I found a homemade face paint recipe on Recipezaar.com.  What is more safe than homemade?!

Ingredients:

-3 tablespoons cornstarch
-1 tablespoon flour
-3/4 cup Karo light corn syrup
-1/4 cup water
-food coloring, liquid or gel

Directions:

1. Mix cornstarch and flour together in a bowl.
2. Gradually stir in Karo syrup and water until smooth.
3. Divide mixture into individual containers as needed (Mix and store in baby food jars or discarded film canisters - or Glad plastic ware cups/lids — see pictures).
4. Color each one with the food coloring of your choice until you reach your desired color (I like mine darker — they seem to show up on the skin much better).
Leave one batch untinted.
5. NOTE: I felt the mixture was thin so I added another tsp or so of cornstarch. The recipe didn’t say to do this, but the face paint still worked.
6. NOTE: If using the gel food coloring (I find the colors are more vibrant), you will want to mix with your spoon first and then put the lid on the container and shake, shake, shake to mix it all up. Otherwise, your paint will be speckled with “pieces” of the gel food coloring.

-From Recipezaar.com

Here is a face painting stencil set:

                                                               Face Painting Stencil Set: $3.98

Here are some books that teach you how to face paint with kids:

                                              Gymboree Face Painting Book & Paint: $10.35

                                                          Face Painting Book & Paint: $16.47

If you don’t feel like making your own face paint here is some safe face paint options found on Smarter.com:

                                                      Snazaroo Face Painting Sticks: $3.95

-Easy to use.  No need for paint brushes.  Washes off with soap & water.

                                            Crafty Dab Face Paint Jumbo Crayon Set: $2.94

                                                          Palmer Face Paint: $1.29 for 2 oz bottle

                                               6 Big Pots Face/Body Paint-Brush Included: $11.99

                                                             Crayola 3D Sidewalk Chalk: $5.99

These activity sets also come with sidewalk paint & 4 giant stencils.

                                          Crayola 3-D Activity Kit Underwater Adventure: $11.99

                                                   Crayola 3-D Activity Kit Jungle Safari: $11.99

You & your child can see what this sidewalk chalk will look online through “3D glasses”!  Go to the Crayola.com website.

What you need:

- A small, unfinished picnic table
- Pencil and ruler
- Acrylic latex enamel paint
- Paintbrushes
- Square-shaped sponge (optional)
- Polyurethane

Directions:

1. Using a pencil and ruler, draw a design on the tabletop. We’ve included a checkerboard, a backgammon board, a sun, letters of the alphabet and numbers from zero to 20.

2. Once you are happy with the design, paint it on.

3. Paint the benches as you wish. We sponge-painted squares around geometric shapes.

4. Protect the table and benches with five coats of polyurethane (a parent’s job).

The 50th birthday of Crayola’s 64 Box was celebrated on April 9th at the Toys ‘R’ Us in Times Square.  They had an adorable kids’ fashion where eight new colors made their debut:

I have to be honest.  I think the only name I have a “problem” with is “famous.”  Apparently, 20K kids were asked about “the things they value & are most interested in”.  It seems that all these reality TV shows have convinced children that in order for them to be anything or anyone in life the need to achieve fame.  That isn’t what I want my kids to aspire to anyway.  Unless they are “famous” for finding a cure for cancer.  It’s cool if you are famous for being an awesome singer, but really…how many of those kids do you think can actually sing or were referring only to American Idol fame?  There are so many other reality shows kids have been exposed to these days.  So, I’m thinking the majority of them just want to be famous PERIOD.  Do you agree?  On a lighter note…the rest of the colors are very cute!

Get your Crayola 64 Crayons Kids’ Choice Colors right here.

FamilyFun.com has some great arts & crafts ideas for Valentine’s Day.  Here are some of my favorites:

Valentine Butterflies

What You Need:

Sticks of gum
Licorice Strings
Construction paper
Scissors
Heart Stickers
Tape

Instructions: 

1. Place two pieces of string licorice between two sticks of gum, taping the top and bottom closed to secure the antennae in place.

2. Next, cut two heart-shaped wings from construction paper, write your valentine message on them, and secure them to the top stick of gum with a heart sticker. Add other stickers to give personality to your butterfly.

