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1. Help your
child measure ¼ cup of flour into mixing bowl.
2. Fill
the liquid measuring cup with 1 cup of tap water.
3. Combine the flour and water in the mixing bowl and stir.
4. At this point, spend a few minutes watching how the flour and
water mix together (it will make a runny mixture). Talk with your child
about how the mixture looks, feels, smells. Ask them what they think
happened to the flour when it was put into the water – Did it get wet?
Did it dissolve? Let your child share their ideas and thoughts
about the activity.
5. After you stir the flour and first cup of water together, have
the boiling water ready and gradually add it to the mixture while your
child continues to stir. Again, talk about what happens. Point out the
steam as it rises. Ask your child to describe what they see, how it
feels to stir the mixture. (Is their hand getting tired?)
6. The
mixture should begin to thicken as it is stirred, but in order for the
mixture to thicken up to the right consistency for paper mache projects,
you might need to put it back onto the stove on medium heat. The
mixture should be like thin oatmeal when you finish – sticky, but not
too thick.
7. When/if you reheat the mixture, invite your child to be with
you at the stove. (How you allow your child to work at the stove
depends on your comfort level.) Here is a great time to talk about
why the mixture thickens up: As the mixture is heated, the water
evaporates away, leaving less water behind with which the flour can
mix. Older children might appreciate knowing that flour is made from a
plant and full of starch. When part of the wheat plant is ground up
into flour, and the flour gets wet, it is the starch that makes the
mixture sticky. As more water is added to flour, it will gets less
sticky, but just the right amount can make a wonderful sticky dough.
After you have
allowed your flour mixture to cool, it can be used with newspaper for
making masks or models. Children love covering an inflated balloon with
paper mache, although they might need you to help hold the balloon as
they cover it.
8. Work with your child to tear the newspaper into long
strips. Newspaper tears easily into strips if you tear down the page,
but it will not tear neatly if you turn it on its side for tearing.
9.
Help
your child dip a piece of paper into the flour mixture.
10. Using your fingers, “pull” off the extra mixture. (You don’t
want the paper to be too wet and goopy!)
11. Lay the piece of paper over the inflated balloon and smooth it
out with your fingers.
12. Repeat steps 8-11 until you have covered as much of the
balloon as you want (for a mask, you might only cover half.)
13. Allow the newspaper to dry for several hours (overnight, if
necessary).
14. When the newspaper is dry, pop the balloon with a tack or
straight pin.
15. Paint your creation with non-toxic tempera paint or finger
paint (available at craft stores and superstores).
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