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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Cooking with Kids: Salted Caramel Bunny Bait



Yesterday was my mom's group Spring Fling.  We gathered together, shared food, and let our kids go wild in a park.  Oh and there was an Easter egg hunt.  Somehow I missed it though because I was watching babies...plural...more then one.  Only one was mine.  But it's O.K.  My kids are spaced 5 years a part.  This makes things easy for me at playdates because my older kids are capable of enjoying the park on their own.  But many of my friends aren't as lucky; their kids are 3, 2 or less years apart.  Talk about a challenge!  My son is enough of a challenge, I couldn't imagine him being 2 while caring for the baby as well.  I'd be crazier then I am now.  I don't know how my friends do it.  A lot of drinking maybe....  

With that being said, sometimes my son wants to help me in the kitchen.  Yesterday was one of those days.  I had to make a dish to take to the Spring Fling so after some research I'd decided on Salted Caramel Easter Popcorn (or Bunny Bait).  You can find the recipe at two peas & their pod.  There was plenty my son could help me do.  

We needed some crunched-up, salted pretzels.  I dumped a bunch of pretzel sticks in a Ziploc bag, gave my boy a meat tenderizer, and let him go at it.  He was quite proud of his job.  
My son loves marshmallows.  He was excited to measure the amount we needed and stir them into the hot sugar mixture.  He also liked adding the food coloring.  
And what kid could resist adding the M&M's to the mix?  A taste test is extremely important.  

Some tips:
  • Use white mini marshmallows for melting in the recipe.  I had pastel colored and well, when they melt together, they turn brownish.  Then we added some pink food coloring which of course, made it worse.  Then we added some purple, which turned the whole mess puce.  So if you don't want vomit colored popcorn, I'd go with white marshmallows.  
  • If the marshmallows don't melt right away, place the pot back on the stove and stir constantly until hot.  Depending on the brand of marshmallows they won't become creamy until you begin stirring the mixture into the popcorn.  
  • If you can't tell, I'm a little marshmallow crazy, but you can add the colored ones along with the pretzel M&M's.  At that point it adds more Easter color.  
  • I forgot to get heavy cream.  Coconut milk works too!  
  • My mixture was pretty sticky.  I don't know if that's normal or if it's because I didn't lay it out on a cookie sheet to set.  I stuck it in the fridge to cool instead (I wait until the last minute to make things; it's so bad!).  It still tasted great! In fact more moms ate this stuff then kids.   
  • Place the popcorn out on Easter Eve as bunny bait.  Just a little something to add to the magic.   
  • This is how we popped our popcorn, give it a try:

I'm sorry, I really wanted to post the recipe here (citing the source of course) but I believe in giving credit where credit is due.  They other blogger deserves the traffic too!  

What are you making special for Easter?  Share in the comments below.  





Friday, March 29, 2013

Painting with Easter Eggs


*This post contains affiliate links

Plastic eggs have many uses.  I've shared a post on It's Playtime that included 10 ways for repurposing these little treasures.  One of my favorite activities involves a bit of paint and a little messiness but a lot of fun for little hands.  Here are two ways to paint with plastic eggs:

Box Rolling


Materials:
  • Small box or box lid
  • Paint
  • Construction Paper
  • Glitter (optional)
  • 2 Eggs (you can weigh them down by putting marbles inside and you may need to tape the eggs shut)
Place your paper in the box lid and squirt in some paint.  Add the eggs.  While holding the box, roll the eggs around.  You don't have to weight the eggs down (I didn't in the above photos), but if you don't, they tend to stick a bit.  Don't be afraid to allow little hands to roll the eggs instead.  For added mess, I mean glitz, sprinkle some glitter over the wet paint and leave picture to dry.    

Paint Stamping

Materials:
  • Paper
  • Paint
  • Paper plate
  • Plastic eggs of different sizes and shapes
  • Glitter (optional)
Set out a paper plate with different colors of paint and the halves of plastic eggs.  Your little one(s) can dip the eggs (or hands and fingers) in the paint, then stamp them on the paper.  You can use this chance to talk about shapes; the difference between circles and ovals.  Sprinkle the wet paint with glitter and lay out to dry.    

