Make Your Own Spring Scented Playdoughs

The official start of Spring is just 16 days away, but who's counting? And with these easy to make Spring Scented Playdoughs, you don't have to! You can dig into this well before you dig into the garden beds. We love playdough in any season here, and really need no special occasion to make a batch (or get out some store bought) for fun. And when I need a little sensory fun of my own, making it myself is quite enjoyable (shhh, don't tell my kids)!

I had the house to myself for a bit last Sunday and wanted to mix up a new batch, but I couldn't decide on a color or even a scent or add in--so I picked more than one! You can stick to one, a combo or even concoct your own. Here's how I made my three Spring Scented Playdoughs and a peek at how we've been playing with them here:

For all three recipes, I began with this base:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 heaping tablespoon cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 cups water

Cook over medium heat on stove-top, stirring until a dough thickens and forms in the center of the pot. Remove from heat and let cool before kneading any lumps into the dough. Divide into smaller balls for however many varieties you're making (or leave whole if you're doing just one). *You can add in the optional essential oils for a stronger scent.* Kids would definitely enjoy the part of kneading the add-ins into the dough once it's cool enough to handle. To avoid staining your hands, I like to poke a few indentations into the dough and add a drop of food coloring into each one. I knead it until it is thoroughly mixed and then decide if I want to add more. For a more pastel look (like mine) use less color, for a bolder shade, use more. Liquid watercolor can also be used in lieu of food coloring.

Store your playdoughs in airtight containers or ziplock bags between use to avoid drying out. I typically keep it around for a couple of weeks--using fresh or dried leaves and flowers can shorten the shelf life a bit so keep an eye (and nose) on it!

Back to Basics Petal Playdough: This one is definitely one to get the kids in on. You can make your basic dough recipe in advance if you prefer and have it cooled and ready to go. You'll also need:

• some fresh flowers, preferably on their way out anyway
• scissors
• mortar and pestle

Here's where the fun comes in. You get to cut, tear, crush and grind those colorful petals to your heart's desire. Y had a lot of fun with this part--almost as much fun as he did kneading the results into our playdough. We happened to have some old tulips and roses on their way to the compost bin and they were given a lovely second life in this playdough.

Fresh Mint Playdough: for this one you'll add in...

• green food coloring
• chopped mint leaves
• peppermint essential oil or extract* 

Rose Petal Playdough: for this one, you'll add in...

• pink food coloring (or red)
• dried rose petals such as those bought for soap-making or potpourri, or dry, crush and mix in your own (like in the back to basics petal playdough)
• rose essential oil*

If you're a Playdough Purist, you'll probably only want one color out at a time. If you're a Wild Child like I am, let it all hang out and intermingle and mix. You only live once! We loved playing indoors in our little Garden Shop making a colorful garden tea party. We also had a lot of fun taking it outside to make birthday cakes for Dr. Seuss's birthday yesterday.

Spring will be here soon enough with its own bounty of playdough add-ins and petal play. So stay tuned! And until then...

Happy Playing!

Lavender Playdough

• purple food coloring (or red and blue)
• dried lavender buds
• lavender essential oil*

More Out-of-this-World Space Themed Fun!

If yesterday's post on setting up your own Space Station Dramatic Play left you starry eyed, you'll love today's additional space themed activities: DIY NASA costumes for your aspiring astronauts and galaxy slime!

Per S's request to make costumes for our Space Station, I stopped by our local craft supply shop last night to pick up a couple of NASA orange (is that a Crayola color yet?) t-shirts for us to decorate this morning. I prepped each one with strips of thin black and silver duct tape and drew on my own version of a NASA logo with permanent marker. You could use fabric markers. You could use up-cycled white undershirts or whatever you have on hand. Duct tape and permanent marker won't make these the most laundry-friendly costumes over the long term, but since it's for dress-up, it'll do just fine!

S and Y used permanent markers to decorate their shirts. Tatty might have also gotten in on the drawing this morning as well! Next it was time to suit up and take off. S gathered some books and telescopes from our little space themed basket. He also packed along his Blueprints Book and grabbed a clipboard with Flight Plans printed from Pocket of Preschool's Space Station Dramatic Play Set. He has been very into dictating and navigating and recording various space missions. Y has been very involved in helping to count backward (and forward) and co-piloting our space shuttle. Even little C has gotten in on some of the fun and play!

We store some of our space themed books, props and materials in a small basket in front of our bookshelf.

Exploring Venus this morning...

