Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is only in theatres August 2nd, and our entire family is so excited to see this film that we had a whole day of fun making green "mutant" slime, creating a fun TMNT-themed sensory box, and outfitting my kids in DIY Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle outfits.
I grew up watching the original TMNT cartoon, and I wanted to be April, because I wanted to be a reporter. Although I never thought I would be as cool as she was when she met the turtles for the first time.
The author received compensation for this article. All thoughts and opinions expressed are her own.
Now it's time for the next generation to get Turtlemania! My kids got really excited watching the trailer, and they are already counting down the days to August 2nd when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem comes to theatres.
See the trailer:
This newest version looks so great: In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the turtles meet other mutants — Superfly and his goons — each with their own wacky personalities and voices, many of which will sound familiar to us parents! There is serious mayhem, action, and laughter packed in this movie, produced by Seth Rogan. He describes it as "a comedic action movie with heart" — now that is something I can get into!
My kids are already Turtle fans — my 4-year-old even has the bedspread and pillowcases, and we have TMNT toys they all love.
The best part is that my kids' action figures are very similar to the ones my husband and his brother played with when they were kids!
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I love that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will really bring our family — which includes me and my husband, a teenager, an elementary school kid, a preschooler, and a toddler — together in a way that is special and unique.
In all my "Summer Momming" glory, I decided to take this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem movie release as an opportunity to have a little fun and create some awesome family memories with three activities — making green "mutant" slime, creating a fun TMNT-themed sensory box, and outfitting them in DIY Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle outfits.
Want to have your own at-home fun with TMNT before the movie comes out in theatres August 2?
Here is how we created our fun and how you can too:
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Mutant slime
I remember making slime with my teenager years ago, so I asked him if he would teach the little ones how to make "Mutant Slime." He loved the idea, and we set out to get the ingredients!
Mutant Mayhem Slime
What you need:
- 1/4 tsp Borax powder (found in laundry detergent aisle)
- 1/2 cup clear or white washable school glue
- 1 cup of warm water divided into 1/2 cups
- Optional: Green food coloring, glitter, confetti
Directions:
1. Combine the Borax and the (warm) water until it is mostly dissolved.
2. Slowly add it to a bowl of glue.
3. Stir in your food colorings and other optional add-ins to create your mutant slime!
4. Knead until it's the right consistency.
What I liked about this slime is it really stayed together and didn't get a ton of sticky bits on your fingers (or the floor, or the walls...) as they played with it.
My kids played with the slime for hours. It was a definite win! And I was really happy to watch the boys create something together. It made this mama's heart happy. I also think my teen enjoyed being in charge of the project. He got the recipe, helped me find the ingredients, instructed the littles, and even cleaned up after himself when he was done!
My kids are like the ninja turtles — brothers who joke, play fight, even fight, but ultimately always stand up for each other and have that unbreakable bond. I want my boys to see and feel that when they watch this movie. And my husband and I now can relate in new ways to Splinter (voiced by Jackie Chan) and find the humor in raising these boys!
TMNT FUN FACT: Did YOU Know? Contact with the ooze, also called the "mutagen," results in macro-level changes to an individual's genetic structure. Humans who come into contact with the ooze tend to mutate into anthropomorphized animals. |
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Mutant sensory box
This was so easy, and provided a ton of entertainment: We bought Kinetic sand and some TMNT legos to make sensory boxes for my preschool and toddler to play with (waterbeads would be a good substitute!). Again this was a nice long, entertaining activity for them, and there was very little cleanup thanks to the containers! Mom win!
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Cosplay Turtle fun
Now comes the crafty fun. I would like to preface this by first letting you know I have an incredible lack of artistic talent. But I've got Pinterest, a dream, and 4 kids to entertain for the summer, so here goes!
My arts and craft plan was to create:
1) Turtle masks
2) Turtle shells
3) Pool noodle nunchucks
So I gathered the supplies and went to work! We traced, cut, glued, poked, painted, and tied knots. I wish I would've taken more pictures, but the responsible mom was on duty...
Here is how we made our awesome cosplay outfits:
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Pool Noodle Nunchucks
- Pool noodle
- Sharp knife (adults only) I used a bread knife
- Screwdriver (adults only)
- Yarn or elastic
- Scissors
- Duct tape
Directions:
1. Use a knife to cut the pool noodle into two 8-inch pieces.
2. Use a screwdriver to puncture a small hold on one side of each pool noodle, an inch from the bottom. String a piece of yarn or elastic through the holes to attach the pool noodles together.
3. Wrap a piece of duct tape around the base of each pool noodle.
Ninja Turtle Shells
- Large Aluminum Roasting Pan
- Green Spray Paint
- Elastic band/cording
- Scissors or hole puncher
Directions:
1. Spray paint the bottom of the roasting pan green. Let dry
2. Poke holes through the top and bottom corners of the pan
3. Measure the elastic band the length of one side (Top hole to bottom hole) Cut 2 of these.
4. Tie a knot on both ends, connecting the elastic-like backpack straps.
Ninja Turtle Masks
What you need:
- Felt
- Mask template printable
- Marker
- Scissors
- Hot glue
- Velcro
Directions:
1. Trace the template pieces onto the felt pieces
2. Cut the templates out.
3. Arrange the pieces in order and glue them together.
4. Attach the velcro pieces to the proper size for your child.
My kids had a blast making their costumes, and then playing with them. This will definitely keep the hype and excitement going at our house until August 2 when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is released in theatres!
Go see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem on August 2nd, and don’t forget to bring your DIY mask, turtle shell, and pool noodle nunchucks!
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