For more Easter ideas, as well as other activities involving plastic eggs, check out my Easter Pinterest Board.  

Art doesn't have to be complicated.  It's about the process rather then the product.  You simply need to be brave enough to accept the mess as part of the experience.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Reusing Plastic Eggs on It's Playtime

This week I'm rushing. I have two other posts I want to get done and a baby who's being less then cooperative; ahhh the life of a mother. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. As we speak I'm typing one handed so I won't make this long.  There were many amazing ideas shared last week.  Thank you all for joining in.  With Easter around the corner, here's one post with many ideas....

KC Edventures posted 10 Fun Ways to Recycle Plastic Easter Eggs.  Science, reading, crafts, plastic eggs aren't just for jelly beans.

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."
  



These activities plus more can be found over on the It's Playtime Pinterest Board.  Happy Pinning! 
Now, on to this weeks play date! 
It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Rachel & Holly : Quirky Momma
* Jillian: A Mom With a Lesson Plan

How to Play :
* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.
* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!


* Stop by one of our blogs every Thursday and add your link about play. Your link will show up on each of the blogs in the It's Playtime community.
* Each week the playtime hosts will choose favorite posts to feature. (By linking you are giving us permission to use an image and link to you, if featured.)
* Be sure to visit some of the links that catch your eye. Commenting on posts that you find interesting or inspiring is a wonderful way to develop your own playful community.

By linking up you give us permission to grab a picture and feature you here, on a site we write for, on FB or Pinterest.   If we share your link, we will always credit you, send people to your original post and use only ONE photo.
"

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Eggcellent Fun on It's Playtime

Easter activities are in full swing: eggs, chicks, bunnies, they're everywhere!  Thanks to all of our friends here at It's Playtime, you can find a good chunk of those activities shared on our linky.  Thank you to all of those who joined us for last week's play date and shared your wonderful projects.  This week I'm featuring EGGS, EGGS, and more EGGS.

Over at Putti's World, the girls created 3D Easter Egg Decorations using contact paper and tape as the canvas.  Creative and decorative!

Don't let the name fool you.  These Jello Eggs from Momma's Fun World look sweet but  are a bubbly science project your kids are sure to enjoy.

Do you have a ton of plastic eggs you don't know what to do with?  Try making these Yogurt Berry Popsicle Eggs found over at Play Eat Grow.

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."


These activities plus more can be found over on the It's Playtime Pinterest Board.  Happy Pinning! 
Now, on to this weeks play date! 
It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Rachel & Holly : Quirky Momma
* Jillian: A Mom With a Lesson Plan

How to Play :
* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.
* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!


* Stop by one of our blogs every Thursday and add your link about play. Your link will show up on each of the blogs in the It's Playtime community.
* Each week the playtime hosts will choose favorite posts to feature. (By linking you are giving us permission to use an image and link to you, if featured.)
* Be sure to visit some of the links that catch your eye. Commenting on posts that you find interesting or inspiring is a wonderful way to develop your own playful community.

By linking up you give us permission to grab a picture and feature you here, on a site we write for, on FB or Pinterest.   If we share your link, we will always credit you, send people to your original post and use only ONE photo.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Documentaries Your Children Will Love

Let me begin by telling you I am in no way being paid for this promotion.  Oh, and I haven't received anything for free either....except knowledge...O.K. that's cheesy, but it's true.  Now that I've gotten that out of the way....

I love documentaries but they have to be a specific genre.  Nature mostly, with some historical thrown in there if they cover Egypt, or secret societies, or mysterious treasure.  I want my kids to love them too but that's a little harder.  I can't seem to get them to sit with me long enough to enjoy a good documentary....until now.

Last year I saw a recommendation for one called Microcosmos.  It's about bugs.  If you have a child who LOVES bugs, this is perfect.  There's very little talking; only some at the beginning.  The rest is visual.  It's bugs in a meadow: ants, snails, caterpillars, beetles, water skis, etc.  and they are doing what bugs do.  The ants collect food and battle, a dung beetle attempts to move a big ball of poo up a hill, and the caterpillars eat leaves.  It sounds mundane, but it's visually stunning.  My son fought me tooth and nail when I suggested watching it, but loved it by the end.  I found it stunning.
    