Y has been carefully "taking notes" and documenting our space missions...

Y and S wanted C to wear a jet pack...

I'm not sure exactly what happened while we were on Venus, but Y came back to Earth in a horrible mood. He had a galactic tantrum the lasted for light years. We needed a little reset and maybe also some stress relief for Mommy and that was the perfect opportunity to make some Galaxy Slime!

To make your own batch of Galaxy Slime, you will need:

• 4oz (half a cup) of clear glue or glitter glue*
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp Borax Powder**
• glitter

*I decided to double the recipe above and had only 1/2 a cup left of each clear glue and silver glitter glue, so I used both and S and Y generously mixed in additional rainbow glitter

**A little note on safety: If you prefer to not use Borax Powder in your slime, there are recipes online for Borax-free slime (though most use products that contain the same chemical). I have never experienced any chemical burns from using Borax, however I do recommend that an adult supervise and assist, that you follow the recipe carefully and that until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the slime has congealed, little hands use a spoon or fork to mix and only adults mix by hand. Wash hands thoroughly after play each time.

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, pour in your glue. In a separate bowl or cup, dilute your Borax Powder in your water. Pour that into the glue in your large mixing bowl and mix. Mix some more. Mix some more. Just keep mixing, mixing, mixing. You can mix by hand (see the note above about safety) and mix longer than you think it could possibly take, all the while wondering and worrying whether this will every become slime. It will. It is an incredibly forgiving and slow and magical process. You will first see lumps. You will then see froth and suds. Your goop will take on a cloudy color and then, all of a sudden, it will start to become stringy and sticky and then congeal into the perfect blob of bouncy Galaxy Slime! And then it's time for the real play to begin...

I used a 55% off coupon to treat the kids (and myself) to the Safari Ltd. Space Toob for some themed play accessories. The boys also like to use plastic knives with just about every kind of sensory play dough. Y was all done whining and crying once we got busy in the kitchen concocting our Galaxy Slime and smooshing every little lump out of that ball of goop really helped calm my frayed nerves as well. So did the second pot of coffee I made once everyone went down for a nap...

When you are done playing with your slime, it can be stored in a ziplock bag or airtight container to save it between play sessions. I've refrigerated it before to keep it longer, but there's no need to do so.

It's true, there's no place like space and we've got a lot more exploring to do in the days to come! Until then...

Happy Playing!

Mad Science Monday, Pesach Edition: Digging in the Desert STEM Challenge

 The days preceding Pesach are a time of cleaning out cupboards, kitchens, refrigerators and freezers in many Jewish homes around the world. My boys have eaten more cereal and french fries in the past week than they have over the course of the entire year! They are quite pleased with this. I have such a pet peeve for food waste and it is painful to just "throw things out" that we won't use. I did, admittedly, throw out the boys' snow balls that I rediscovered in the back of the freezer from January! And while many are hesitant toward using food products in play for a variety of personal, cultural and/or allergy reasons, I think there are times when a shot at life in a sensory table is better than a shot across the room into the trash barrel. So the good news? We used up the flour and the bottle of baby oil that had been in our medicine cabinet since Y was born so I could get the sticky goo off my skin from the bandage over my c-Section wound! And, we made our own sand dough. 
I would admonish that this is a messy activity more suited for outdoor use (which is what we did) or indoor use when you are not trying to clean your homes of chametz before Pesach. The recipe for sand dough is incredibly simple:

Ingredients:
8 cups all purpose flour
1 cup baby oil

I will say that I did not measure my ingredients at all even given the ratio of the original recipe. I honestly just dumped 2 opened bags of flour into our sensory table bin and subsequently emptied the remaining contents of the bottle of baby oil we had. On its own, the dough was a bit crumbly and powdery but when squeezed between the hands or molded into ice cube trays, cups and even mega blocks, it held together to make shapes and bricks that the boys could use to build.

It is perfect for sand castles, igloos and even pyramids. Why, oh why, do we still teach our children that the Jewish people enslaved in Egypt were forced to build the pyramids?! Oh gosh, I don't know. Historical timelines show this to be impossible and the liturgy itself states that the Jewish people were building warehouses for Pharoah, not pyramids. Nonetheless, pyramid building brings forth a fascinating geometrical and engineering challenge for little ones and so we continue...

