Texture Casts

Toddler Activities from Familyeducation.com http://ift.tt/1tqnher Foster your child's creativity with this printmaking activity.

20 Sensory Bags To Make

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Have you tried making your kids sensory bags? They are so much fun! Kids love playing with them and they are easy to make. Plus, there are endless possibilities.

If you’re looking for inspiration or a new idea to try, here is a huge list of sensory bags to make.

20 Sensory Bags To Make

Ocean – This fun sensory bag looks just the deep blue ocean!

Baby Water Blob – Even the little ones can play with this fun sensory bag.

Fall – This is so fun and festive for fall. via Kids Play Box

Halloween – Here are three fun bags for Halloween that your kids will love! via Plain Vanilla Mom

Googley Eyes – Green and gooey, this bag is perfect for Halloween! via Clare’s Little Tots

Watermelon – This squishy bag looks and feels like the inside of a watermelon. What a fun way to play without making a mess! via Fantastic Fun and Learning

Playdough – Flattened playdough and a few shiny pom poms make a fun baby activity. via Simple Fun For Kids

Nature – Use things you find outside on a nature walk to make this fun suncatcher sensory bag. via Hands On As We Grow

Lava Lamp – This is so fun – make your own little lava lamp bag that glows! via Growing A Jeweled Rose

Christmas Tree – Perfect for the holidays, make this Christmas tree sensory bag! via Mom Inspired Life

Goo Bag – Play with goo without making a huge mess. This bag is so fun for little hands. Hello Bee

Sparkle Snow –  via Glowing A Jeweled Rose

Night Sky – This is beautiful and looks like the night sky. So fun. via Learning And Exploring Through Play

Magnetic Polka Dots – Inspired by the book Press Here, this is onf of my favorite sensory bags ever! via Mama Papa Bubba

Snowflakes – Perfect for winter, this snowflake bag is so much fun. via B-Inspired Mama

Frozen – This winter sensory bag is perfect for the snowy months. via A Little Pinch of Perfect

Red Apples –  This activiyy goes with the book Ten Red Apples and is fun for little hands. via I Can Teach My Child

Gelatin Squish Bag – This one is edible! via Stay At Home Educator

Learn To Write – For a fun pre-writing activity, make these sensory bags! via Pre-School Play

Grinch – Watch the Grinch Stole Christmas this holiday and then make this fun sesnsory bag! via Growing A Jeweled Rose

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Bigger is Better – in Cookies

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Afterschool cookies are a bit of a tradition around here.  We make a big batch of cookie batter every couple of weeks and scoop out cookies as needed.  It is a great way to welcome kids home, even the neighborhood kids stop by for cookies several days a week!

But, let’s make it fun, make Friday’s cookie more fun!  Make a cookie into a memory!  Instead of the regular cookies, we made a GIANT cookie recipe – Cause bigger is better!

Levi’s Giant Cookie Recipe

• 4 Cups of Flour
• 3 Cups of Old Fashioned Oats
• 1/2 Tablespoon Baking Soda
• 2 Teaspons of Salt

Mix the dry ingredients together.  In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients together.

• 1 1/3 Cup of Shortening
• 2/3 Cup of Butter
• 1/4 Cup of Water
• 3/4 Cup of White Sugar
• 1 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Add 1-2 Cups of Walnuts (optional) and 1 Bag of Dark Chocolate Chips.

Store in a big air-tight container in the fridge.

Bigger cookies are better.

When you are ready to bake your cookies, scoop them out onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

If you want to build memories with your kids and bake a giant cookie, spray a cast iron pan with oil liberally.  Then press scoopfuls of cookie dough onto your pan.

Stick your cast iron pan into your oven at 350 degrees and let it cook for 10 Minutes.  Keep it in the pan until your cookie and the pan have cooled.

It’s a GIANT cookie!  Perfect for building memories!

In a group it makes sense to cut the cookie into slices.  But half the fun is nibbling from something SO huge!  Your kids will LOVE having a giant cookie.

 

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14 Ways to Recycle Old Magazines Into New Crafts

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If you’re like me, you feel bad throwing away all the magazines you’ve already read. I mean after all, there’s tons of ways to create crafts from magazines. So stop hoarding and start creating!

