I've been trying to do a few more projects around here. Not because I'm trying to win any sort of Martha Stewart award, but because it's a matter of sanity. The 4-5:30pm block around here is brutal. Neko comes homes exhausted but without the resources to be patient or kind. Shep is running on adrenaline because he no longer naps, but probably should still be napping. And Ellery is all like, "WHEEE! I'm surrounded by crazy!"
Anyway, today we tried a color mixing project. Make a batch of unflavored gelatin, and then split into three separate bowls and color with red, blue and yellow food coloring. (I did this while the kids were eating lunch, so it took almost no time.) When it has cooled, the kids get to mix colors in small Ziplocs.
All in all, this was a good project. The colors don't mix smoothly, but instead give a stained glass kind of effect, but it was clear to see what the result is when colors blend. And it was fabulous for the kids to have something to concentrate on other than each other.
I will mention, however, that if you have kids like mine, they won't be able to resist opening the Ziplocs. They all ended up in the tub for an early bath after about 20 minutes, where Shep discovered (quite unhappily) that the gelatin turns back into a liquid rather quickly in water.