The Spark Station on the day you put in this recipe or the finished product. You could also add a book on the History of Clowns with lots of great pictures. Maybe you can find someone in your area that is a part time clown or juggler and invite them to your home to share with your children. When my son was about 11 he took clowning lessons from a neighbor and he did little shows at nursing homes. He had a ball.
RECIPES
Edible Playdough
1 ¼ c. dry powdered milk
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. cornstarch
1 ¼ c. powdered sugar
Mix dry milk and peanut butter together. Add sugar and cornstarch. Knead till smooth.
Store in air tight container until all gone (and that shouldn’t take too many days!)
Mexican Wedding Cookies
1 ½ c. cornstarch
1 ½ c. powdered sugar
3 c. flour
3 sticks of butter, softened
½ to 1 c. finely chopped walnuts or pecans
Mix ingredients. (I find using my hands works the best. So this is right up your childs alley!) The dough will appear to be dry and crumbly sometimes. Just remember the cool aspects of cornstarch. Take some in your hand and squeeze it and press it until you have a ball about the size of a walnut. Place it on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. (Let them cool just enough so they don’t fall apart. These are very tender cookies when they are hot)
Playdough
2 c. white flour
1 c. salt
½ c. cornstarch
1 Tb. Alum
1 Tb. Oil
2 c. colored water
Put all dry ingredients in a large pan and stir together well. Add all liquid ingredients and stir well. Place on low heat stirring constantly until it looks like clay. You will be able to tell. Take it out of the pan and knead. Keep in a container with a lid. Alum is a must have ingredient. (buy it in any grocery store in the spice aisle) It is a drying agent and keeps the dough from becoming sticky. This will keep a long time if kept in an air-tight container. You can use baby oil or cooking oil or glycerin. Eventually the cooking oil will go rancid but usually the clay has been played into oblivion long before that. Baby oil will scent the clay.
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