Hand Print Snowflake Project

I love making little projects with my kids' hand prints. It is such a fun way to remember how small their sweet hands are at this age! We got pretty crafty during a recent snow day home from school so I took the opportunity to make a project with some hand print snowflakes!

As always, I used Kids Washable Crayola Paint. I painted a mix of light and dark blue on one of their hands and made the prints on white construction paper. To make the snowflake, you'll need to do multiple prints, each a little off center from the one before. We did 6-8 prints for each snowflake. Reapply the paint after every two hand prints so it doesn't get too used up.

Before the paint was dry, I had my kids sprinkle glitter (yay!) on their snowflake. This kind of paint dries very quickly so you need to move fast. We used white glitter.

 Meanwhile, I created a sign for our snowflakes on a sheet of 6x12 bright blue card stock. I used a silver metallic permanent marker to write "Our Little Snowflakes" and then added the year.

Once the snowflakes were dry, I cut them out and used a hold punch to add a hole at the top of each, as well as a hole for each on my sign. I used varying lengths of white yarn to attach my snowflakes to the sign. Here's how I made it look nice without any knots:

I threaded the yarn through as a loop into the snowflake hole.

Then I passed the two open ends of yarn through that loop and pulled tight. If your hole breaks, just reinforce it with clear tape and punch another hole through that.

Next I threaded both loose ends of my yarn UP through the hole in my sign. Wrap your two loose ends around the yarn connecting to the snowflake and tie a knot behind that.

Use tape to secure the knot to the back of your sign and pull tight.

This is such a cute decorate to have in my kitchen now - and it is one to save and pull out again each winter! I made one with my friend's children as a fun gift for her and we used blue paper as a background for our white and light blue painted hand prints.

Snow Day Fun - Indoor Carnival!

Being stuck inside on a snow day is no excuse for boredom! I decided to transform my whole house into an indoor carnival when my two kids were home from school on a very cold snow day. Each room had a couple different games in it and I acted as their ring master to guide them from game to game. As my kids watched tv, I set it all up and had it ready to play, but then my kids had a fun time coming up with their own games! My daughter even set up a prize stand in her room, assigning points to each item so it was a great bit of math practice when it was time to cash in our prizes!

Here are a few of the games I came up with:

I used Washable Crayola markers to draw a huge target on our living room windows and had the kids shoot their dart guns at it.

We bounced plastic buttons into a display of plastic trays... from the Dollar Spot at Target! Score!

Just timing each other while we did a simple puzzle was really fun.

Here's my favorite one: a water shooting gallery!! I drew several circles across the back of my bathtub using Washable Crayola markers. Then the kids stood next to the tub and shot at the dots with water guns! The only thing to get wet was my bathtub, and as they kept shooting, the colored dots disappeared! We actually re-did this game a few times because it was such a big hit!

Here's a giant ring toss consisting of a hula hoop and a skinny little shelf I had in our family room.  You just need something sturdy enough that it won't fall over when the ring hits it! Even a person sitting down will work - we did it that way too. ;O)

We tossed a small basketball into a large basket in our hallway...

... and I set up a bean bag toss using a few bowls from our kitchen. Check out a Valentine's Day version I made HERE that shows how to make homemade bean bags!


We did have a few other simple games, and then my kids' games they made up got a little silly, but it was definitely a fun and different way to spend some time at home on a snow day! Plus we got prizes! Have fun!

Reindeer Pretzel Rods

My two- year old looooves "big daddy pretzel sticks" - aka - pretzel rods. You can find them by the bag at regular grocery stores, or in a neat plastic canister from Aldi.  It is so fun and easy to dress them up with melted chocolate or almond bark. Here is a fun reindeer pretzel stick I came up with for Christmas! I know Santa would like to get one of these on Christmas Eve, and they are great snacks for a holiday party as well!

