Recipes & Ideas:

1. - Mini Pizzas
2. - Play Dough
3. - Snow
4. - Ideas for Odd Socks
5.- Creative Projects
 
 
Mini Pizzas 

This recipe has no exact amounts.  Children like to assist in putting them together. 

Ingredients:  Package of english muffins, Jar of pizza sauce of any brand or your own; Choice of pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, any kind of cheese you link. 

Spread out the muffins on a cookie tin.  Plop on a heaping tablespoon of sauce.  Add any of the other ingredients desired.  Bake in an oven at 350 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes. 

These can even be made ahead and frozen and then saved in a freezer bag after they are frozen.  Bake frozen pizzas at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. 

Kids love them.   And if you want to make them very, very nutritious, chop up some broccoli flowerettes and sprinkle on the top.

 Return to Top of Page
 
Play Dough:

Caution:  This recipe includes boiling water and should, therefore, be prepared only by a careful  adult.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup salt
2 cups boiling water
3 - 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Food coloring

Add oil and food coloring to boiling water.  Combine the dry ingredients.  Add to the wet mixture.  Mix together well.  Store in airtight container.

Add a scent if desired.  For example, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the wet mixture.

Return to Top of Page
 
Snow

The children can mix this recipe.   Just set out them the ingredients,
and let them mix and pour to their hearts' delight, discovering as they
go.

Ingredients
1 Cup soap flakes (or other type of dry soap if flakes unavailable)
1/4 Cup Water
Manual eggbeater.

This is fun to squeeze and play with, and it's so clean.

Children may also paint a "snow" picture on dark construction paper,
using a brush.

Return to Top of Page
 
Ideas for Odd Socks

Besides being excellent for dusting or waxing, cleaning cars, or making puppets, odd socks may also be used to create a snake or a snowman.

Susie Lloyd offered these last two ideas.   For the snake, the socks may be stuffed and then sewed together.  A multicolor snake results from using mismatched socks.  White socks turn into snowmen by stuffing and wrapping them in strategic places with rubber bands.  Felt pieces may be used to form eyes, mouth and nose.

Return to Top of Page
 
Creative Projects

Simple Bird Feeder

Materials:
A long string or piece of yarn.
A bowl of circular-shaped dry cereal, dry.

Child strings the cereal on the string or yarn.  Attach to a tree.  If near a window, the fun can be extended by watching the birds come to feed.
 

Varicolored Vase

Materials:
Clear clean bottle, such as from Minute Maid
Variety of colors of tissue paper
White Glue, watered to half-and-half
Container for the glue
Brush (optional)
Scissors (optional)

Child tears or cuts pieces of tissue paper.  Child glues the pieces randomly on the bottle.  After completely covered, completely cover again with the glue mixture.

Let dry.
 

Shape Collage

Materials
Left over paper and cloth cut into a variety of shapes
Paper, cardboard or  other strong material for background.
Glue

Child creates collage using the materials.  In alternative, child may be encouraged to create a recognizable object using the shapes, such as a bird from a small and a large circle, a small and a triangle, and two half circles for wings.
 

Handprint Art

Handprints may be made from drawing and then cutting around hands, or from painting the hands and "stamping" with them.

The handprints may be used to form a wreath, using about 8 handprints.  Add bows or other decorations as desired.

A turkey is a tradition, made by adding an eye and beak to the thumb shape.

Make a doll shape into an angel by adding two handprints in back of the doll.

Return to Top of Page

Return to HOME PAGE