S and Y were so excited to get outside and dig in our desert! They have grown accustomed to a new routine of waking up from afternoon rest time, eating a quick dinner and bolting out the front or back door. They both ran right over to the sensory table and began to dig, fill, shape and mold the dough. I set up the bin quite simply at first, with just a couple of shovels, ice cube trays, some mega blocks and a little fisher price construction worker. We have added some less played with toys from indoors into our backyard setup so that they can take on new life and function while I try to function at keeping our garden alive this season. The boys LOVE using mega blocks, construction trucks, dinosaurs and little people outside now! And they had just as much fun using them in our sand dough table as well.

I overheard S singing a popular Pesach children's song as he played:
Dig, dig, dig, dig your shovel deep
Dig, dig, dig, there's no time for sleep
For it's work, work, work,
Every day and every night
For it's work, work, work
When it's dark and when it's light.

He added that he was very "happy to be working." And then he took to calling me Pharoah instead of Mommy. I'm taking this as an overall compliment, I think...

This was such a fun activity that since the weather was predicted to remain dry, I decided to cover our sensory bin with a trash bag overnight and leave it for the boys to play with again.

Getting outside is such a natural way to incorporate science into your play and learning routine. STEM challenges, sensory play and nature exploration in and of itself all promote skills in engineering, observation, experimentation and critical thinking. The boys? Well, they mostly think they're playing and they are having a great time! So whether you are looking to empty those last bags of flour (and I'm banking that you could probably also use another type of oil) or whether you will save this one in the vault for after Pesach and build a backyard beach and sand castle, homemade sand dough is an easy and cost effective way to build, learn and play before Pesach and all year round!

Happy Working Playing!

Get Outside And... Blow Billions of Bubbles!

Bubbles are so much fun! My first word as a baby was "bubbles." S has always loved them. Y had a long period of babyhood when he couldn't actually see bubbles and I often wondered why he just didn't seem that into them. Well sure enough, a few months after he got glasses and we were in playgroup at bubble time, he saw bubbles for the first time. I almost cried watching him giggle and squeal as he tried to catch, eat and pop bubbles floating all around him.

We go through a lot of bubble solution here. Last summer, I kept a jug with a spigot full and ready on our front steps so the boys could fill a dish and blow bubbles whenever we were outside playing. I've even been known to zip-tie those colorful plastic tubes of bubbles right onto our railing outside! But bubbles and the plastic wands and accessories used with them have a pretty limited shelf life and usually only last us through the spring/summer season before needing to be replaced. It's super easy to make your own bubbles, though and even your own bubble blowers and wands! You probably even have most of what you need in your cupboard and recycling bin...

We made our bubble solution with:

• 4 cups warm water
• 1 cup dish soap
• 2 TBSP glycerin

We store it in a glass jar and any container with a tightly sealing lid will work. To use, you can pour the desired amount into a shallow bin, pan or dish, or even just dip your wand right into the jar.

The boys even made their own bubble wands using pipe cleaners and beads. I didn't quite get a picture of those, but they (with some help from me) twisted the pipe cleaner to form a larger circle at the top, strung on some beads and twisted a smaller circle at the bottom. This seals the beads in and creates a double ended bubble wand. Simply dip your wand and blow! The pipe cleaners do get rather wet and soapy and don't work as well once they get to that point of total saturation. Alternatively you could use floral wire and that would probably work a bit better--but we had fun nonetheless.

I also helped the boys to assemble some simple cup and straw bubble blowers that overflow giant bubbles from the top and recycled bottle bubble blowers that shoot out long bubble snakes from the bottom:

The plastic cup & straw bubble blowers are easily assembled by poking a hole toward the bottom (about an inch and half to two inches up) of a disposable plastic cup. (An adult should do this part.) Stick a straw inside and tilt it to the bottom of the cup. Fill with a bit of bubble solution and blow! It's kind of like when you blow bubbles in your chocolate milk only without the getting in trouble part. I would, however, support and supervise little ones not to drink from the straw by mistake. S got this message easily. Y had to learn the hard way, poor little guy. He helped blow big bubble sculptures off the top of the cup after that!

To assemble some recycled bottle bubble blowers, cut the bottom off an empty plastic bottle. (An adult should do this part.) Use a washcloth and rubber band to cover the open end. Dip the towel end into your bubble solution and blow through the top of the bottle. Now check out the bottom as a long bubbly snake grows and grows from the towel! You can try this one in the bathtub as well, just getting the washcloth soapy before you affix it to the plastic bottle.

The bubble blowing led to a lot of bubbly play! The boys loved scooping up piles of bubbles from the bottom of the bottle or top of the cup and flinging, blowing and chasing them around. Even our garden turtle enjoyed a little bubble bath...

