Alright, let’s talk about this whole “kool aid mckinstry mom” thing I tried out. Heard the phrase floating around, sounded weird, honestly. Like, what does that even mean? But the kids were getting restless, you know how it is. And I had this vague memory someone mentioned it was some kind of cheap activity. Figured, what the heck, might as well give it a shot. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
Getting Started
First step was figuring out what I was actually supposed to do. Nobody had clear directions. Typical. Just random mentions online. The “kool aid” part was obvious, so I went and bought a load of those little unsweetened packets. Cherry, grape, blue raspberry, the works. They cost next to nothing. Grabbed sugar too, just in case. The “mckinstry” part? Total mystery. Sounded kinda like a name, or maybe a place? No clue. And “mom”? Well, that just made me think it’s gotta be some parent hack.
I decided to just wing it. Got home, spread some newspaper on the kitchen table. Always start with newspaper. Always.
The Actual Trying Bit
Okay, attempt one. I mixed a red Kool-Aid packet with a tiny bit of water. Made this really bright paste. Thought maybe it was like, homemade paint? Seemed plausible. Handed my youngest a brush and some paper. What a disaster. Seriously. That stuff stains like you wouldn’t believe. Got on hands, clothes, the table (thank goodness for the newspaper, but it bled through a bit). Looked like a crime scene. Spent a good twenty minutes scrubbing. So, note to self: Kool-Aid paint is a hard pass unless you enjoy pain.
Attempt two. Had some plain homemade playdough sitting around. Remembered someone mentioning using Kool-Aid for color and scent. This seemed more promising. Took a blob of dough, sprinkled a dry packet of blue raspberry Kool-Aid powder right onto it. Started kneading. It took a bit of work to get it mixed evenly, but wow. The color popped! And the smell? Super fruity. The kids went nuts for it.
We ended up making a few batches:
- Blue Raspberry (smelled amazing)
- Grape (nice deep purple)
- Lemonade (bright yellow, tangy smell)
- Cherry (the leftover red, still smelled good)
They played with that scented dough for ages. Much better outcome than the paint fiasco.
So, What’s the Verdict?
Honestly, I still have no idea what the “mckinstry” part refers to. Maybe it’s the last name of the genius mom who first mixed Kool-Aid into playdough? Who knows. Doesn’t really matter in the end.
The practical takeaway for me? Forget the painting idea. Just don’t. But using dry Kool-Aid powder to color and scent playdough? That’s a winner. It’s super cheap, uses stuff you might already have (if you make your own dough), and the kids loved the bright colors and smells. Kept them occupied, which is always the main goal, let’s be real.
So yeah, that was my little experiment with the weirdly named “kool aid mckinstry mom” idea. Ended up finding a decent playdough trick out of it. Sometimes just trying random stuff works out.
