Puffy Paint Ice Cream Cone

My husband and I lovingly refer to our children as Phase One and Phase Two. Phase One was so much fun that we decided to go for another round a few years later! Dylan is 11, Alexandria is 9, Liliana will be turning 5 in August and Liam, who is rocking an extra chromosome, will be celebrating his 3rd birthday a few weeks later. Needless to say, life with a tween, two school-aged girls and a toddler tornado keeps us busy!

When we found out that Liam had Down syndrome after he was born, we vowed to give him every opportunity that we possibly could. In addition to his incredibly dedicated team of therapists who visit our home each week, I try to expose him to a wide variety of experiences. My older children benefit from all of our activities, too. We spend our days digging in sensory bins, making crafts, whipping up kid-friendly recipes, playing at the park, exploring outdoors, doing science experiments, playing with friends and visiting attractions around our city.

Our house is busy all the time, but in the Summer, it gets even busier! My niece is with us each weekday and my best friend's sons are with us once a week. I wanted to take a step back from our usual hectic schedule and give the kids a fun Summer full of activities and experiences. Before Summer break began, I came up with a list of simple sensory activities, crafts, recipes and outdoor games that I wanted to try along with a list of all the places we wanted to visit. I dubbed our Summer "Camp Mom" and each weekday, we choose something from our Summer Bucket List. We are having so much fun discovering new activities and recipes! (You can see a recap of our weekly Camp Mom activities every Tuesday on my blog.)

Puffy Paint is just one of those things that all kids love!  If there's one activity that will buy you a few moments of peace and quiet, it's this one.  Not only is it fun to paint with, but when it dries, it leaves behind the silkiest, puffiest texture that kids can't stop touching. This craft is also one that you'll actually want to keep!

• Shaving Cream (Not gel! You can buy this at the dollar store.)
• Large bottle of white school glue
• Construction Paper
• Brown Construction Paper Cones
• Food Coloring (I prefer neon.)
• Sprinkles
• Glue Stick
• Paintbrushes
• Bowls and spoons for mixing

1. Cut out a cone shape from the brown construction paper. 
2. Glue the cone onto the bottom of a piece of construction paper. 
3. Paint "ice cream" onto the cone.
4. Shake sprinkles over the finished product.
5. Dry overnight.

If your kids are anything like mine, they will want to paint more pictures after they finish this craft. Sit down, kick up your feet and enjoy a well-deserved break while they paint!

Thank you so much for reading! In addition to my blog, you can keep up with my family's adventures on Instagram and Facebook.