I stumbled across this video of a pretty nifty experiment that's easy to do, is dirt cheap -- you probably have most, if not all, of the ingredients already -- and will totally amaze and wow your kids. Yes, even your jaded teenagers. Simply fill a deep plate or shallow bowl with milk -- whole milk will work best, but any will do -- and add a few drops of various colors of food coloring. Then, with the kids watching, put a drop of dish soap in the middle. Stand back and let your kids tell you how cool you totally are.

Then, when they're all begging to know how it works, you can hit them with the chemistry lesson. Soap molecules are designed to latch on to molecules of fat, like the fat in milk. As the molecules move around connecting up, the food coloring gets tossed around willy-nilly, like a nerd at a crowded nightclub. Even if your kids don't get all the details of what's going on, you'll still get credit for being cool and, after all, isn't that what's really important?

Although I'm still more predisposed to buying gourmet cookies in a pretty pink box than whipping up a batch myself, I'm taking baby steps. Homemade stuff is cheaper, smarter, and often, so much better.

So I was excited to come across this inspiring website at Simply Thrifty: 100 things you can make yourself. I'm not at all crafty, so I'll probably stay away from making my own candles or snowshoes (snowshoes?), but the chicken nuggets and pudding pops sound right up my alley. You can also learn how to make play dough, fingerpaint, household cleaner, and cameras. I am serious, cameras!

The cool thing about the site is that it has homemade projects from the beginner to the very technical, and for now, I am pretty happy with my beginner pudding pops.

This September (why so late, Texas?), both of my children will be heading down the street to the Mother's Day Out preschool program, or, as one commenter once referred to it, "glorified babysitting." Just for the record, it isn't glorified babysitting; my daughter learned much more during her time there than I ever planned on, something I can't say from other babysitters we've used.

Now that is off my back...my kids are heading over to Mother's Day Out next month. We got my son a nice, plain backpack that I'm hoping we can resell when he's done (yeah, right.) because I'm as cheap as they come. As I'm writing this, I'm thinking about how hard that little boy is on his things, so maybe we won't be selling it once he's done.

Hmm. Okay. On to the craft! You have a kid! And a backpack! Both are heading off to school! What should you do? Make a tag for your backpack!

Here's what you need:

• Shrinkable plastic (aka Shrinky Dink or Poly Shrink)
• Markers, colored pencils and such
• Stamp pad
  
• Key rings
• Sandpaper

Follow the directions on the plastic if it needs to be sanded. Decorate the plastic with the markers; I'm thinking "This is Johnny's bag so get yo' grubby paws off" would be a nice touch. Use the stamp pad to make an image on the tag to be colored in with said markers. Cut out the tag and make a very large hole for the key ring. Follow instructions to bake the plastic. Attach to key ring and put on backpack.

I'm sure everyone remembers the good ol' Etch-A-Sketch from their childhood. You might even have one around somewhere that you, er, I mean your kids like playing with. If, however, your Etch-a-Sketch is busy pretending to be a picture frame, you can still make some cool, albeit boxy, pictures. You can even send them to your friends across the country or across the planet, without any postage!

How, you ask incredulously, can you do that? It's simple, actually. Just use the online Etch-a-Sketch, create your orthogonal masterpiece, and save it for all the world to see. Just like I did. (Yes, I'm available for commissioned portraits of shipping containers.) The Etch-a-Sketch joins the previously mentioned Speak & Spell in the brave new world of cyberspace recreations. If you come across any others, be sure to let us know!

I loved playing with LEGO toys as a kid. Now that I'm a parent, I'm trying to steer my daughter in the same direction -- mostly because I think making things with those little colored squares is great for her imagination. (Plus, she loves knocking over her creations once she's built them, which is fun to watch.)

This desk, however, is a fete that's most-likely beyond our mere novice LEGO pursuits. It contains approximately 35,000 bricks (the cost of which was about $2,000), weighs about 120 lbs (7 lbs of which is the glue alone). In addition, the desk has working drawers, a folding lid that conceals a hold (to drop through your computer cables).

Apparently Eric Harshbarger, the man who created it, was commissioned (and paid -- though he won't say how much), to create the piece. By the sounds of it, he's carved out a little side profession working on these sorts of projects.

It might be a lofty goal, but if you have a son or daughter who's really into LEGOs, it might be worth giving something like this a shot. Not only would you get to spend some time together, but, when you were finished, you'd have an exceptionally cool piece of furniture that you'd constructed together. Pretty awesome!

For the past few weeks, Ellie has been attending summer day camps - this week it is art camp. She and her best friends spend three hours each morning letting their creative juices flow. I haven't actually seen any of the art, but at the end of the week, they will each bring home a portfolio filled with their creations.

Ellie and her friends all like to work on creative projects, but I have been a remiss lately in stocking the crafts cabinet. Having run out of interesting things to do with paper plates and paint, yesterday I took a walk through my garage, looking for inspiration for craft projects.