The other documentary I came across is called MicroPlanet.  This one, narrated by a child, brings life in and around a pond up close in vivid detail and beauty.  It was educational, without being overly complicated.  Great for a good day of snuggling with your little one while learning.
   

The great part?  I found both of these documentaries on Netflix!  We have the subscription which allows us to watch shows and movies instantly so I didn't even have to wait for it to arrive in the mail.

Have you watched any kid friendly documentaries lately?  Please share in the comments below.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

St. Patrick's Day on It's Playtime

Lot's of St. Patrick's activities were shared on It's Playtime last week.  Here are some of my favorites:
I love, love, love this activity from Gift of Curiosity!  Create your own Leprechaun Rocks then dissolve revealing a special surprise inside.  It's play, it's science, it's perfect for St. Patrick's Day!
Create a lovely Shamrock Sun Catcher like the ones over at Crystal & Co.  They used purchased shredded paper, but if you have a paper shredder of your own, run some colored construction paper through it.

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."


These activities plus more can be found over on the It's Playtime Pinterest Board.  Happy Pinning! 
Now, on to this weeks play date! 
It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Rachel & Holly : Quirky Momma
* Jillian: A Mom With a Lesson Plan

How to Play :
* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.
* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!


* Stop by one of our blogs every Thursday and add your link about play. Your link will show up on each of the blogs in the It's Playtime community.
* Each week the playtime hosts will choose favorite posts to feature. (By linking you are giving us permission to use an image and link to you, if featured.)
* Be sure to visit some of the links that catch your eye. Commenting on posts that you find interesting or inspiring is a wonderful way to develop your own playful community.

By linking up you give us permission to grab a picture and feature you here, on a site we write for, on FB or Pinterest.   If we share your link, we will always credit you, send people to your original post and use only ONE photo.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Play Dough Rainbow Match


*This post contains affiliate links

Up until about 7 years ago, I had no idea rainbows had an order.  I don't remember that lesson in elementary school so I drew them, all willy nilly, including colors like pink or heaven forbid, turquoise.  I came from a family of artists so I knew about color combinations but for some reason, I never applied it to rainbows.

So now I know, my kids know (well, my 5 year old is learning, the order that is), and we have happy, normal rainbows. And we can create them in many different ways.  One easy way involves only play dough, a sheet of paper with a simple rainbow drawn on it, and a sheet protector (see picture below). That's it!  Of course you need play dough in the colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple (or violet for you artist types) but that's easy enough to make or even buy if you so choose.


Play dough is a fantastic tool for strengthening fine motor muscles in the hands.  While your child is pushing, pulling, rolling, squishing, and forming the dough, they are developing the muscles needed for writing and hand coordination.

The sheet protector allows for easy clean-up as well as the reuse of your rainbow.  The kids will need to roll "snakes" from the different colors of dough.  Then they can match each colored snake to the corresponding colored arch on the rainbow.  Don't forget to talk about color combinations as they form their rainbow.


A bonus exploration to this project is discovering lengths.  As the kids form snakes, have them show you the short snakes and the long snakes.  You can also challenge them to see how long they can make a snake without it breaking.  For pre-k aged children, get out a ruler or unit blocks and measure each colored snake.  There are many ways to build on this project.


Don't be afraid to let your little one explore with other tools.  My son sticks all sorts of things in play dough: pencils, toys, marbles, spiky balls, acorns, pipe cleaners, etc.  He hides things in them too.  I have to go through all the play dough before I toss it because he leaves all sorts of treasures hiding amongst the dough.

Want to make your own play dough?  Here is my quick, go-to recipe from The Imagination Tree:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup salt
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1.5 cups boiling water
  • 2 tablespoons cream of tarter (optional but it does make for smoother dough)
  • Coloring (gel colors or liquid water colors are most vibrant but regular food coloring works as well)
  • Scents and Glitter are fun and optional


Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Knead dough until it's no longer sticky. It will be very hot so be cautious. If the dough is sticky add a little flour as you knead until it reaches desired play dough texture.  

What kind of rainbows have you been creating lately?



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