Thermomade Childrens Art and Craft Supplies

Making children’s art and craft supplies is so easy in your machine. There are hours of entertainment to be had.

I’m a big believer in involving children, where safe, in cooking experiences. My two older children help me make big batches of the below regularly. If you are hesitant to involve children in thermo style cooking you can always make these the traditional way.

Ways to use these:

For your children to play with at home. This is especially great during school holiday periods.
Package these up and use in loot bags for parties rather then sugary sweets.
Wrap orange coloured playdough up in cellophane and give as gifts at Halloween instead of lollies etc.
These are great to whip up just before having visitors with children come to stay. They can even take them home with them.
Package these up into hampers for birthday or Christmas gifts. This is great for those on a budget.
Use playdough alongside plastic animal figurines. The children can create their own foot prints.

Safety Reminders:

Whilst my recipes are non toxic they certainly aren’t tasty. Ensure children know not to eat the ingredients during or after cooking to avoid tummies full of dough or uncooked rice. Children will be children though. I’m sure we have all eaten our fair share of playdough in our time.
As tasty as they look, the ice pencils are not for consuming. This might be harder for younger children to understand so suited to older children.
Use in date ingredients in case any are consumed.
Store the items correctly to avoid any mould growth. Playdoughs and glues especially are best kept in the fridge to prolong their shelf life.
Be cautious of children’s allergies and intolerances when gifting or making these. For a ceoliac child, traditional playdough is far from fun or safe. Even a little under there nails during the playing process and consumed later (we know most kiddies loves to pick their nose and eat it) can be very dangerous. If in doubt make gluten free varieties.
Where olive oil is used in recipes you can substitute for other varieties. Just be sure there is noon with a nut allergy nearby if substituting with a nut based oil.
With the cloud dough recipe I use olive or vegetable oil. Some recipes floating around cyberspace use baby oil. It is important to read about the dangers of baby oil consumption before making and allowing children to play with cloud dough. To be safe, stick to an olive oil or other vegetable based oil.