I found a tub of pre-mixed tile mortar and grout and went with it. The stuff is messy, so we set things up out on the porch. Using plastic spoons, we spread the mortar on the insides of plastic lids from those super-huge coffee cans. I filled some bowls with dollar store beads and colored glass and set them loose. They carefully chose their pieces, pushing them into the mortar, creating colorful and unique designs. Then, because they are clearly more creative than I, they started decorating the plastic spoons, too. They found more lids around the house and decorated them as well.

All in all, they spent about 3 hours happily creating their masterpieces. You may be able to find something at the craft store that is better suited for this project, but the tile mortar and grout works just fine. And the results were surprisingly beautiful. When they are completely dry, we plan to attach hangers to the backs and decorate Ellie's playroom with her homemade mosaics.

Sometimes, turning on the television is all too easy an answer for giving kids something to do. Sure, there is good stuff on the telly, but there are plenty of better things to do. If you can't think of any, lifehacker has a list of ten of 'em for you. Plus, just in case your name doesn't happen to be Rockefeller, they all cost a dollar or less.

I know cardboard boxes have been mentioned before, and they are definitely a fantastic way to spend a few hours or a few weeks, depending on how sturdy the box is. Other suggestions involve fireflies, bubbles, and tin cans (or paper cups). Paper airplanes are fantastic, and another great way to spend a fun afternoon or evening. Plus, if you need help making one that flies, Jonathon Morgan's got your back.

So check out this list and turn off the telly. And, if you have any other suggestions, by all means, let us know in the comments!

Yesterday my two boy, ages 14 and almost 3, were kicking about the house and nagging me while I was trying to work. We have rid out home of the cable television, they had already read books and the older one has lost his computer privileges for the week. I wanted to scream at them both to just go away once and for all when I remembered a little trick I keep up my sleeve for occasions just like this. When I mentioned the possibility of a vinegar and baking soda volcano to the teen, his eyes lit up and he let out a yelp refreshingly un-teen like.

After collecting the supplies, a gallon of basic vinegar and a 12 pound bag of baking soda, the boys marched out to the sandbox and I didn't hear from them again for almost an hour. I peeked out my window from time to time to see them mounding sand into a mountain and jumping up and down. Their shouts of glee made me want to abandon my keyboard and join in the fun. They must have run out of supplies at one point because then I spied them kicking a soccer ball and playing chase. When the two finally came inside, they ran into my office to regale me with tails of molten lava and the biggest volcano ever.

The simplicity of a vinegar and baking soda volcano is timeless, children tall and small get a kick out of watching the foam bubble over an edge as it froths and bubbles. We use a simple recipe consisting only of vinegar and baking soda in proportions that suit us, but there are many variations on the theme.

How about you? Is this something you do in your home? Or do you have another trick to keep the kids busy?

Family Fun magazine, always a fantastic source for craft ideas and kid tips, had a great alternative to traditional fireworks for kids (or adults!) who aren't keen on the whole noisy spectacle in this month's issue: fireworks in a glass.

1. Fill a tall, clear drinking glass with room temperature water, leaving about 2" at the top
2. Pour 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a smaller glass
3. Add 1-2 drops each of red and blue food coloring on top of the oil
4. Gently stir the oil mixture with a fork to just barely break up the food coloring drops (Don't over mix! Big and little drops add to the excitement of the show!)
5. Gently pour the oil mixture into the glass of water and get ready for the oohs and ahhhhs

Helpful tips: I found using the biggest glass container available prolongs the "show" . I used a super-sized mason jar (but a tall vase would work as well) and poured a 1" layer of oil directly into the water. After the oil stabilized, I added about 3X's the amount of food coloring suggested and then stirred. You can skim the oil from the top indefinitely to make more fireworks and pass out bubble wrap for the kids to pop to add sound effects.

Have a safe and happy 4th, everyone!

If you live in The States, you're probably putting some hot dogs on the grill right now. And, if your kids are anything like mine, they're asking when the fireworks are going to start.

While you're waiting for the food to cook, why not have some fun making a fireworks craft? This is a good idea that would definitely look cute and festive.

You'll need:

A piece of paper (blue might be good for the night sky)
A paintbrush or dropper
Several colors of watered-down paint
A straw

Take the paintbrush or dropper and put drops of the watered-down paint on the paper. Use a straw to blow the drops of paint outwards, so that they look like fireworks. If you want to make them a little more festive, try using iridescent paint to make the fireworks sparkle.

What an easy craft! The best part? Nobody gets burned!

Bill Mack's mother did what many mothers before her and many mothers since have done, back in February, 1941. She put together a baby book. She put congratulatory cards, hospital receipts, a list of birth gifts, and birth announcements from the local papers in the scrapbook. She added Easter cards and Christmas cards and first birthday cards. In the middle of the book, she wrote a detailed chronological journal of her son's first year.

