Give Thanks with Baking Soda Dough Charms

This activity does triple duty as a multi-dimensional art project, gratitude exercise and table decoration.

You will need:
baking soda
cornstarch
water
measuring cups
saucepan
stove top
spoon
baking sheet
oven
small, thin object for making a hole
fall colored paints
paint brushes
metallic markers
raffia or string
napkins

Begin by making baking soda dough- an adults job.
Place 3/4 cups water in a saucepan over medium heat. Once water is hot, slowly add 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1 cup baking soda, stirring constantly over medium heat. It is finished when it is the consistency of mashed potatoes.

When it looks like mashed potatoes, remove from heat. 

Let dough cool on a plate. When cool, let children shape dough into small, 1 inch circles or shapes. The dough texture is silky smooth and fun to work with.
We used a chop stick to pierce a hole near the top of the circle.

Our dough shapes were about 1 to 2 inches across and a little over 1/4 thick. 

Bake in a 300 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until thoroughly hard. 

The backs might be a little brown. No worries, they will be painted.

Mix up some fall colored paints and let children paint the charms. 

If they paint both sides at once, hang each one by it's hole on chop stick propped in a jar to dry so both sides can air dry at once. 

If you have time, you can paint one side at a time, allowing time for each side to dry before painting the other. 

After the charms are dry, ask your children what they are thankful for and write it on the charm. We used metallic markers.

Thread some raffia or string through the hole and tie around a folded napkin. 

We were thankful for family, home, pets, friends and even flashlights and rocks!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving 

and year long gratitude!