More Punkin-Lunkin Fun For Fall!

Handprint Pumpkin Patch

Don't put those pumpkins away just yet! There is still plenty of pumpkin fun to be had with your little punkins, even though Halloween and Jack-O-Lanterns are behind us. Fall looks lovelier with some pretty pumpkins adorning your doorstep or table!

Our Handprint Pumpkin Patch is a great place to start to create fun fall decorations for your classroom, a bulletin board or just to record those precious little handprints on paper!

Paper Bag Pumpkin
Don't have pumpkins at hand? Or don't want the orange beasts about? Make your own paper bag pumpkins as an art project for the kids to take home or use to decorate your classroom.

Pass The Pumpkin
Our fall version of Hot Potato - gather your kiddos or class into a circle, turn on your tunes and get to passing that pumpkin around.

Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes
A great way to entertain and feed your kiddos, make some cupcakes, mix up some orange frosting and then let them do all the work of decorating their pumpkin cupcakes.

What's Inside A Pumpkin?
A fun activity that could also be used as a teaching tool or lesson prop, kids learn what's inside their pumpkin and get to really dig in to it too!

Visit The Idea Box for more fun fall ideas or connect with us on Facebook to share your favorite pumpkin craft!

Tuesday Recipe: Banana Boat Snack

Each Tuesday we'll bring you a tasty recipe or craft recipe to make with your kids!

This week's recipe is...

Banana Boat Snack

banana
peanut butter
raisins
wooden skewer or toothpick
construction paper

Slice a small piece off the bottom of a banana and lay it on a plate so that the bottom you cut off is flat and touching the plate and the "ends" of the banana are pointing up. Spread peanut butter on the top of the banana, and then place raisins on the peanut butter. (These are the sailors). Make a small triangular flag from construction paper and write "S.S. ________ (your child's name)" on it, thread it through a wooden skewer or toothpick, and stick the skewer into the banana. Tip: You may also want to pour some chocolate syrup around the "boat" to create "water".

Visit The Idea Box for all of our kid's recipes and craft recipe ideas

Tuesday Recipe: Chicken Rollups

Each Tuesday we'll bring you a tasty recipe or craft recipe to make with your kids!

This week's recipe is...

Chicken Rollups

soft tortilla shells
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 lb bacon
1 tomato
lettuce
6 oz. cheddar cheese
1 bottle ranch dressing

A great change from sandwiches, my daughter loves these rollups, and they're great in lunches and also for dinners on warm nights, as they're served cold. Cook the chicken and cut into small pieces. Cook bacon till crisp and crumble. Chop tomato small, and shred some lettuce, and the cheese. Mix all together in a bowl and add ranch dressing. Spoon some of mixture onto tortilla shell and roll up. Makes about 12 of the smaller sized shells. These can be filling, so when my daughter takes them in her lunch, she just likes a fruit rollup to go with it, and a drink.

Visit The Idea Box for all of our kid's recipes and craft recipe ideas

Tuesday Recipe: Easter Basket Cupcakes

Each Tuesday we'll bring you a tasty recipe to make with your kids!

This week's recipe is...

Easter Basket Cupcakes

Baked cupcakes frosted with green frosting
chocolate licorice
marshmallow peeps bunnies or chicks
jelly beans

Take a piece of licorice and bend it to look like a handle. Stick it into the cupcake, pointing the ends in towards the center for support. Place a bunny or chick behind the handle and then arrange three jelly beans in front to look like eggs. You can wrap them individually in colored plastic wrap and tie off with curling ribbon for children to take home from school church, etc. This is fun and easy for kids to do with you!

Visit The Idea Box for all of our kid's recipes and craft recipe ideas

Groundhog Day is on February 2nd!

Groundhog Day is on February 2nd. Teach children about this special day with these fun activities, games and recipes. Here are some examples:

Groundhog Day Song and Puppet

popsicle stick
stryofoam cup
brown round piece of construction paper (groundhog head)

Let the children color the outside of the cup (usually green) denoting the grass. Draw a face on the brown paper (groundhog face), they can also add brown ears. Glue the groundhog face to a popsicle stick. Poke the popsicle stick through the bottom of the cup.

Sing this song with your puppet:

I'm a Little Groundhog (tune: I'm a little teapot)

I'm a little groundhog
furry and brown,
popping up my head and looking around.

If I see my shadow
then down I go,
six more weeks of winter - OH NO!!!


Other fun ideas for Groundhog Day include:

• Holiday Hopscotch
  
• Groundhog Day Shadow Screen
  
• Popping Groundhog
  
• Groundhog Tunnel Game
  

Try this tasty treat with your kids!

Ground Hog Snack

Shredded wheat cereal
pop open biscuits
brown sugar
margarine
raisins

In a 13x9 inch pan crumble 4 to 5 large shredded wheat pillows, press bicuits into the shredded wheat and poke raisins into them like eyes of the little groundhogs. Sprinkle 1 cup of brown sugar over the top of the entire pan. Drizzle melted margarine over the top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes on 350 F. These darling little groundhogs look like they are snug into their little nests of hay!

If you have any great ideas for Groundhog Day, post a comment on this blog or visit our forums and share with others!

January 19th is Popcorn Day too!

As you know we posted about MLK day here. So be sure and check those out for the 19th too. Meanwhile, here's some fun recipes and activities in honor of National Popcorn Day, also on January 19th!