Start by melting almond bark in the microwave. I like to melt mine in a ceramic coffee mug so it's deeper and has a handle.  You'll need about 6 squares of the almond bark for this recipe.  Microwave it for about 21 seconds at a time, stirring in between each time until it is all smooth. 

Dip each pretzel rod into your melted almond bark, tipping the mug at a 45 degree angle if you want more of the pretzel to get covered. I like just covering the tip so it doesn't get too overwhelmingly sweet. Lay your pretzel rods on a sheet of wax paper.

Before the almond bark hardens all the way, add mini M&M's or chocolate chips for the eyes and nose.  Use red ones to make little Rudolfs! My daughter (5) was in charge of this part.  She also helped with the dipping above, so this is a very kid-friendly snack! 

Finally, break off small twisted pretzels to look like antlers. You might use up quite a few that break all the way through but just eat up the extras! Place them at the top sides of your pretzel rods, resting in the melted almond bark. Since I made this up as I went along, I was so happy to discover they all stayed in once the almond bark was hardened. Woohoo!

Just let your pretzel rods sit out until they are hardened, which doesn't take very long. Maybe an hour or two. These are super cute and yummy snacks to make. Great to pass along to friends or teachers as well!

Sew Easy Fleece Hat!

My daughter, Molly (4), has really been interested in sewing lately so I found a great project for her and I to work on! We made a really easy and cute fleece hat! This was actually from a pattern I bought several years ago but I made this one by memory. Here it goes!

First, cut out two pieces of fleece in kind of a "bunny ear" shape, pictured below. The dimensions are about 9" wide at the bottom, and 14" tall. They should each be the same, and totally symmetrical from one side to the other. Be sure you find the front of the fleece - the design on it will be brightest on the front.

Put both pieces together, with the fronts touching. Use straight pins to hold them together if your child is old enough to be careful... of course surely if your child is old enough to use your sewing machine then they are also old enough for straight pins! haha!

Next, use a straight stitch on your sewing machine to sew your fleece pieces together... but don't sew the bottom closed! For this part, Molly sat on my lap and I held the fabric while she pressed down on the foot petal. I had raised it up on a box so she could reach it easily.

When you're done sewing around the edges, fold the bottom up a few inches, all the way around, pictured above. Remember - you're still working with it inside out! Now sew all around that edge. *Be careful to fold down the seams as you sew over them so there won't be any bumps! (pictured below)

Finally, turn your hat right side out. The last step is to tie each bunny ear into a knot. Now hope for warmer weather than we are having and enjoy your new fleece hat!!

Cookie Cutter Bird Feeders

'Tis the season to feed the birds! Molly (4) brought home a little bird feeder she made at preschool the other day - a biscuit with bird seed on it - that we hung up right outside our front window. She was so excited to watch for birds that I decided to make more bird feeders with her. We didn't have any bird seed, but I came up with this simple idea to feed the birds!

First, I grabbed some bread from our bread box. We just used the last few slices that weren't so fresh anymore. Then, I pulled out my tub 'o' cookie cutters - I literally have over 100 and I love them! Molly picked out some cutters and got to work cutting out bread in various shapes. She poked holes near the top middle of each one with a chop stick so we can loop some yarn through it later.
We left our bread shapes out to harden over night so they were nice and crunchy. Some of the holes had shrunk so I poked through them with scissors to open them up a little bit. We strung one or two per piece of yarn and hung them up outside around our back patio. We also threw out a few extra crumbles left over from our cookie cutter shapes. Molly insisted we sneak quietly inside to watch for birds like a couple of spies! She always turns everything she does into a game!

The crumbles were the first to go, but after a couple days of waiting, we finally noticed our hanging feeders were gone too!