Cool Crafts From Old Magazines

Looking for some different ideas? Below are ten of our favorite ways to recycle magazine pages into fun craft projects and beautiful pieces of art!

1. Pretend Cookie Tray
2. Magazine Strip Art
3. Fall Magazine Tree
4. Magazine Wreath
5. Magazine Collage Ornament
6. Easy Magazine Flowers
7. Paper Rosette
8. Homemade Cards
9. Cut Out Funny Faces
10. Paper Dolls

Classic Uses for Recycled Magazines

There are several creative ways to make crafts from old magazines and moms just like you have been crafting with them for many years.

Some of the classics I’ve seen around are:

1. Collages – Making a collage is a fun way to spark creativity and create a one of a kind keepsake. Give your kids a piece of 8.5″ x 11″ card stock or construction paper and some glue. Ask them to pick a theme for their collage. Using that theme, have them go through stacks of magazines and cut out pictures for their project. For example, if Tom wants his collage to be about dogs, have him find pictures of different dogs, dog food, bowls, a park, fire hydrants, dog houses, etc. They can be as creative or inventive as they like. Once their pictures are cut out, have them glue them all over the construction paper, overlapping if they like.
2. Decoupage – Pictures cut from magazines are great for decoupage projects. First, to create your own decoupage medium, mix together equal parts of white glue and water. Use a paint brush to combine, adding more glue or water if needed to make it to a milky, paintable solution. Use a paint brush to apply decoupage to empty vegetable cans, pieces of scrap wood, or empty glass jars. Lay your picture on the decoupaged area, then paint a layer of decoupage on top of the picture. Use the paint brush to smooth out the piece and get rid of any bubbles or lines.
3. Beads – Making magazine beads is lots of fun and they can be very colorful and unique! They are time consuming and best suited for children that are elementary aged and up. You can make beads of all sizes and all you need are strips cut from magazine pages, a dowel or straw to wrap them around and some glue to secure them. Sealer is a good idea to protect your hard work, so instead of glue you can always opt for a decoupage medium such as Mod Podge (affiliate link), which acts as a glue and sealer.
4. Mosaics – You don’t have to stick with pictures, but pick colors instead. For example, find a picture of grass for “green” and a picture of the sky for “blue”. Cut or tear the sky and grass into smaller pieces to make your own colorful designs. Use these smaller pieces to create fun mosaic designs. You can cut colorful pages into squares or simply tear them into chunks, then glue them into a design on a piece of construction paper. Make a fun sunflower by cutting or tearing up pieces yellow and pasting them onto your paper to create petals. Use brown scraps for the center of the flower and green for the stems and leaves. Be even more thorough and use blue and white to fill in the sky and clouds for the background of your creation.

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Paper Plate Spider Web

Toddler Activities from Familyeducation.com http://ift.tt/1vmKMlg Use a marble to help your toddler create a realistic Halloween spider web pattern on a paper plate.

35 Ways To Make Fudge

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I love fudge. It is one of my favorite desserts and something we make every year during the holidays. Of course, the traditional chocolate recipe is amazing, but there are SO many more fun ways to make fudge. Here are thirty-five to get you started!

35 Ways To Make Fudge

One of my most faorite recipes is crockpot fudge – so simple!

Perfect for Halloween, try candy corn fudge. via Totally The Bomb

If you’re in a hurry, this 3-minute fudge is ready in no time. via Chocolate Chocolate and More

This butter pecan fudge recipe goes great with Thanksgiving dinner! via Growing Up Gabel

Rainbow chip fudge is so festive and is perfect for a birthday. via Betty Crocker

The ultimate fall recipe is this pumpkin spice fudge. via Ebay

If you love s’mores like I do then try this s’mores fudge. So yummy! via Wine and Glue

Buckeye fudge is the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter.

If you love eggnog then you’ll love this eggnog fudge! via I Heart Naptime

If you don’t have the patience to make a dessert, just try this easy microwave fudge.

