When Life Throws You Apples...

 ...Make Applesauce

What You'll Need:
Apples
Cutter
Cutting Board
Pot for boiling
Sugar
Cinnamon

I really love making food and memories with these kiddos. We were in charge of applesauce for our Thanksgiving. We made our own. Kids love to make the side, and eat it. Adults will have to skin the apples (older kids can use a finger friendly knife to skin). We used an apple core/cutter to do both the coring out and cutting up apples. We used butter knives to cut into smaller pieces for boiling. Place into the pot and add a cup of water to cover about 1/4 of the apples (to keep it chunky). Allow to simmer. Add in 1 TB of cinnamon and 1/2 cup of sugar. Allow to boil and use masher to mash apples. We allowed to cool and kids mashed. Don't mash too much or it will be runny.

Warm before eating.
Great first recipe, cooking project at home. Great way to introduce measuring utensils, and fine motor skills of cutting, pealing, etc.

Sink Or Swim

 Sink or Float

What you'll need:
Tupperware/
Clear container to hold water and be able to see what items are on top of the water and which sink to the bottom.
Cups
Area that can get wet-sensory games are wonderful!
Items to sink, float, soak


This sensory station is very popular. Toddlers plus water just equal immediate entertainment. Sometimes sensory activities are hard for parents to allow in the house, because of the mess. But, mess is great for stimulation for toddlers sensory. You can play this outside as well, or in the bathtub too.

Stuck To You

Stuck On You

What You'll Need:
Wax Paper
Elmer's Glue
Glitter
Yarn


Before starting this project you can draw or print our heart shapes to trace. Place images under wax paper and tape to table to stay in place. We taped to cookie sheet for easy moving to an area to dry. Trace the shapes of the heart with elmers glue. Squeezing the glue bottles are great skills for little hands. While glue is settling, sprinkle with glitter, generously.

Use the glue to connect a glue circle to the top for the yarn to pass through when dried.

Allow to completely dry (24 hours), slowly peal from the wax paper.

Sting yarn through and hang to display.

Could also use for: Different holidays, shape recognition.

Leprechaun Hunt

 Lucky Leprechaun Hunt

What You'll Need:
Gold Coins
Green Container
(Awesome Glittered Shamrock Glasses Optional)

I'm a sucker to celebrate anything fun with my kids. I mean I try to go all out. But, when you're on a budget, you have to find frugal fun ways.

This Leprechaun Hunt was so fun. We first read a library book about catching a leprechaun. The kids were so pumped, they set up traps to catch this little guy-and for mom to trip on. I found clovers for sale at Trader Joe's during the festive season, which were really a hit!
I found an old green bandana to accent as our table cloth, made green chocolate chip cookies, and wrapped up small mint m&m's with kids names on it.
Each child had a small take out box from the party store, and found a bulk bag of gold coins to hide around the house. The kids loved running around checking our traps and find coin trails to pick up and collect.

(The beer tie is not age appropriate but was a dug up old costume from days of ol)

Heart "Felt" Tree

Our Heart Felt Tree
What You'll Need:
Foam Tree
Color Felt
Yarn, Sting
Small pins, Velcro, or use strong craft glue to glue down felt to tree form.

Using a large sheet, or buy roll of green felt to wrap the tree form. We used glue to start, graduated to Velcro. Using tracing shaped cardboard, allows children to create "ornaments" and "stars", trace onto felt. Using scissors (child safe scissors did work), cut shapes. Using the yarn, criss-cross "lights" along your tree (yarn would just stick onto the felt for little ones).Using the cut out shapes, decorate the tree. We made two trees, they sat on the floor and kids decorated and redecorated the tree. Would also be fun for shape recognition, learning to tie, numbers, patterns learning.

Biddy Pedi

Biddy Pedi

What you'll need:
2 nail polish colors
Toothpicks

Valentine's Day Prep. Tiny little details go along way. We used a dark base color and used a brighter color to just make tiny "V" shapes onto the biddy nails. The valentine flare was a hit.

Snow Cream

 Now This is "Natural" Ice Cream (Kinda)

What you'll need:
Fresh Snow
Sugar
Milk
Vanilla Syrup
Hand Mixer

Ok, so we've lost it. We are covered in snow, it's too cold to play outside, but we're suffering staring at the white stuff! So...we ate it. Yep. I found this recipe and had to try. It was actually super delicious.

First parent supervised, grab some snow-at least two cups. (You know the rule, steer clear from any other color snow than what falls). Add 1/2 cup milk, slowly while blending. Add 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 TB of vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. It really works. It's frightening how great this was. We had to add chocolate...as well as wear a tank top that day in our cozy home.