Paper Snowflakes and Hearts

We decorated our front windows the other day - for winter AND for Valentine's Day! Molly (4) and I have made lots of "snowflakes" over the past few days. She just really loves to cut them out and I admit I really had a fun time making them too! Another plus: we get to see "snow" now since there isn't any real snow

You can make them six-sided like a real snowflake by starting with a circle and folding your paper like I did the flour tortilla when we made our snowflake snack last week. (Fold your circle in half, then fold a third of it - like a pie wedge - towards the middle and finally fold the other third on top of that one to create a triangle with one rounded edge.) We made ours with squares just so we could started cutting quicker! When we had enough, we picked our favorites and taped them with clear tape to our front windows.

Since Valentine's Day is around the corner (and we don't have many Valentine's decorations aside from my year-round holiday tree), we also cut out hearts! I folded red and purple paper in half length-wise, and drew half hearts on it so Molly could cut them out. Just like the snowflakes, she loved to unfold them slowly to see how her shapes turned out!

No-Sew Fleece Scarf and Blanket

Molly (4) and I were just hanging out on my bed one day, pulling tiny feathers out of my down comforter and blowing them up into the air, then watching them float back down into our waiting palms. It was pretty enchanting but a little boring, so an idea sprang to mind - let's make a scarf! I told Molly we were going to do a project, to which she insisted we were already doing a project. So.. we continued with the feathers for a few more minutes before I dug out some left over fleece I had in a craft bin.

I cut the fleece into strips - about eight inches by two yards. I used rolling scissors and a cutting mat for quilting to make quick work but really, just cut some strips. Molly used her own little scissors to cut fringe into each end and voila! A scarf. She also chose to make one for her grandma as a gift and took quite the time wrapping it (with plenty of tape).

Meanwhile, I wanted to make something for Ben (1) who was taking his nap at the time, but knew he was really too little for a scarf. Luckily I had a larger piece of fleece with cars and trucks on it that I knew he would like! I trimmed the edges and ended up with a piece that was about 2 yards by 1.5 yards. Then I folded it over twice and cut fringe along all the edges. Using my cutting mat, I was able to make each cut 1"x 3", though as an afterthought you might want to make them a bit longer, like 1"x5" or 6".

While Molly was busy wrapping her gift, I sat down and tied knots all around Ben's blanket. Just double-knot two strips that are side-by-side all the way around your blanket. It'll get kind of scrunched so just pull and stretch it as you go along. One piece of fleece is thick enough for a small blanket, but if you want to make it even warmer, you can use two piece the same size and tie them together front to back. I might try that one down the road, but I was just using up what I had leftover from a previous project.

Side note: when Ben woke up from his nap, I excitedly showed him his new blanket. He was very pleased to point out a "car" on it, but backed away shouting "Noooo!" when I tried to wrap him up in it. Then he reached for one of Molly's old blankets - one with pink flowers on it that he inexplicably has loved since he was a baby - and promptly wrapped himself in that one instead!

Water Bottle Snowman

We still haven't gotten a chance to play in the snow and build a real snowman this winter, but we did make one at our kitchen table today! I found this great project in the December/January 2012 issue of Family Fun magazine and as always their ideas are perfect! Here's what you'll need:

water bottle
white tissue paper
glue or decoupage
black construction paper
whatever you want to make your snowman's face!

I grabbed an empty water bottle and washed it and dried it out - yea for recycling! Using my handy old steak knife (previously mentioned in another blog for cutting cardboard), I cut out the very bottom of the water bottle. Now it is ready for your child to work with!

Molly (4) covered the whole bottle, minus the lid, with decoupage glue using a paint brush. If you are using regular glue, you might want to mix it with some water for a thinner consistency. Tear up some white tissue paper into small pieces and cover the entire bottle with them... again minus the lid. This was another recycled part of the project because we used tissue paper that had been used to wrap a gift at Christmas!

When the bottle is covered, paint another layer of glue or decoupage on top and allow it all to dry for a bit. Use black construction paper to cover the lid by gluing a circle on top and a strip of paper around the sides. This will be your snowman's hat! Then add a face and buttons using whatever you have on hand. You could use sequins, buttons or craft pom poms to name a few. We used foam stickers that we cut into smaller shapes and glued on. Finally, add a scarf by tying on a small strip of fabric or ribbon!


