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Holidays
Thanksgiving Themed Games
There are lots of Thanksgiving crafts for kids. Case in point, Thanksgiving Kids Pinterest Board. They are great and kids love to do them. My boys were only good for so many coloring pages, board games, and projects. There comes a time when a kid's gotta move. And so does a mom! I was glad for the excuse of taking the kids outside because I wanted to move, too! Here are some games guaranteed to get everyone moving and having fun! PUMPKIN ROLL You need pumpkins and sturdy sticks, like a broomstick. Racers line up on the starting line with the pumpkins turned on their sides. At the signal, racers use the stick to ROLL the pumpkins to the finish line. Pumpkins must stay on the ground at all times and hitting the pumpkin with the stick means losing a turn. Tips and ... [Read More]
Elegant Halloween
Halloween is not just for kids. Nor does it have to be creepy. Fun as those things are, there are options. How about an Edwardian Halloween? Elegant and classy. More Edgar Allan Poe than Friday the Thirteenth. A pumpkin covered in black lace. A stack of books. Story -- that bottom book -- the one labeled 'Spells"-- is an old geometry book from high school. I loved geometry and asked the teacher what kind of job used geometry. He didn't know so he made me set out in the hall for the rest of the class. My first job as a landscape designer used geometry. Lots of it. And now I've found another use for geometry -- the base for a pumpkin. So there, Mr. McC! A glittered owl. She looks wise. She probably knows what careers use geometry. And lots of other things. An ... [Read More]
Grasshopper Guts – Halloween Treat
Pin Pretty Please!!! Grasshopper Guts are a Halloween twist on a classic kids treat! This one is simple, not too sweet, and easy to make for your Halloween party. If your preschool regularly allows homemade treats, it also qualifies for the G snack. :-) The F snack? Smashed Frog, of course. For a peanut free treat, use chopped almonds or pecans instead. Or go nut free and use mini M&Ms. Chopped toffee is another possible substitute. Halloween in a preschool classroom is fun! The little ones get so excited about dressing up and “be-tending”. Isn’t that a perfect word!? A great term for trying on a new persona. Being and pretending at the same time. That’s the best part of Halloween -- letting out the inner princess in charge of the world or being the great ... [Read More]
Smashed Frogs – Halloween Candy
Notice that Smashed Frogs cereal snacks only take one half bag of fall colored M&Ms. They only come in the big bag so don’t look for a little one. If you can’t find the fall colors, you’ll have to pick out the brown and yellow and orange ones from a regular mix. And that also means you’ll have to buy a big bag of the regular mix so there is enough. Whichever you buy, you know what to do with the leftovers to keep them from going stale. You are welcome! :-) Smashed Frogs is a pretty standard cereal and marshmallow mixture and follows the same process. Choose dark green food coloring paste if you can find it, as it is easier and quicker to stir into the melted marshmallow mixture. You can wipe butter on a couple of tablespoons and use them to drop the candy mixture on waxed ... [Read More]
Potato Nests and holiday menu suggestions
I served this at a tea party brunch for something a little more substantial and with a different texture and savory taste than the usual fare. I served in the fancy ramekins in which they were baked. A platter of these nicely turned out would be spectacular, especially with a few chopped chives over the top and perhaps a bit of other green garnish tucked in between the cakes. Foods that are already portioned make a buffet line move quickly. This is quick to make because you start out with packaged shredded potatoes. I used the kind found in the refrigerated section. The shredded Parmesan cheese adds to the flavor and you can use your choice of cheese for the remaining measure of cheese. I didn't want my potato nests to have a bright yellow color so chose a white yellow mix of ... [Read More]