Have you ever played with Nuudles?  Magic Nuudles are  these styrofoamy-looking little tater tots that stick together with water.  They’re apparently made of cornstarch (yummm! –oh, wait, you’re not supposed to EAT them), and are biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

For some reason, they kind of weirded me out at first (maybe just a sense memory of packing-popcorn disasters?), but I have changed my tune.  I. LOVE. NUUDLES.

They’re easy:  Stick ’em in a bowl so you can see all the colors easily.  Get a little sponge (if you lose the one in the box, a wet washcloth works), give your kid some safety scissors, and BOOM, it’s just that easy.

(In case you’re not aware, I don’t get any money for anything on this blog, so no one’s holding my kid hostage, telling me I have to say good things.  I just love getting good tips from other crafty moms about things that might peacefully and quietly entertain my kid that DON’T involve a TV or IPad.)

You can squish the little pieces, or cut them up with scissors, and all it takes is a little touch of water (they even say you can lick them, but…um…no thanks) to make them stick together.

Myla found them fun, and had a great time trying to make characters with them.  The little blue fox above is Fig, from the Amazon show Tumble Leaf.  She also made the little crab with the wooden claw (look how she made the little wooden claw!!) from the same show.  Below them is what she says is Catbus, from the movie Totoro, but (admittedly) looks a bit like a CATerpillar.  Hur-hur.

And look at these teensy weensy little bats!

I’m sure she told me what these are, but I’m not sure I remember (BAD momma!)…The bottom one is most likely a version of Nightcrawler, I’m sure (based on my scientific deduction…and the basic color scheme)…

And some other cute little critters…

So anyway, not that anyone asked, but I give Magic Nuudles a big high five!  If you’re looking for something for a bigger kid to play with (they recommend over age 3) that doesn’t require TONS of parental involvement (alright: when you need a bit of a breather), they’re definitely worth a try!