Play Dough Fun

My children love sinking their hands in play dough, and on our first visit to the playroom, they made a bee-line for the play dough table.  It smelled so good.  It wasn’t sticky or gooey.  It was the perfect consistency.  It will last you a couple of weeks with no worries.  I had to have the recipe.  This stuff is way too easy to make.  You’ll be making it for every tot you know!  Trust me – this is the real deal.

 

 

PLAY DOUGH RECIPE

Mix together:

3 cups flour

1\2 cup salt

2 pkg. unsweetened kool aid

Add:

2 cups boiling water

2 tbsp oil

 

Mix, knead and store in an air tight container.  Enjoy!

 

 

Get creative.  Add sparkles.  For Valentine’s Day, make cherry red play dough.  Make orange with black sparkles for Halloween.  Add cinnamon for a sensory treat.  Wrap up in little cellophane bags and ribbons with a few cookie cutters for birthday loot to take home.  The ideas are endless!

 

Nadine Reeves, Administrative Assistant

Sticks and Stones Snack

Here is a snack that your children will have fun making and enjoy eating while getting needed nutrients.

 

What you’ll need:

 

• 4 cups of cereal (low sugar)
• 2 cups of pretzel sticks
• 2 cups of raisins
• Mixing bowl

 

What to do:

 

1. Mix the cereal, pretzel sticks, and raisins in a mixing bowl.
2. Eat as a “between meal” snack.  Makes about 8 cups.

 

The food guide pyramid shows that children need about 4 servings a day from the bread and cereal group and 5 servings of fruits.  This snack can help meet those requirements.

Junior Gardener

Get a jump on your garden this year, involve your children, and try the following planting activities.  Children seem to possess an innate desire to watch things grow.  Remember to include them in all stages of gardening.  Seedlings can be started indoors in early to mid-May and later transplanted outside.  You may even want to give your children their own area of the garden to tend.  If space is limited, try a large pot or window box.  Experiment, make predictions and follow up.  Try charting plant growth.  Have children guess when sprouts appear and watch to see how accurate their judgement is.  Older children can make and record on their own charts.  Now get busy, dig out your garden tools and start planting!

 

Greenhouse Tumblers

Place a wet paper towel around the inside of a clear plastic cup.  Slip seeds between the cup and the paper towel.  Invert a second cup on top on top of the first cup and tape together. Place in a warm, sunny location.  Watch for growth.  Various types of seeds can be used.  Try beans, sunflowers, and pumpkins.  Try one of each seed, and compare the rates of growth, shapes and sizes.  Note that the roots appear first, followed by stems and leaves.  Also note the direction of growth.

 

Sponge Gardens

Fill a small pan or Styrofoam meat tray with water.  Place a sponge in the pan and sprinkle with seeds.  Grass seeds or alfalfa sprouts give quick ‘no-fail’ results.  Place in a warm, sunny location and keep moist.  Sponges can be cut in various shapes; for example, cut shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day or try hairy caterpillars.

 

Egg Shell Plants

Save your broken egg shells, wash out, and use as a planter to start your flower or vegetable plants.  Place an egg shell in each compartment of an egg carton.  Fill with soil and plant a few seeds in each egg shell.  Water and keep in a warm, sunny location.  For a greenhouse effect, use half an egg carton and place in a large Ziploc bag.  As plants grow, thin to one plant per shell.  When plants are ready to transplant outdoors, simply crush the shell and place in the ground.  (The egg shell acts as a natural fertilizer for the soil.)  Marigolds and zinnias are recommended for children because they grow easily and will not be disappointing for the young gardener.

Hello world!

Welcome to our blog!  This space is more personal and less formal than our website.   We’d like to use this space to tell you about what’s happening at the centre and out in the community, to speak up about current issues that impact families and children, to share our best tips and ideas, and to just have some fun.  We invite you to speak up by posting comments or writing to us directly at info@childreach.on.ca .  Suggestions for post topics are always welcome!  Ready or not, here we go!