Mouse Painting

Materials

4 unusable "mice" (chord removed) from computers

Instructions

What to do
1. Spread newspaper over the working area.
2. Put different colored paint in the four cups with a paintbrush in each.
3. Using the paintbrush, have the children brush the ball-bearing side of the mouse with paint,
then encourage the children to push the mouse all over the paper. Use a different mouse to
add a second, third, and fourth color.
4. Let the creations dry and label them "Mouse Painting."
More to do
Cooking: Make Mouse Nibbles for the class. Heat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Mix 2 cups (500 mL)
flour, 2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking powder, and 5 1/8 teaspoon (2.5 mL) of salt in a bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup
(125 mL) of shortening, using a pastry blender. Stir in 2/3 cup (150 mL) of shredded cheddar
cheese. Add just enough milk so that a soft dough forms. Sprinkle a surface lightly with flour. Turn
the dough onto the floured surface. Knead it gently 10 times. Place it then on an ungreased cookie
sheet. Pat dough into an 8" (20 cm) square and cut the square in half. Then cut each half crosswise
into 1" (3 cm) strips. Bake the strips until they are golden, for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve the nibbles
with ketchup or mustard dip if you like. This recipe makes 16 sticks.
More art: Follow along the lines of the above project, substituting unusable floppy disks. Children
may use the edge or the flat side of the disks to create interesting patterns on recycled computer
paper.