And then, somehow, somewhen, she lost it. Where it went and how it got there may never be known, but eventually, it ended up in Florida. From there, by way of eBay, it went to New York. The subject of the book, however, now 66 years old, was alerted to the sale and got in touch with first the seller then the buyer. The book is now back in his hands.

Bill Mack's cousin keeps an eye out for items from their home town that show up on the auction giant. When she spotted the baby book, she let Mack know about it. He got in touch with the seller who had purchased the book at a Florida flea market. The book had already been sold to a New York woman for a whopping $8. So Mack got in touch with the buyer.

She had purchased the book to scan parts of it for use in the website templates she makes and sells. When she heard from Mack, she agreed to send it to him. Now the book is back in Mack's hands. It includes the receipt for the hospital -- $22 -- and the doctor's bill -- for $25. Mack is glad to have the book back. "Forty years ago this wouldn't have meant as much, but the older you get the more it means," he said.

So, for all you moms and dads who spend a lot of time compiling baby books like this, be aware that half a century or more down the road, it will definitely be appreciated. If you can hang on to it.

It's another lazy summer day and Ellie and her friends are bored again. Trying to keep a group of six-year-olds busy day after day is a challenge, but I have discovered an ally in my local dollar store.

With a little imagination and even less cash, you can find tons of activities for kids in the aisles of the dollar store. Of course, the craft section is a good place to start. For a total of $4, we bought a large bag of colored glass, some paints and two wooden boxes. Ellie and her friend spent hours decorating their boxes and the end results were actually quite nice.

Straying from the crafts aisle turns up lots more interesting activities. Tiny ceramic figurines become villagers in an incredibly tacky make-believe land. A set of plain white dessert plates, packaged 2 for $1, can be decorated and hung on the wall as unique works of art. The plate hangers are two aisles over, also 2 for a $1.

Paper products are much cheaper here than across the street at the crafts store. Poster board, construction paper, even scrap booking supplies can be purchased for a fraction of what you would pay in another store. I would avoid the Barbie doll knockoffs, though. They aren't made well enough to withstand much play and I will never forget the trauma of 'Broken Betty', who lost her head before we made it home.

Besides the cheap thrills to be found in the dollar store, we can burn a good hour or two just looking around. Where do you go for inexpensive summer activities?

When I was a kid, I figured out pretty quick that all that sex and violence and other good stuff I wasn't allowed to see in movies was A-okay when presented in the form of an opera. Woohoo! Not all operas (most, in fact) consist of large women in viking helmets running belting out hours and hours of ballads. In fact, that's mostly relegated to Bugs Bunny cartoons.

Still, if you want to give your little one a headstart on the whole viking thing, and if you can figure out knitting (don't bother trying to learn from a book -- trust me, it doesn't work), you might want to pick up these patterns for a couple of adorable little knit viking helmets. There is one for boys (with horns) and one for girls (with wings and braids).

Yes, your little darling can join in the pillaging and keep his head warm. Or, he can just head for the stage and practice his Wagner. Either way, these are just too cool.

When I quit my 8 to 5 to spend afternoons with my kid, my first thought was: "this is gonna be so awesome!" My second thought was: "what are we going to do?"

Subsequently, I spend a considerable amount of time trying to find things that will keep my toddler and I occupied while we hang out. And when I stumbled upon this cheat sheet for folding top-notch paper airplanes, I was pumped.

Everyone knows how to make your basic paper airplane -- but it's hard to make them fly correctly. So the Guardian UK asked a number of experts to offer their tips on how to make your plane a real high-flyer.

And before you ask, yes, there really are paper airplane experts -- like Ken Blackburn, the world record holder (who made a paper plane that flew for almost 30 seconds), Mark Bolitho, a paper-folding expert, and Frank Jaeger, an engineer for Airbus. All three offer excellent suggestions for making an excellent paper-made aircraft.

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I've seen several crafts recently that involved needing a form of powdered tempera paint, which we don't have. Since I'm currently on a "don't need it, don't buy it" kick, heading down to the local crafts store to buy said paint is out of the question.

So, imagine my delight when I came across a great resource on how to make your very own powdered paint. If you haven't seen them yet, I highly suggest you check out Kids Craft Weekly on some fun craft ideas for your little ones. Most of these crafts seem too old for my young ones, but there are a few here and there that would work.

One is the rainbow salt crystals.

You'll need:

salt, food coloring, spoon, baking powder, paper and glue.

Take the salt and divide it into bowls. Place a few drops of food coloring in the salt and then stir it around with the spoon. Pour it onto a paper covered with baking powder to dry. Then, when you are done, you can save the colored salt for when you need powdered paint, or you can get busy with glue and create your own masterpiece.

Even better? You don't have to run to the craft store next time you're out of paint.