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Frugal & Fun Activities for Children

February 18, 2013 by Lisa Park + Leave a Comment

Welcome Good Things Utah viewers! Here are the frugal and fun activities for children I showed today in the studio. Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make the activities  or you can check out my Good Things Utah TV segment here.

 

Homemade Glitter Slime

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon Borax
1 bottle Elmer’s Glue (clear or white)
food coloring
water

Directions:
1) Dissolve 1 teaspoon Borax in 1 cup warm water. Set aside.
2) In a medium size bowl, pour in bottle of glue. Then fill empty glue bottle with water, and pour it into the bowl of glue.
3) Add food color of your choice and glitter, then stir well.
4) Pour the Borax mixture into the glue mixture and stir with a spoon. You’ll start seeing gobs form immediately.
5) Put the spoon aside and finish kneading the slime with your hands for a few minutes until all of the water is soaked into the slime. If you want the slime to be drier to the touch, then dump out the excess water before the water is soaked in and before you finish kneading the slime.

 

 

Balloon Yo-Yo
Attach a balloon to a funnel and filled it with rice (about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup). Tie the end of the balloon and secured one rubber band around it with a knot. Take another rubber band and loop it through the first one. Add on 2-3 more rubber bands until you achieve the desired length.

 

 


Blow Painting

Items Needed:
Non-toxic paint watered down to form a milky solution (tempura paint is recommended)
Paper
Straws
Dropper or spoon

Directions:
Using a dropper or spoon, Place 3-4 drops of liquid paint onto your paper. Use the straws to blow the paint out in all directions.

 

Shoe-Box Guitar

Items Needed:
Shoe box
Paper towel or wrapping paper tube

Cardboard tubes (such as from a dry-cleaner hanger)
6 Rubber bands
6 Brads (optional)
Kraft paper (optional)
Bread-bag tag

Directions:
1)Remove the lid of the shoe box. Cover the box, lid, and paper-towel tube with the paper of your choice.
2) Lay the paper-towel tube on a table, positioning one end against the short side of the box and centering it along the bottom edge. Trace a circle around the tube. Draw 4 lines bisecting that circle (as if cutting a pie), then, with a utility knife, cut along the lines and through the box. Slide the tube through the bisected hole until it hits the other end of the box and secure it with tape. )
3) Cut an oval in the lid, then put it on the box.
4) Place the two cardboard tube pieces (decorated with tape or paper, if desired) above and below the oval. Glue to secure. This will allow the “strings” to twang.
5) Stretch 6 rubber bands lengthwise around the box.
6) Screw the brads into the top of the cardboard-tube neck for the tuning pegs.
7) Pick away with the bread-bag tag.

 


Spray Bottle Snow Art

Items Needed:
Spray bottle
Water
Food coloring

Directions:
Place water in a spray bottle, and add food coloring. Let the children go outside and spray the snow different colors.

And make sure to check out these other inexpensive and fun activities for children.

Filed Under: Activities for Children, Frugal Ideas, Frugal Living, Money-Saving Tips

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Hello, I'm Lisa

I enjoy teaching people how to live frugally so they can live within their means while still enjoying and doing the things in life that matter most to them. I'm here sharing tips about budgeting, saving money, meal planning, simple recipes, and more.

