Check out three great clay recipes that are guarenteed to provide hours of weekend fun for your kids excerpted from Weekends with the Kids: Activities • Crafts • Recipes • Hundreds of Ideas for Family Fun by Sara Perry (Chronicle Books, 2002).

It takes a grown-up hand to stir the stovetop mixtures, but the kids will have a great time choosing the colours and kneading the dough. Best of all, the resulting clays are soft and pliable, making them easy for even the youngest sculptors to mold into a masterpiece.

Tools of the clay trade
Here's a list of useful tools straight from the kitchen cabinet:
• comb, for making textured patterns
• cookie-cutters and plastic candy molds, for making shapes
• fork, for making textured patterns
• garlic press, for making hair, grass, spaghetti, and creepy crawlies
• knife (plastic or table), for cutting
• rolling pin, for rolling and flattening clay
• ruler, for marking or cutting straight lines
• straws, for making holes
• toothpicks, for making holes

Play-do!
There's a reason this recipe is the hands-down favourite of parents and teachers everywhere. Kids love it. It's easy to clean up, and it keeps for a very long time.

2-quart saucepan
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
5 to 6 drops food colouring, in desired colour

• In the saucepan, combine the flour, salt, and cream of tartar. Stir in the water and oil. Over medium-low heat, stir the mixture constantly until it thickens and begins to form a ball, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

• Turn the clay out onto a clean, protected surface. Let cool until it can be handled easily, about 3 minutes. Knead the clay until smooth.

• Add the food colouring to the clay, and knead until the colour is evenly blended and the clay is smooth. The clay is ready to mold and shape.

• To store, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and keep refrigerated for up to 6 weeks.

Makes about 1-1/2 cups clay

Page 1 of 3 - Learn how to make the best oven-baked clay on Page 2.

Very best oven-baked clay
Hands-down, this is the very best of the oven-baked clays. When you want to make a lasting record of the weekend -- and keep the kids happy at the same time -- this is the clay for you. Easy to make and easy to use, it bakes to a smooth, hard finish that resembles the commercial varieties.

2-quart saucepan
1 cup cornstarch, plus more for dusting
1 pound (16 ounces) box baking soda
1-1/2 cups water
waxed paper

• In the saucepan, combine the cornstarch and baking soda. Stir in the water. Over medium-low heat, stir the mixture constantly until it thickens and begins to form a ball, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

• Turn the clay out onto a surface lightly dusted with cornstarch. Let cool until it can be handled easily, about 3 minutes. Knead the clay until smooth. The clay is now ready to mold and shape. To store, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and keep refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

• Preheat the oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper, and put the finished clay pieces on the prepared sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven, leaving the tray and clay pieces in the oven for 1 more hour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 2 cups clay

Page 2 of 3 - Learn how to make colourful kool-aid clay on Page 3.

Colour-me-kool play dough
Calling all kids! The gang will cheer when the water is added and this playtime clay bursts with colour and fragrance. Kool-Aid is the secret ingredient that gives this dough its vibrant colour and fruity scent. The only question is what colour and flavour to choose -- wild cherry red, blueberry blue, or lemonade yellow. Better let the kids decide.

2-quart saucepan
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 package (0. 13 ounces) unsweetened
Kool-Aid, in desired color
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• In the saucepan, combine the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and Kool-Aid. Stir in the water and oil. Over medium-low heat, stir the mixture constantly until it thickens and begins to form a ball, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

• Turn the clay out onto a clean, protected surface. Lot cool until it can be handled easily, about 3 minutes. Knead the clay until smooth. The clay is ready to mold and shape. To store, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and keep refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

Makes about 2 cups clay

Page 3 of 3