Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions: More Than 65 Wacky, Wild & Crazy Concoctions

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am a middle school science teacher and the parent of a first grade daughter. This book serves a dual purpose for me as a mother and a teacher. My daughter LOVES the Snow-paint and Sidewalk Chalk recipes--and many more! While I am able to teach liquid suspensions with a really cool follow-up activity using the Snow Globe recipe! I also appreciate the recycling recipe for using up old bits of used crayons! I give this book an A+

Why does my kitchen look like Dexter's Laboratory? Because my 8 year old loves to cook up his own 'recipes', mixing and zapping all kinds of concoctions.

When I saw this book, I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did! It helps to keep the experiments in-line. There are almost 70 easy, cheap, interesting recipes in this book.

The author cautions that adult supervision is needed - definitely true since although the ingredients are pretty much common to the household, they include some that are messy to handle and sometimes a stove or glue guns are used.

We leave our book on the kitchen table, and before running an experiment, my son checks to see if we have the ingredients. Food coloring, corn starch, white glue, funnels, rock salt, water are scattered throughout the book (the only addition I'd make to this book would be a checklist of common ingredients, to add to my grocery shopping list!)

A favorite for the little kids (under 7) is the shaving soap/food coloring/egg carton/paint brush in the bathtub combination. Instant watercolors, with just 2 ingredients (water and food coloring) is also popular or instant finger paints, with liquid starch, powdered paint and freezer paper.

For older kids, jewels and gems can be made of white glue, the ever-present food coloring, and rock salt and given as gifts. They can make their own stickers with water and gelatin, or use coffee grinds, flour and a few other very ordinary things and make Treasure Stones, to hide gems or secret messages in, and give to friends (or teachers, or family).

Clean up and prep for most of these are easy enough a child could do it! (As I tell my son). The index in the back separate concoctions by type (Toys; Paints; Dough's; Edible Concoctions; Putty, Clay, Pastes; Other).

This is a collection of shared recipes, so there will be some you already have. But there are 70! (So unless you're a homeschooler or a teacher, there have to be some new ones).

All the recipes are in one place, and the directions are easy enough for a child (6 and up) to read.

We aren't even halfway through, but we love this so much, we ordered Book Two. Recommended for entertainment, education, gift giving, too!

My son is only 4 years old, but there isn't anything in the book that we could not make together, AND what's more have fun playing with together. Our favorites so far are the funny putty, the gooey gunk, and the texture filled balloons. I would not go so far as to say that the items required by the recipes are everyday household items though. However, I did not mind sprucing up my pantry and craft closet to have a special stash just for these fun recipes. It would be interesting to have an explanation as to why some of these chemistry reactions occur, also any pertinant warnings to prevent accidental spills or carpet mishaps.

I bought this book to help plan my daughters 5th birthday party. The picking of the activities was almost as fun as doing them. The kids love it, and it saved me from another party at Chuck-E-Cheese. The girls took home their creations and I didn't have to buy a bunch of useless toys for a goodie bag. Now we will use it for rainy days until the next birthday!

If you like Thomas and Pagel's wacky kids' crafts on TV, then you'll love "The Ultimate Book Of Kid Concoctions". This collection of over 65 innovative projects will educate and entertain the kids while they learn to make "knock-offs" of popular toy store items. Parents' will enjoy the book because most projects require zero artistic ability and nothing more than common household items. With out a doubt "The Ultimate Book Of Kid Concoctions" sets a new standard for children's craft and activity books. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a classic.

If you remember throwing water balloons or painting with finger paints, then you will enjoy teaching your children how to make some of these creative projects. You might also want to host a "craft party."

You can actually duplicate popular toy store concoctions with your own household ingredients. With more than 65 concoction recipes, children will have plenty to do. They do suggest parental supervision! With recipes like, "Fantasy Fossils" and "Sand Castle Clay," I agree.

Some of my favorite memories had direct connections to art projects. Children enjoy creating quality projects they can be proud of. More than anything, this book will give your children a desire to explore, create, learn and experiment with many different kitchen ingredients.

What a great way to introduce a child to cooking. Many of the ingredients include: Flour, salt, gelatin, vinegar, food coloring, coffee, oil, oatmeal, lemon juice, peanut butter, cornstarch and eggs. Kids can even eat some of the things they make.

