Gelatin Giggles

There's nothing like group art experiences to bring children together and create a sense of collaboration and cohesion at the beginning of a new school year. Gelatin Giggles is a perfect way to introduce sensory art while the weather is still warm enough for outdoor play and the sun can provide a brilliant light source to enhance experiments with light and color.

To create Gelatin Giggles, purchase unflavored gelatin (Knox makes one and others are generally sold next to the flavored gelatins at the grocery store). Use less water than called for to make your "giggles" a bit more solid than usual. Pour into individual paper cups or into pre-oiled plastic food containers. Allow to "set" in the refrigerator overnight. Wait for a sunny day and unmold your gelatin onto art trays or a sand and water table. Next, inject Colorations® Liquid Watercolor into the gelatin using pipettes or eye droppers. Watch the colors ooze down into the gelatin layers and create secondary colors. Then get your hands right into the gelatin, breaking it apart into chunks and holding it up to the light to watch what happens when the sunlight reflects on the giggling chunks of color. Is this art? Is this science? Is this fun? I say yes, to all of the above. Find this and other experiences in Smart Art books.