Clip Hearts

What You Need:

Craft foam hearts
Hot Glue
Hair clips like the one pictured
Scissors
Colored card stock
Marker

Instructions: 

1. Arrange two or three craft foam hearts as you like and hot-glue them together. (Draw and cut your own hearts, using our templates, or check your craft store for precut foam hearts.)

2. Glue the hearts to the wide end of the hair clip and let the glue set.

3. Cut a heart from the card stock. Write your message on the heart, then clip the barrette to it.

Crayon Hearts

What You Need:

Crayon pieces
Heart-shaped metal cookie or muffin tins
Double-sided foam mounting tape
Scissors
Colored card stock
Marker

Instructions: 

1. Heat the oven to 250°.
2. Fill each mold with crayon pieces and bake until the crayons melt, about 10 to 15 minutes. Tip: Place a sheet pan under the crayons to catch any drips.

3. Once they’re cool, remove the hearts from the molds and smooth any rough edges by rubbing them on a piece of scrap paper.

4. Use small pieces of foam tape to stick each heart to a 3-inch circle cut from card stock then add your message.

FamilyFun.com has a ton of more arts & crafts ideas for Valentine’s Day & all of your favorite holidays.

Click here for kids’ arts & crafts supplies.

Sticker Assortment:  $49.95 for 40 sheets

As a kid I was CRAZY about stickers!  They are fun to collect, trade with  friends, or use to be creative on just about everything.

Super Foam Stamping Sticks: $6.95

These stamps are easy for kids to hold and come in 12 “kid friendly” designs.

They also come in letters:  Easy To Grip Uppercase Abc Stamps 

Easy Origami 2008 Calendar: Folda-a- Day: $11.99

This calendar starts with basic origami folds & by the end of the year you will have skills to fold more “technical” origami models. 

Parents: I suggest purchasing a pack of assorted colored origami paper so you can learn these skills with your child as they go.  It will be a great family bonding experience. 

Design Your Own Canvas Box-Shaped Bags: $17.95 Makes 12

Maybe your child will grow up to be a famous bag designer!

Sport Ball Photo Frame Magnet Craft Kit: $6.95 Makes 12

These sports frames are great for birthday gifts for grandparents or other family members.

Coupons for stores selling these products:

Free Shipping on orders of $60 or more - Enter coupon code:  RRRZC06 

20% off $60 or more - Enter coupon code: RETPY08B

For more arts & crafts supplies click here.

Crayola just came out with a collection of crayons, paint, and markers for young kids 18 months and older. It kind of took them a while to realize that even though crayons are typically enjoyed mainly by children not all of them have the same size hands to be able to hold a typical crayon.  It’s actually kind of cute (to me) to see young kids trying to get their artistic energy out while struggling to color with a “big” crayon. 

The Crayola Beginnings collection is designed to fit perfectly into your little ones tiny hands & great for developing muscles. 

These Tadoodles are my FAVORITE of the collection.  These “First Marks” (markers) come in cute, fat & little animal characters which are bottom heavy so they won’t tip over and mark up your carpet, table, or counter tops.  They have no caps, but won’t dry out and are activated by dabbing them on a piece of paper a few times.

Price: $13.95 for set of 6 

Here is Tadoodle ”All In One Paint”.  Same concept here.  They won’t spill and they “help in developing gross to fine motor skills.”
Price: $14.95 for 6                                        

These Triangular Crayons help young kids control their drawing by enabling them to get a better grip on their crayon.  You know, so their scribbles can be more….scribblier (Yes, I just made up that word).

Parents, you will love these because if your kids go crazy drawing on your walls all you need to do is get a sponge with warm water and…VUWALA! 

Price:  $3.95     

Speaking of scribbles, Crayola also released a new book called  Celebrate the Scribble, Appreciating Childen’s Art.  Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Dr. Roberta Golinkoff explain how children’s scribbles have more meaning than we think.  This book contains scribbles from toddlers across the US and Canada.  

For more kids’ arts & crafts supplies click here.                                                                                                  

You can purchase an “Ariel’s Castle” Kit, the “Cinderella’s Castle” Kit, the Pirates of the Caribbean “Black Pearl Ship” Kit & “Flying Dutchman Ship” Kit.

Our sister site, CouponMountain.com, has some great coupons, right now, for CrayolaStore.com:

FREE SHIPPING on orders of $25 or more - Enter Code CB2SFREE

FREE SHIPPING on orders of $75 or more - Expires 12/31/07

For more kids’ model kits click here.