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While there is an abundance of options for substitutes to common food allergies, the expensive replacements increase the amount of money you spend on groceries. Use them sparingly, buy them on sale, or look for ways to buy them in bulk.  3. Price shop
Track the cost of items at multiple stores and online retailers to find the best price, then "stock up" on the items you need.  4. Find out what works for you and stick to it
Narrow down what staple foods you need and like so you don't spend a lot of money experimenting on food that doesn't work for your family.  5. Focus on the inexpensive items you can eat
Make a list of foods you can eat instead of constantly looking for alternatives of foods you can't eat. Foods that might fit in your meal plan and that are inexpensive are oats, potatoes, rice, fruit, vegetables, applesauce, seeds, and legumes.  6. Shop at cheaper stores
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Focus on making a list of your family's favorite easy meals and plan your meals based on those. Keep it simple and make it a priority to eat at home.  2. Limit expensive replacements
While there is an abundance of options for substitutes to common food allergies, the expensive replacements increase the amount of money you spend on groceries. Use them sparingly, buy them on sale, or look for ways to buy them in bulk.  3. Price shop
Track the cost of items at multiple stores and online retailers to find the best price, then "stock up" on the items you need.  4. Find out what works for you and stick to it
Narrow down what staple foods you need and like so you don't spend a lot of money experimenting on food that doesn't work for your family.  5. Focus on the inexpensive items you can eat
Make a list of foods you can eat instead of constantly looking for alternatives of foods you can't eat. Foods that might fit in your meal plan and that are inexpensive are oats, potatoes, rice, fruit, vegetables, applesauce, seeds, and legumes.  6. Shop at cheaper stores
Most grocery stores carry specialty foods, so don't just shop at expensive specialty stores like Whole Foods.  #foodallergies #grocerybudgettips #groceryshoppingtips #howtogroceryshop #foodbudget #foodallergybudget
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Because meat is usually the most expensive part of Because meat is usually the most expensive part of the grocery budget, I purchase meat in bulk to save money.  I then package the meat into smaller re-sealable bags and freeze them. When I prep dinner, I can take a bag of meat out of the freezer to use for my meal.  Comment below "Meat" or message me, and I'll send you details how to save 20%-50% in meat when buying it in bulk.  #meat #savemoney #saveonmeats #saveonmeat #grocerybudgettips #grocerytipsandtricks #grocerybudgeting #foodandmeatcoop #howtosaveongroceries
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This sweet potato casserole is a delicious and swe This sweet potato casserole is a delicious and sweet dish that is easy to make. It is a perfect side dish to take to family holiday gatherings. Comment below "yams" or message me, and I'll send you the recipe.  #yams #yamcasserole #sweetpotatoes #sweetpotatocasserole #sweetpotatocasserolewithpecans #thanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsidedish #thanksgivingsidedishes #christmassidedish #christmassides #christmassidedishes #holidaysides #holidaysidedish #holidaysidedishes
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If food allergies and special diets are causing yo If food allergies and special diets are causing your food budget to really increase, below are 6 tips to help navigate food allergies on a budget.  1. Meal plan and cook from home
Focus on making a list of your family's favorite easy meals and plan your meals based on those. Keep it simple and make it a priority to eat at home.  2. Limit expensive replacements
While there is an abundance of options for substitutes to common food allergies, the expensive replacements increase the amount of money you spend on groceries. Use them sparingly, buy them on sale, or look for ways to buy them in bulk.  3. Price shop
Track the cost of items at multiple stores and online retailers to find the best price, then "stock up" on the items you need.  4. Find out what works for you and stick to it
Narrow down what staple foods you need and like so you don't spend a lot of money experimenting on food that doesn't work for your family.  5. Focus on the inexpensive items you can eat
Make a list of foods you can eat instead of constantly looking for alternatives of foods you can't eat. Foods that might fit in your meal plan and that are inexpensive are oats, potatoes, rice, fruit, vegetables, applesauce, seeds, and legumes.  6. Shop at cheaper stores
Most grocery stores carry specialty foods, so don't just shop at expensive specialty stores like Whole Foods.  #foodallergies #grocerybudgettips #groceryshoppingtips #howtogroceryshop #foodbudget #foodallergybudget
These Pumpkin Crumb Muffins are a family-favorite These Pumpkin Crumb Muffins are a family-favorite recipe I make each fall. Comment "Pumpkin Muffins" below or message me, and I'll send you the recipe.  #pumpkinrecipe #pumpkinrecipes #Pumpkin #pumpkinmuffins #pumpkinmuffin #pumpkinmuffinrecipe #pumpkincrumbmuffins
Because meat is usually the most expensive part of Because meat is usually the most expensive part of the grocery budget, I purchase meat in bulk to save money.  I then package the meat into smaller re-sealable bags and freeze them. When I prep dinner, I can take a bag of meat out of the freezer to use for my meal.  Comment below "Meat" or message me, and I'll send you details how to save 20%-50% in meat when buying it in bulk.  #meat #savemoney #saveonmeats #saveonmeat #grocerybudgettips #grocerytipsandtricks #grocerybudgeting #foodandmeatcoop #howtosaveongroceries

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