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Seeing the excerpt from our 9-95 posting (asking questions about playdough) made
me realize how far we've come since then.

For example, we have switched from playdough to beeswax. (My daughter's school
uses it in place of playdough, which is how we discovered it.) We find it much
better than any type of modeling clay, for several reasons:

* Beeswax is very clean--it does not get stuck in the carpet, in clothing, or in
hair.
* The colors stay true--they don't mush together into that indescribable
purply-brown.
* It doesn't need special containers.
* It doesn't dry out.
* We don't have to make it--we just buy small sheets of it.
* The smell is wonderful (and yet the dog doesn't eat it).
* And of course, it's gluten free!

Beeswax is easy to use. You hold it in your hands for a few minutes till it
warms up, then you can make whatever shape you want. If you want to save what
you've made, just let it get cold. If you want to modify it, hold it in your
hands again. It comes in a rainbow of colors. You can buy it mail order or at a
toy store, usually ones oriented toward natural products. This past Christmas,
my five-year-old made an entire creche with beeswax, animals and all. Try it as
an alternative to playdough!

Trisha Stevenson