If this white red velvet fudge tastes as good as it looks then it might be the best yet! via The Cafe Sucre Farine

Carmel coffee fudge sounds like the perfect fudge recipe. via Inside Bru Crew Life

Cinnamon roll fudge is definitely on my list of things to make. Doesn’t that sound delicious? via Oh Bite It

This easy fudge only requires two ingredients to make. via Living On A Dime

If you’re a fan of the candy bar then you’ll love butterfinger fudge. via Gal On A Mission

My two favorite things combined in fudge – mint oreo fudge! via Spend With Pennies

Snickerdoodle fudge always reminds me of fall. via I Heart Naptime

Yum! Cookie dough fudge is the best. via Lil’ Luna

White chocolate cranberry fudge would be great during the holidays. via Mom On Timeout

Here is another mint fudge recipe! via Grab Your Spork

White chocolate peppermint fudge is perfect for Christmas! via Love Bakes Good Cakes

Try gingerbread fudge this holiday season! via Sweet 2 Eat Baking

Vanilla bean fudge is easy and tastes so good! via Something Swanky

I will definitely be making cookie cutter fudge this Christmas. via Betty Crocker

My kids would have a blast making this festive candy cane fudge, via Sally’s Baking Addiction

This strawberry swirl fudge would be perfect for a girly baby shower or birthday. via Shugary Sweets

Keep it simple with this classic peanut butter fudge – it never disappoints! via Cincy Shopper

My son loves pistachio ice cream so I’m betting he would love this pistachio fudge. via Chocolate Chocolate and More

Turtle fudge is carmelly sweet and so good. via Chef In Training

Key lime pie fudge is one of my all time favorites. via Love Bakes Good Cakes

Neopolitan fudge would be great for a birthday treat. via I Am Baker

Banana cream fudge sounds delicious! via Inside Bru Crew Life

Rocky road fudge is full of marshmallows which makes me love it! via Mom On Timeout

My kids would go crazy for cotton candy fudge. via Smart School House

Sounds weird but I’ll bet bubblegum fudge is great! via The Domestic Rebel

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{Colorful} Egg & Chalk Paint Recipe

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As a family that does LOTS of kids activities and crafts, we have LOTS of leftover supplies, remnants of previous projects.  After numerous games of sidewalk twister and our giant outdoor game board, it’s time.  Today we are cleaning out our sidewalk chalk bucket.

Chalk + Egg = Paint – the same type of paint that Michelangelo used to paint the Sistine Chapel – my kids are making masterpieces!

Grab the chalk bits and pieces from your bin.  I went through our collection of chalk pastels and added some of the smaller pieces from there as well.  Soak your chalk bits in water.  Be sure to keep the colors separated in the water, or the colors will get “grey”.  We used a muffin tin – it was a great place to sort, soak, mix and paint from!  Soak the chalk for 15 minuets or so, or until slightly “mushy”. The cheaper “dollar” chalk tends to become a smoother paint consistency – but the colors are not as bright as the name brand chalks. Chalk Pastels make the most brilliant paints!!

Use a hammer and gently pound the chalk until it is a powdery paste. You can also just “mush” the chalk stick if it has soaked long enough – that’s my kids favorite way to make chalk paint. We break our chalk up on our patio and just hose it off when we are done. If you do not have access to a patio, you can use a zippered plastic bag to contain the mess and crush wherever.

Once you have the powdered chalk, add an egg yolk.  This is a DO NOT EAT paint as it contains raw-egg.  Be sure to only use this paint with kids who won’t put their hands/brushes in their mouths.  If you are still concerned about the “raw egg” bit – you can flash pasteurize the eggs to bacteria.

Separate the egg yolk from the egg white, and add the yolk to the powder until it is a paint-able consistency.  The egg provides a jewel-like finish when the paint dries.

We used our paint to create Kandinsky-like circles.  Aren’t they just brilliant!  I think this is one of my favorite “big-kid” paint recipes.

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More Kids Painting Activities:

• Fizzing sidewalk Paint
• Bathtub paint
• Milk Paint & Science Experiment

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*This post was originally featured as a guest post by us on the site, Inner Child Fun.*

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Slow Cooker Pork Loin

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One of my favorite things about this time of year is all day cooking!  We love to slow cook chili, stew, soup and roasts in our slow cooker.  We just started experimenting with this Slow Cooker Pork Loin recipe.  It cooks for about 4 hours and makes the perfect “star” to any main dish.