The rest of the concoctions contain simple ingredients you already have on hand, or a quick trip to the local craft store will do the trick. A large table, old T-shirt's and a big washable table cloth are my recommendations! Then have some fun and spend some quality time with your favorite kids. My nieces are going to love this book!

~The Rebecca Review

Are you a parent? Are you just a little fed up with all of the non-quality programing for children on TV these days? Do you ever wish there was something inexpensive to keep your kids entertained while encouraging active play (as opposed to the blinking lights and explosives of video games) on a rainy day? Well then this is the book for you. "The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions" is full of interesting and exciting activities and craft ideas that you and your children (it is highly recommended that children be supervised while using some of the materials necessary to create the "concoctions")can make with relative ease. I'm not a parent myself but I do have a younger sister for whom this book was purchased. At eight years old it's sometimes difficult to divert her attention away from the cartoons on TV. But all I have to say is "Wanna make a concoction?" and BAMM! that TV is off! Another warning, the creation process can be highly affecting, extremely messy, and always fun! Also, although this is ideal for days where boredom is induced by being forced inside (ie. rain or snow) many of the concoctions are for outside use. Such as the Super Sidewalk Paint (really cool), Worlds Best Bubbles (make em big and last long too!), Water Balloon Yo-Yo (kinda self-explanatory), and of course Sidewalk Chalk. But the majority of the concoctions are for indoor or outdoor use (I really like the Gooey Gunk, kinda like the slime you used to be able to buy in the quarter prize machines at the grocery store). Bottom line this book with it's fun recipes and illustrations (so the kids can see what it is they'll be making) is almost essential for any parent. The only thing better is that your kids read a book on a rainy day, but that can only last so long. The activities will wipe away the boredom faster than you can say "Gooey Gunk"! If you like this Concoction book check out its "sequel" The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions 2.

This book contains 65 recipes for making things at home that can then be played with. I began using the recipes in this book when my son was three years old. Both children love the idea of picking something out of the book to do; it becomes an activity in itself looking over the pages while I talk about the recipes. The fun is first in making the thing and secondarily actually using it. I recommend that first the adult browse the book and stock up on some items from the craft store that you will need for the projects that you think you may do, for example, buying large quantities of salt, powered tempera paint, cornstarch, borax, and liquid starch. In the end you will end up with a product that costs less than the store bought version as well as having fun making the product. These projects are great for those rainy or hot days or when I want to engage the kids in something other than watching TV or me reading aloud to them.

Some of these things are homemade versions of commercial products. Examples are sidewalk chalk, sidewalk paint, a goo like Silly Putty ™ and another goopier goo that is like the store-bought slime. Homemade finger-paints of all different concoctions from pudding to soap based to gelatin based, and other paint type projects are included. There are many clays, from a simple dough to sand dough, to dough's made from edible products. There is even a recipe for school glue!

Some of the projects are more finished-product oriented such as a squishy-stress squeezing ball, grass head guy, crystal rock garden, a (musical instrument) rain stick, and a tornado in a bottle.

Young children will need the adult to do most of the reading, instruction following and major parts of the constructing process. I think this is balanced out with having young children (toddlers and preschool aged) help with stirring and measuring and then the fact that they are the ones playing with it in the end, is a good balance of work between the adult and the child.

I can't recommend this book highly enough for all parents and grandparents.

As a professional crafter and teacher for over 30 years, I honestly have to say that "The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions" is hands down the best craft book ever written to date. Over the past two years I have had great pleasure in making at least 40 of the 65 projects in the book with my students. Each project is very easy to make using mostly household ingredients. My students where in their glory when we made over 200 batches of Funny Putty and over 200 Treasure Stones for our school fund raiser. A big thanks to the authors for creating a book of original and creative material that is sure to become a classic.

When I first opened this book I could tell why it was the #1 selling arts & craft book. The projects duplicate toys you would usally buy in the store at a fraction of the price. I found almost all of the ingredients in my kitchen. Other ingredients I didn't have like Kool Aid could be purchased for very little money at the grocery store. I must confess, I don't usally get excited over arts & craft type books, but "The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions" is not only the best art & Craft book I have ever seen it is also one of the most exciting & refreshing children's books I have ever seen. I recently saw the authors on the Discovery Channel, they seem regular pto really be having fun. Hope someday they get a show of their own.