CANDY CANE REINDEER

Candy Cane Reindeer

This has been a favorite activity for years because it is a festive quick and easy project for the kids to make. We have tied these reindeer on packages and given them out to friends, teachers and students.
You'll need candy canes, brown pipe cleaners, wiggly eyes, 1/4" red or black pom poms, 1 ft. of 1/4" ribbon and white glue.
Instructions: Don't unwrap the candy cane. Find the middle of the pipe cleaner, fold it around the candy cane and twist it around itself to secure it. Bend the wire to form the antlers. Add a bit of glue to hold it in place. Glue the Pom pom on the end for the nose and glue the eyes on a little above the nose. Tie the ribbon around the neck you can also string a small bell onto the ribbon.

Chirstmas Paper Chain and Poem

December's here, Christmas is coming. Kids love counting down to the special day. We've used advent calendars and paper chains so that everyone could participate each day.  Here's a fun poem to go with a paper chain.

MY CHRISTMAS CHAIN

Christmas day will soon be here

And I can hardly wait.

I've made this little Christmas Chain 

to help me celebrate.

Please help me hang my chain up high

I'll cut one loop each day.

And when we reach the golden one 

It will be Christmas day!

You'll need the poem, 12 red strips of paper, 12 green strips of paper and 1 yellow or gold strip of paper. Attach them together using clear tape. (Be sure that the golden one is at the top.)

BOUNCING BUGS

BOUNCING BUGS

A cup full of bouncing "bugs"? It sure looks like it. Drop a few raisin pieces in a clear plastic cup and watch them bounce and bob up and down.

You will need:

3-4 Raisins

Plastic Knife

Plastic clear cup

Any clear soda or carbonated water

Carefully cut the raisins into 3 or 4 pieces. Put them into the bottom of the plastic cup. Pour carbonated soda or water into the cup. Watch the raisins bounce and bob up and down in the cup. 

How does it work?

The soda has carbon dioxide bubbles in it. These bubbles are lighter than the soda and so they float to the top. The raisin is denser than the soda so it sinks to the bottom but the bubbles combine with the raisins and they eventually become less dense than the soda and float to the top. The bubbles are released into the air and then the raisin drops back to the bottom again.

WALKING SALAD

Take that salad and go!
When I was growing up summers were full of camping trips, some with my family and some with my friends at Girls' Camp.
We had great leaders who taught us all kinds of fun and innovative ways to cook and eat our food. One of the fun and easy salads was called a Walking Salad, in other words, you make it and take it and eat it on the go- or while you are blogging:)
This is a kid friendly, though messy snack. Kids can help make it, choose their favorite snacks to add to it and eat it on the run, and in 5 minutes or less you have a great treat.

1 Apple per person, washed and cored.
Stuff the inside of the apple with a mixture of about 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter and a combinations of raisins, nuts, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips or M&M's, even broken up pretzels, Goldfish, coconut, cranberries or other dried fruit. Use your imagination and your taste buds.
Now take it and eat it!
Oh and DON"T forget the napkin-this can be messy but so fun!

Halloween Jack-O-Lantern Cookies

These giant cookies have been a Halloween tradition for generations in our family. They are a wonderful  spice and molasses cookie full of Fall flavors and decorated with candy to look like a jack-o-lantern. We always called them "FACE COOKIES". I still remember many Halloweens helping my mom bake, decorate and deliver these cookies to family and friends. Now the tradition continues... Enjoy!!

Halloween Molasses Cookies
FACE COOKIES
1 Cup sugar + a bowl of sugar to roll dough in
¾  Cup shortening
¼ Cup molasses
1 egg
2 ½ Cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
2 tsp baking soda
Cream sugar and shortening. Add molasses and egg. In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to sugar mixture. Blend well.

Roll dough into balls then roll in sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet and pat into a circle. (You want these big enough so that you can put a face on them when they are baked-- 4-6” around.)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.

Make icing to “glue” candy face on using powdered sugar and a little milk. Consistency should be pretty thick.
Dot cookies with icing for eyes, nose and mouth.
Then decorate with Lifesavers, candy corn, jelly beans, spice drops, or raisins; or use your imagination and whatever you may have in your pantry.

Go Ahead and Play With Your Food

Kids love playing with play dough and sometimes they want to not only play with their play dough but they also want to put it in their mouth too. Well here is a great recipe for edible play dough that actually tastes good. What's the secret?  It is made with peanut butter!

Peanut Butter Play Dough

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1-1/4 cups dry milk
1-1/4 cups powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together.  Knead slightly and it is ready for use.

Vegetable Prints

Vegetable Prints

 

I have fun memories of using potatoes, apples and other vegetables dipped in paint to make fun prints. I saw this on pinterest and loved it. Here is a creative way to make a beautiful flower print using celery. Cut the stalks off leaving about 2" pieces left connected together at the bottom. 

Dip this into acrylic paint and press on paper. With a paint brush, add leaves and stems. Continue stamping until you have created a beautiful bouquet.