Now that your snowman is complete, put a battery-operated tea light inside and watch him glow! I found 3-packs of the tea lights for a dollar at the Dollar Tree - score!

Glittery Snowflake Project

Finally we had some snowy weather and got to make a snowflake project I've been excited to try! I found this idea in the December/January 2012 issue of Family Fun Magazine. Here's what you'll need:

Cotton Swabs
Glue
Glitter
Plastic Wrap

To prepare your work station, cover a large piece of cardboard with some plastic wrap. I used just one face of a cardboard box I cut off. Just a note: I always use an old steak knife to cut cardboard boxes (I often use cardboard boxes to create large shapes for parties and games), and it works great!

Molly (4) and I counted out 18 cotton swabs per snowflake - always time for math practice! I laid out my snowflake and she followed my lead. First lay out 6 cotton swabs in a star, like an astrisk. Then create six diamonds all around with the remaining twelve cotton swabs. Pour plenty of glue on each of the intersections, letting it dribble around each tip and onto your plastic wrap. While the glue is still wet, sprinkle it with glitter (yea!) and let it dry overnight.


The next day when it's completely dry, carefully remove your snowflake from the plastic wrap. It should stay in one piece and you can hang it for a beautiful winter decoration!

Crispy Snow Flake Snacks

Here is a delicious snack that is also a fun project to do! Naturally it's very easy, too!

Start with a flour tortilla and fold it in half. Fold in one side like a triangle, and then the other side under so it's all folded into a triangle now.

Here's the fun part: bite around the edges! When you open it up again you'll have a snowflake! Molly (4) really liked this part - she was super hungry when we started so getting a few nibbles of our snack before it was ready was a real plus for her.

When you're finished making your snowflakes, lay them out on a foil-lined baking sheet and spray them lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle them with sugar and cinnamon, (or in Molly's case, POUR on the sugar... which I then had to scrape off...) Bake them at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, until slightly browned and crispy.

You can also sprinkle yours with powdered sugar after they're baked so they're white like real snowflakes! Ben (1) approved of this yummy snack when he woke up from his nap. They're easy to break apart and share... which Molly of course did!

Gingerbread Extravaganza!

Molly and I love gingerbread! We made a big "to-do" of making gingerbread cookies this year and we only had to focus on the fun part because I'd bought some pre-made dough by Pilsbury at the grocery store for about $4. It was well worth it because all we had to do was open the package and start rolling it out! Molly (4) and Ben (1) both got to be hands-on for this kitchen adventure, using the rolling pin and many MANY cookie cutters.

We made a few traditional gingerbread men, then some girls, teddy bears, and Santas.... also Christmas trees, trains, and a random circle. And snowmen. The kids had lots of fun decorating them with regular and white chocolate chips, candies, and sprinkles. After they had been baked, Molly got to add white and pink (her choice) frosting to some, too Each cookie was unique and delicious!

Later, Molly and I made some glittery gingerbread men to decorate our kitchen cabinets! We used some foam gingerbread men shapes I'd gotten from the Target dollar section (love the Target dollar section) and regular glue and all kinds of glitter. First we applied the glue in whatever design we wanted - just one section at a time so we could dictate which color/kind of glitter we put on it. It was really fun to create different personalities for them and I ended up taping them to all my kitchen cabinets like a sweet, sparkly baking wonderland.

(sorry, for some reason this photo keeps uploading sideways... but you get the idea!)

Finally, I'd like to share two gingerbread books we read several times over the past few weeks: The Gingerbread Man, retold by Jim Aylesworth and The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. I LOVE that second one. The story is cute and the pictures are great - you can really talk about what is happening behind the scenes while the Gingerbread Baby runs away from everyone else. Both good books - and not actually "Christmasy" so you can still read them and make gingerbread cookies even in January!

