Materials list:

Help your child find these materials or a close substitute: 

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup honey or corn syrup
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Microwave (or a stove top and pan to melt butter)
• Food coloring
• 3 or more small bowls
• 3 or more spoons
• Large mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Clean work surface like a cutting board or clean counter top
• Optional: Tools to create texture in the dough such as toothpicks, forks, or tin foil
• Optional: Electric Mixer to make mixing dough easier

Activity Steps:

Use these to keep your innovator on track as they create: 

1. Melt ¼ cup of butter in the microwave for 30 seconds or in a pan on the stove—Note: You may want to put a paper towel over butter in the microwave incase it splatters.

2. Mix ¼ cup melted butter, ¼ cup honey or cornstarch, ½ tsp salt, and 1 tsp vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl with a spatula.

3. Put 3 cups of powdered sugar in a bowl next to the large mixing bowl.

4. Pour a ½ cup of the powdered sugar into the large mixing bowl with the honey, vanilla, salt and butter and mix with a spatula until there are no chunks.

5. Continue pouring powdered sugar into the mixing bowl, a ½ cup at a time and mixing until smooth before adding more—You may need to help kids with this step as the mixture becomes harder to stir. You can use an electric mixer to make it easier.

6. Pour mixture out onto a clean work surface and mix it the rest of the way by hand.

7. Decide on a food sculpture to create by thinking of your favorite food and the colors needed to make that food.

• Support being determined—If kids become discouraged because their idea seems too complicated or has a lot of colors, encourage them to just take it a small step at a time and try their best to complete it.
• Ask: What are the main colors that you need to make that food? Are there any colors you already know how to make?

8. Separate the dough into small bowls and mix food coloring in each one to make the colors needed for the sculpture by using a spoon and/or your hands—You may need to help kids figure out how to create the colors they need (3:02)

9. Create each component of the sculpture by experimenting with different techniques

• Support being determined—If kids are having a hard time making their sculpture look the way they want, help them try out different techniques and focus on one small part of the sculpture at a time (3:37).

10. Serve your creation to family or friends, or eat it yourself!

11. Store your leftover dough in an airtight container or zipper bag to continue sculpting later.

More Ideas:

Whatever the project there’s always an opportunity to add your own twists or extensions. Here are some ideas to get you started: 

• What else can you sculpt? Create other types of sculptures such as animals, buildings, or a play dough city!
• Create sculptures to put on top of a cake or other dessert to celebrate someone or something special!

Wrap Up Questions:

Lock in the learning by asking your child these questions about their project and how they practiced the featured Innovator’s Mindset element: 

• Tell me about your favorite part about making your sculpture.
• How were you determined when creating your sculpture? What parts were tricky? Was there a part you worked extra hard on?

The last step in the Gallieo Innovator’s Process is SHARE. Great learning can come from sharing successes and failures—to solidify your own experience as an innovator and to inspire others.

SHARE WITH galileo

Share a photo or video of your creation and share it with the Camp Galileo Anywhere community.

Share with family and friends

Your innovation doesn’t stop with you. Inspire someone else by sharing your project challenge—maybe they’ll try it themselves or maybe your project will give them a new idea.

• Who: someone in your house, a family member, a friend
• How: in person, on the phone, online
• When: anytime, starting now!