You’re ready to sit your child down for a few precious minutes of quiet time. You gather the paper and markers only to discover that your markers are capless and dried out! Ruined! What an awful feeling. My poor kids weren’t allowed to use markers for years because of this problem, but I discovered a quick, easy and cheap solution!
The next time you buy markers grab a bucket of plaster of paris and make a “marker station”.
You need:
-a small but sturdy container (I used the tray from a frozen meal)
-plaster of paris
-water
-markers WITH caps
Make sure your container is clean and dry.
Mix a small amount of plaster of paris according to directions.
Pour plaster into the container, using a spoon to spread it evenly.
Wait about a minute and stick the markers, cap side down, into the plaster. You want the plaster to cover 1/2 of the cap, so if you need more mix it up quickly and pour it around the markers, being careful to leave a some of the cap exposed.
Do not disturb the markers for at least an hour. When the plaster is completely dry your kid will be able to pull the marker out of the cap and replace it easily when they’re done.
Tip: Do not use a large container unless you don’t plan on moving the marker station, plaster of paris is heavy. If you have really young children or are worried that it’s too heavy you can always use modeling clay that will harden without being baked.
I happened to have plaster of paris around from another activity, it’s only a few dollars for a bucket and will store forever as long as it stays dry.
Meg I LOVE LOVE this idea! This is so great!! Thanks for sharing this!