Winter Scene Art Project

Here's a really cute project to do with your kids, and it would be neat to make a BIG one with a whole preschool class! We made a winter scene... even though so far we've had such warm weather - including almost 60 degrees two days in a row at the playground!!

Start with a sheet of dark construction paper, like black or blue. Draw a wavy line with white chalk that will be your horizon. Cut out several shapes: squares, rectangles, and triangles from different colors of construction paper and glue them along your line to create houses and buildings. You can also use a black marker or crayon to draw windows and doors if you wanted, but we just left ours blank which is cute too. Fill in the ground with your white chalk, and add lots of small circles to be falling snow. Molly (4) was able to do this whole project by herself... with some help with the cutting when she got "tired!"


This project was a great review of shapes, cutting, gluing, and we talked about winter weather! I found it in a Christmas Craft Book by Usbourne Books.

Paper Plate Santa Project

This is a project I've done with Molly (4) for three years in a row now and it's so fun to see how different she does it each year! It makes a great decoration to hang up and she always like working with lots of glue! Here's what you'll need:

Paper Plate
Red Construction Paper
White Cotton Balls
Craft Pom Poms
Glue

In the past, I've cut out a Santa hat from red construction paper for Molly, but this year I simply drew one and had her cut it out and glue it on by herself. Then I let her go to town gluing on cotton balls. I always buy a big bag from Walmart or a dollar store because we go through a lot! Have your child glue on cotton balls for Santa's beard, plus a lining on his hat and one more on the tip of the hat. Use craft pom poms or markers or whatever else you can for Santa's face.

I tape a loop of curly ribbon to the back so I can hang it up easily and be sure to put the year on the back so you can compare them from one Christmas to the next! Here is a photo of Molly's Santa plate from last year, plus her new COLORFUL one from this year! (So sorry it keeps uploading sideways!) Next year I'll start Ben on making them, too! I can't wait to have a big collection of Santa plates!

Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Holiday Treats!

I had a craving for chocolate and bananas one afternoon, so I came up with these fun and tasty snacks for my kids: Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ornaments and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Snowman!

First, I melted about 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and mixed it together with 1/4 cup of peanut butter. (yummmm!) Then I sliced a banana and dipped each slice into my chocolate mixture. I didn't want it to be too chocolatey or sweet so I only dipped the tops and scraped off any access. Of course I covered my treats in sprinkles because who doesn't love sprinkles!?

I stuck a toothpick in individual slices along one side, so those are the ornaments. The toothpicks also make them easy to eat without making a big mess! I used toothpicks to hold together three different-sized slices to shape my snowman and then decorated him with white chocolate chips. This was such an easy snack to make - Molly (4) could have done it if she'd wanted to, and Ben (1) loved waking up from his nap to this yummy treat!

Two Festive Winter Breakfast Ideas

Here are two fun and festive winter breakfast ideas for your kids! These are so quick and easy to make - it only takes a moment to make your morning special!

First, start the day with a little bit of whimsy and make snowmen pancakes! Pour three circles of pancake batter on your griddle each bigger than the one before it, close enough so they'll join together as they cook. I used chocolate chips to make eyes and buttons on mine, but you can also use raisins, cereal, or pieces of fruit for that. I added my chocolate chips while they were cooking. I reckon you could take it a step further and make a hat and scarf and arms for your pancake snowman with bacon, fruit or cereal. I made mine on the spur of the moment but this breakfast can be served all winter!

A second breakfast idea is snowflake cinnamon rolls! I used prepacked cinnamon rolls and baked 'em one morning just like normal. The frosting is the fun part: draw snowflakes on each roll! Remember that snowflakes have six sides and that no two are the same, so don't be afraid to get creative. Before the frosting hardens, you can even sprinkle them with white sugar sprinkles or add on red hots or those big teeth-breaking silver balls. I wish I had thought about the sugar sprinkles and red hots when I made them! Oh well, we always have cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas morning before we open presents so I'll be prepared this year to make them extra special!!