Saturday, June 27, 2009

Treasure Rocks

This week with summer vacation in full swing and my kids bouncing off the walls, I decided to bring out the good recipes. Artistic genius has to be nurtured. So, I love to have the kids take raw materials and create something. Monday I will be on Fox 10 Arizona morning making play dough, treasure rocks, and bubbles with my kids. In case you're confused, this is a food blog. Those are rocks. Totally not food. Sorry. I won't however appologize for the fun we had making them. I call them treasure rocks because the rock "dough" is wrapped around a little toy and then allowed to dry. What we ended up with where these cool rocks! It's a great project for kids and moms too. I've used them in the children's ministry music time with little notes inside telling the kids what song we will be singing next. Children loved coming up during church and breaking open a rock. Rock of Ages. So many lessons for kids and grown ups alike. They are awesome for dinosaur birthday parties, Earth science lessons, asteroids and space rocks. You name it. So here's the beginning of fun week. Kids kitchen crafts and projects. I know it's Saturday. It will go Saturday to Saturday. Let's get those little ones discovering their creative genius! I'll look forward to seeing pictures of your adventures.

"This recipe was enough to make 12 average size stones.
adapted from : http://www.escapadedirect.com/treasurestone.html

Treasure Rocks
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup water
1 cup sand
1 cup rocky dirt

gold paint or pearl powder(optional)

Mix all ingredients together (except paint). Place a small toy or object in the middle of the some of the dough and shape it into a stone. Air dry 2-5 days. You may hasten the drying process by placing rocks on a cooling rack placed on a cookie sheet and bake at the lowest setting you have on your oven, 150 degree, 15-30 minutes or so. Be sure to only use oven on non-plastic toys in the rocks. To add to the "rocky texture" I rolled some of the rocks in dry sand before I dried them. Others I coated lightly with a little streak of gold acrylic paint to look like there was gold in the rock. Have fun!

8 comments:

Goob said...

aha! Would now be a good time to admit that Gabe brought one of those home from church one time and I (yes Me) was bitterly dissappointed when it turned out to be salt dough and not chocolate? LOL!

Chef Tess said...

Oh my gosh! Gabe was one of the ones who would not stop waving his arm he wanted to open one of the rocks soooo badly! What a cutie. So, I'm thinking there's no reason why I can't figure out some chocolate treasure rocks right?

Goob said...

totally! I challenge you!

Chef Tess said...

Challenge accepted! Now we're in trouble!

Rachelle said...

Thanks for the great idea I am going to have my kids make these for each other this week and then have a treasure hunt.

Anonymous said...

I totally made these rocks for singing time this month. It was a hit! I did discover that after three weeks of sitting in the primary closet they got reallllly hard. It took three jr. primary kids to break one open today. ha ha ha. Now I just have to find a magnetic fish set for next month.
--Shae

Shari said...

What a fun idea!
I love it!
I'm doing it with the kids next week!

Unknown said...

TREASURE STONES! Great idea! It is from the Parents' Choice award winning book ULTIMATE BOOK OF KID CONCOCITONS published by John & Danita Thomas over 20 years ago www.kidconcoctions.com