It's Playtime: Olympic Gold

This week's It's Playtime celebrates the Olympic spirit with games and activities for your whole family.
  

Inspire Imagination Through Creation shared how to get your toddlers outdoors for their own Olympic Games.  

Your kids will love these edible Olympic Rings from JDaniel4's Mom.  A healthy way to celebrate world sportsmanship.  What fruits would you use for the Olympic colors?  

Creative Family Fun shared how to hold a Family Olympics getting your family outdoors and away from the T.V.  

You and your children can join The Fairy and the Frog and create some Edible Olympic Torches.  

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

<a href="http://messypreschoolers.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEYKQj4S7oHoLKfsA3PoeXgaNMJ5dxkdUxIphbmwXOlbFg78Gwl73-rT8AdMTgmqYmIJZrkJRYOqOEItkCbR_exui4YhZqLlwZaBHXhC5slGyqPScnxvq-zrQezw9-MdIUiecgW3fxKg/s1600/featured-messykids.jpg" width="150/" /></a>

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!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

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!

<a href="http://messypreschoolers.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWLA7lm_Fqc/TaNHGpGSuVI/AAAAAAAAEX0/DGSvqIT7fyU/s320/RED-itplaytime.jpg" width="150" /></a>

* 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.

Kool-Aid Ice Play

We know how much fun Kool-Aid can be when it comes to art.  Bloggers have shared everything from painting to tie dying with the stuff.  We've even used it to create Art in the Rain.  But in this summer heat why not freeze the Kool-Aid for some cool, ice painting?  Take it outdoors and enjoy the fun!    

 Set a bowl of frozen cubes out for the children to explore.  Instead of paper, I gave them paper towels for creating their works of art.  They absorb more then paper, plus construction paper tends to shred when it's wet.  You could also use coffee filters.

 "It's cold!"  

This is a great project for little ones on a warm day.  Not only is it good sensory art, but this "paint" is safe for them to put in their mouths.  If you're concerned about germs, give them each separate bowls and keep a close eye on them.

As the ice melts, it creates a unique blend of colors.  Leave the paper towels to dry and you have a colorful work of art. 


What You'll Need:

• Several flavors of Kool-Aid (desired colors).  You'll want to buy the cheap packets without sugar, not the canisters.  
• Water
• Sugar (optional)
• Ice cube tray or small dixi cups with popsicle sticks
• Absorbant paper towels  

To Create Kool-Aid Ice Paint:

• Mix packets of Kool-Aid with water.  You can add the amount suggested on the package but I went with less.  Less water gives a more vibrant color.  
• You can add sugar (knowing the kids will eat it) but it may cause stickiness.  I left the sugar out thinking they would taste the cubes and not want to eat them.  I was wrong.  Kids are not afraid of tart ice cubes!  
• Pour mixture into ice cube trays or small dixi cups.  You can add a popsicle stick, creating a handle for the paint.  My group of kids could have cared less.  
• Freeze
• Once frozen, pop those suckers out of the tray and enjoy the messy fun!  

It's Playtime: Edible Stars

Stars.  Edible stars.  Yummy, edible stars.  Just in time for summer and American Independence Day.  Check it out on this weeks It's Playtime!

Along the lines of Glitter Grapes, check out these tasty Flavored Watermelon Stars from JDaniel4's Mom.  

Come Together Kids shared this guest post from JDaniel4's Mom for Red, white, and Blue Frozen Smoothie Stars.  

I know, 4th of July Pudding Pop's are not stars, but I'm pregnant, and they look yummy, so check them out from We-Made-That.com.  

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

<a href="http://messypreschoolers.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEYKQj4S7oHoLKfsA3PoeXgaNMJ5dxkdUxIphbmwXOlbFg78Gwl73-rT8AdMTgmqYmIJZrkJRYOqOEItkCbR_exui4YhZqLlwZaBHXhC5slGyqPScnxvq-zrQezw9-MdIUiecgW3fxKg/s1600/featured-messykids.jpg" width="150/" /></a>

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!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

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!

<a href="http://messypreschoolers.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWLA7lm_Fqc/TaNHGpGSuVI/AAAAAAAAEX0/DGSvqIT7fyU/s320/RED-itplaytime.jpg" width="150" /></a>

* 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.