Super-Size Stringing Beads

What you need:

• clay that dries
• acrylic paint and brush
• plastic lanyard
• tape

What to do:

1. Form clay into large, round beads and use the handle of a wooden spoon to create an opening for stringing. Then microwave at 40-second intervals until the beads are completely dry. (The alternative is to dry by air but that can take as long as six days!) 
2. Squeeze paint onto paper plates. Place one color on each plate. Begin painting the beads, first with a base color and then by adding interesting designs, such as lines, polka dots, or stars. Your child might want to add some of his own finger-painted designs on the beads, too.
3. Once the beads dry, encourage your child to practice threading and stringing them on a plastic lanyard. It's a great fine-motor skill exercise. (If your child wants to make a string of beads she can wear, put tape at the ends of each bead to keep them spaced apart.)