Paint Chip Matching

Idea/Photo from http://therigneys.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/toddler-busy-bag-swap/

I am not a crafty person. No doubt about it. In fact, crafts have the potential to make me break out in hives.

I am a bargain hunter and homeschooling mom, however. I've been having constant problems getting outside the work pages box to make things fun for the kiddos.

Last week I saw this link on Pinterest and decided maybe, just maybe I could make this... and I did! And the kids love it!

So, here's how to make your own.

1. Go to the paint section of your local store and select a few paint chips. Get two of each color.

2. Visit the laundry supplies section and get a bag of wooden clothespins. I went to Target and bought mine for $1.50, last night I saw a bag at the Dollar Tree, so it can be pretty inexpensive wherever you go.

3. Cut one of the paint chips to fit the tip of the wooden clothespin and glue the paper to the pin.

4. Watch glue dry.

5. Throw the wooden clothespins into a gallon bag with the untouched paint chips. Let the kids match the colors together... gives them good practice with discerning different colors, manual manipulation, and you may possibly find clothespins attached to their ears and noses, which is always fun.

Cheap, easy, effective and something you can take wherever you go. That's my kind of thing!

JJ is the mom of three girls ages 1, 4, and 5. She is always on the lookout for bargains and things to keep her children from emptying the flour bucket.