Just wanted to share a couple of crafty tidbits!
I abhor school-supply-company stamp pads. Yes, they are a great size for handprints, but those little hands dip from one to the other to the other at lightning speed, leaving you with a complete set of brownish-blackish stamp pads. Joy. Assuming one or two do survive, they dry up if those oh-so-secure (not) plastic lids are not covering them perfectly.
However, if you visit your local Dollar Tree, they have these wonderful soap containers with locking lids (that are extremely little-hand friendly, btw). They also have sponges, which can be cut in half to fit perfectly inside the aforementioned containers. Just wet and wring out the sponge, then add a splotch (or a blurp, if you prefer) of washable paint under and over the sponge, and VOILA! If it gets all mixed up with another color, you wash it out and add a little more paint. These things SEAL, so they do not dry up.
Another re-purposing idea for your blocks center- ROADS. If you order them, you are likely to get something expensive and bulky. But, if you have a kid or a husband, I can guarantee that you also have outgrown and/or holey jeans. Cut those suckers up, paint a yellow line down the center, and VOILA! I made intersections, curves, straightaways, and curvy roads. I made them all the same width, so that the roadways can be connected however the kids like. And they fold/crumple right up into nothing for easy storage in a small container in your block area.
I abhor school-supply-company stamp pads. Yes, they are a great size for handprints, but those little hands dip from one to the other to the other at lightning speed, leaving you with a complete set of brownish-blackish stamp pads. Joy. Assuming one or two do survive, they dry up if those oh-so-secure (not) plastic lids are not covering them perfectly.
However, if you visit your local Dollar Tree, they have these wonderful soap containers with locking lids (that are extremely little-hand friendly, btw). They also have sponges, which can be cut in half to fit perfectly inside the aforementioned containers. Just wet and wring out the sponge, then add a splotch (or a blurp, if you prefer) of washable paint under and over the sponge, and VOILA! If it gets all mixed up with another color, you wash it out and add a little more paint. These things SEAL, so they do not dry up.
Another re-purposing idea for your blocks center- ROADS. If you order them, you are likely to get something expensive and bulky. But, if you have a kid or a husband, I can guarantee that you also have outgrown and/or holey jeans. Cut those suckers up, paint a yellow line down the center, and VOILA! I made intersections, curves, straightaways, and curvy roads. I made them all the same width, so that the roadways can be connected however the kids like. And they fold/crumple right up into nothing for easy storage in a small container in your block area.