Tasty Recipes

On The Idea Box we have a tasty treat called Chewy Popcorn Balls, be sure to grab the instructions!

Among many other goodies at our sister site, Old Fashioned Living, you'll find some tasty treats like:

• Marshmallow Popcorn Balls & Nacho Popcorn
  
• Baked Caramel Corn & Spicy Popcorn
  
• Baked Caramel Corn
  
• Homemade Cracker Jack
  
• Circus Celebration Party Food
  

Here's a tasty treat using sunflower seeds and popcorn:

SUNFLOWER SEED SNACK

Pop 1/2 cup corn. Then lightly sauté 1/2 cup sunflower seeds in 2-3 tablespoons oil until the seeds are lightly browned. Stir in 1 cup molasses. Add 1/2 cup roasted peanuts. Simmer over low heat until the mixture is thin and bubbly. Then pour everything over the popcorn in a large bowl. Mix gently until the corn is well coated. This snack, when cooled, may be stored in an airtight container.

See more Sunflower Seed Snacks here

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We checked with our friends at Annie's Recipes and they had a few to share as well. Here's some Peanut Butter Popcorn, Popcorn Balls, and climb out of your comfort zone to try this Popcorn Salad!

Alicia's Recipes had so many to share we thought you'd like to have a look for yourself. Check out Alicia's recipes using popcorn.

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Fun Crafts & Activities

Make some Popcorn Hands from clear plastic gloves. Another easy idea even for little ones is to make a tree of Popcorn Apple Blossoms! For even more fun, try this Corn Cob Craft or try this 3D Crayon Picture to keep kids busy.

Your feathered friends like popcorn too! Here's some tips on feeding your backyard birds. Try these:

Easy Feeding Stations

1. Put aside as bowl or paper sack, and each day put your scraps of bread, popcorn, cereal, plain donuts or cake in the container; uncovered. Every few days spread them out in your yard on a dry day. Make sure you put them where you can watch the birds.

2. If they have an old tray or very flat pan, you can buy some inexpensive bird seed from the bulk food department at the grocery store. Each morning sprinkle a couple handfuls in the tray or pan. This way, you will be setting up a schedule for the birds to feed in your yard.

3. You can use this same seed for Seed Pinecones. Tie a piece of string or yarn to the top of a pine cone. Spread peanut butter all over the pine cone, then roll it in some of the seed you have placed on a plate or bowl. Hang it from a fence or tree branch for the birds.

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Here's a great idea found at Old Fashioned Living in their article on
Teaching Preschool Science:

Popcorn Dance: Fill a small glass 3/4 full of water. Mix in 2 Tablespoons of baking soda and mix well. Add a drop or two of food coloring and add 10-15 popcorn kernels. Then add a few drops of vinegar and watch the kernels start to move in 1 -2 minutes.

If you have great recipes, crafts, activities and ideas for popcorn, post a comment and let us know!

January is National Oatmeal Month!

Mmmm oatmeal, a perfect breakfast for cold mornings. There are plenty of other uses for oatmeal too! Try making an oatmeal dough using this simple recipe from things you have around the house. Then play, play, play all day!

Oatmeal Dough

1 cup flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup water

Gradually add water to flour and oatmeal in bowl. Kneed until mixed (this dough is sticky, but unique in texture. Model as with clay.

VARIATIONS: Add cornmeal in small quantity for texture, Add coffee grounds in small quantity for texture.

Here's some more oatmeal fun:

Another craft recipe to try is this Nutty Butter Playdough. This does contain peanut butter.

Try this recipe for Oatmeal Cookies to make with the kids. Afterwards, don't throw away the empty container, make this fun junk box craft.

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Moms will appreciate these Old Fashioned Oat Recipes and Tips.

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Here's a tasty cookie recipe from our friends at Old Fashioned Living:

Oatmeal Cherry Chip Cookies

These cookies are so good, even those of you who are not oatmeal cookie fans are going to love them. They will keep a few days if stored in a tightly sealed container between sheets of parchment or waxed paper.

· 1 3/4 cups flour
· 1 tsp. baking soda
· 1 tsp. cinnamon
· 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
· 1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
· 1/3 cup sugar
· 2 large eggs
· 1/4 cup milk
· 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
· 2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
· 3/4 cup dried cherries
· 3/4-cup chocolate chips

In a mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, milk and vanilla, and beat well.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Add slowly to the butter mixture on low speed. Stir in the oats, cherries and chocolate chips.

Divide the dough into 4 portions, and roll each up in plastic wrap to form a log about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Chill until firm (about 20 minutes in the freezer).

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicon baking mat or parchment paper. Slice the cookie logs about 1/2 inch thick. Bake 10 - 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes about 5 dozen. Will keep up to 1 week.

Here's another tasty oatmeal recipe from OFL:

Fruity Oatmeal

3/4 cups quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup warm milk
1-1/3 cups vanilla yogurt
1/2 Granny Smith (or other firm) apple
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Additional fresh fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, or peaches

Soak 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats in 2/3 cup warm milk until swollen, about 5 minutes (or overnight in the refrigerator). When ready, add about 1/4 cup additional oats (for texture). Stir in yogurt, and apple, which has been peeled, cored, and grated. Add 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds, honey and lemon juice. Mix in fresh fruit-as much as you'd like, and garnish with extra slices of apple or fruit.

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Our friends at Annie's Recipes have tons of ways to use oatmeal!