If you’re not home during the day to watch over your meal, the set it and forget it slow cooker (affiliate) will turn the heat down for you once your food is cooked! So handy!

This meal also makes the perfect alternative to a traditional holiday dinner. Especially when you add potatoes and a veggie!

Here’s what you need:

Slow Cooker Pork Loin

Ingredients:

• 2-3 pounds Pork Loin
• 3 tablespoons Garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium Soy Sauce
• 1 cup Water
• 1 package Onion Soup Mix
• 1/2 teaspoon Thyme
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• Pepper to taste

Directions:

• Place Pork Loin, fat side up, into slow cooker
• Add packet of Onion Soup Mix
• Add cup of Water
• Add Soy Sauce
• Add Thyme
• Add juice of 1/2 Lemon
• Spread minced Garlic on top of Pork Loin
• Add pepper to top of the Pork Loin
• Cook on low for 3-4 hours.  The meat is done when it reaches 160 degrees.
• Serve with your favorite side dishes

Make sure you add your pork loin fat side up. This will guarantee you absorb the best flavors with the rest of the ingredients.

Add a packet of Onion Soup Mix on top.

Add a cup of water.

Add your low-sodium Soy Sauce. You will have plenty of salt from the Onion Soup Mix.

Add the thyme and juice of 1/2 lemon.

Spread the minced garlic on top of the pork loin.

Then add pepper on top. Cover the pan and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Using a meat thermometer, test the meat after 3 hours. It will be done at 160 degrees.

Your meat will look like this when it’s ready. Take out the pork loin and use the juice at the bottom of the pan for sauce. Just strain the juice left in the cooker. In a saucepan, reduce the juice down to thicken it. Add a mixture of flour and water to thicken up the sauce.

Add your favorite sides and you have a complete, yummy meal!

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Paper Bag Pumpkin

Toddler Activities from Familyeducation.com http://ift.tt/1024rOQ Your toddler will enjoy crumpling newspaper to stuff this Halloween pumpkin.

Toddler-Safe {Coloured} Cloud Dough

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Toddler-safe, coloured cloud dough – made without Baby Oil so even the youngest toddlers can enjoy it!

Of all the homemade dough recipes we use here in my daycare, Cloud Dough is one of our favourites!  It’s an amazing sensory substance that’s easy to make with just two ingredients – flour and baby oil. As fabulous as it is, I often have parents ask me if cloud dough can be made with alternative ingredients so it’s safe for toddlers who aren’t yet past the stage of putting things in their mouths.  For this recipe, I’ve swapped out the Baby Oil with an alternative ingredient, and I’m happy to report that the results were terrific!  I found a way to colour it too.  I’m just thrilled to share with you our toddler-safe, coloured cloud dough recipe!

To make our toddler-safe, coloured cloud dough, you’ll need:

• 8 cups flour
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• heaping tbsp non-toxic Tempera paint powder
• potato masher or pastry cutter & wooden spoon

In a large bowl, stir together the vegetable oil and flour.

Add the Tempera paint, give it another stir, then using a pastry cutter or potato masher, work the dough for several minutes until the colour is uniform and the ingredients are soft, silky and well-mixed.

Playing with your cloud dough:

Transfer your dough to a shallow storage container (a dollar store kitty litter bin works well), and add spoons, scoops, bowls, cookie cutters and plastic moulds.

Your kids will have a blast stirring, mixing, scooping, pouring and moulding their cloud dough.

Cloud dough is so lovely to the touch, they’ll love simply running their hands through the bin, squeezing and shaping the dough and watching it crumble when they release it back into the bin.  I’ll bet you won’t be able to keep your hands out of it either!

This cloud dough won’t have that heavenly scent that it would if it were made with baby oil, but it still feels amazing, and your hands will be so soft after playing with it.

My daycare hooligans can play with this stuff for ages!

You gotta love it when a few simple ingredients provide so much fun and exploration!

Store your cloud dough in an air-tight container.

Looking for more simple sensory activities for kids?  Here are 15 easy sensory play ideas that you’ll likely enjoy!

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