Making our own bubble solution and blowers saved us a lot of shlepping, time and money. 

And speaking of saving time... if a couple of little boys happened to play in some soapy bubbly mud and mulch after all that, it counts as a bath as well, right? 

I am, of course, asking for a friend...a very close friend...

Happy Playing!

Make It At Home Monday: Melt & Pour Oatmeal Lavender Bar Soap

I have a truly guilty pleasure for artisan soaps. You know, the really expensive handmade ones you find at Whole Foods, local farmers' markets or food co-ops? The ones that cost several dollars a bar and then inevitably get sucked down the drain still half intact when the kids are in the tub? So, looking for another fun handcraft to try out at home, I stumbled upon several recipes to make your own melt and pour bar soap. For pennies on the dollar, I whipped up a batch of quick and easy (and quite lovely, if I do say so myself) oatmeal lavender bar soaps.

This is a simple project you could do with children and/or adults. It's also been a great way to encourage good hygiene and more hand-washing here as we are in the peak of flu and virus season and it's been running rampant around S's school.  If you'd like to try it out yourself, here's what you'll need to know:

Melt & Pour Lavender Oatmeal Soap

Makes 12 bars, but you can cut the recipe in half or increase as you wish.
Materials: 
*I am including links to items I purchased from Amazon, but these are not affiliate links

• 2lbs oatmeal soap base (I purchased this one)
• 1 tsp lavender essential oil
• 1-2 TBSP dried lavender buds (you can purchase these in bulk or harvest from your own garden if you're lucky!)
• silicone soap molds (I have these, but you can even use a silicone cupcake mold)
• crock pot or microwave safe glass dish & microwave

Directions:

I used my typical crock-pot method to make my soap. I also cut the recipe in half to make half a dozen bars. You can use a sharp knife to cut your soap base into smaller chunks beforehand if you wish, but mine melted just fine in its 1lb block form on the low setting in our crafting crock pot. I also filled the ceramic base with a bit of water to create a water bath and placed the soap base in a metal mixing bowl fit over-top for more even cooking. I did check up on it and stir intermittently to prevent burning. I removed the bowl from the heat source before it was completely melted and stirred remaining lumps.

In the microwave version, you'd place your soap base in a microwave-safe glass dish, such as a Pyrex measuring cup and you will want to cut down your block of oatmeal soap base into 1 inch chunks. Heat on a medium/high setting for 3-4 minutes, stopping and stirring intermittently to make sure the soap base is melting but not steaming and burning. You'll want to remove it from the microwave before it is completely melted and stir any lumps out.

Now with either heating method, you're ready to add the lavender essential oil and buds. Mix to incorporate and you're ready to pour into your molds. I set a couple of vinyl placemats down on my counter top first to catch any spills and protect the counter from the heat. This mixture is hot and should be done by an adult with proper precautions! Now you can add in any individual scents you wish (see "variations") or sprinkle on some additional lavender buds (optional). Let your soaps set for about an hour at room temperature or until solid. You can speed up this process by transferring the mold to your refrigerator or freezer. When they are hardened completely, they are ready to pop out and gift, store or use. I love these tin soap containers for storing soap and lotion bars.

Variations:

You can individualize scents by adding in other essential oils you like. I love the combination of lavender with lemon, mint or rosemary oil. You can also change up your scent altogether. I think a peppermint rosemary soap would be absolutely lovely, for instance. Swap out your lavender oil for peppermint and rosemary essential oil and your lavender buds can be replaced with dried rosemary leaves. Or try a floral soap with dried flowers and an accompanying floral scent.

A safety note about essential oils: Just because something is natural does not mean it is always safe. Please take precautions when using essential oils both on yourself and especially with young children. Essential oils should not be taken internally by anyone of any age (unless they are cooking grade essential oils used in baking) and they should not be used directly on the skin without being diluted. When introducing a new oil even through a carrier oil, soap or lotion, please keep allergy safety in mind. You may wish to test a small skin patch before lathering up with a new soap or lotion. I recently learned that there is a risk of respiratory distress associated with the use of eucalyptus and peppermint oils with children under the age of 2 (these are commonly found in OTC products like Vick's Vapor Rub for congestion). There are a lot of online sources about the use of essential oils, some backed by companies who sell them. I believe they are well-intended and I even purchase oils for myself from one particular company, but I also refer to reliable, evidence-based resources for information about safe use.


I have really found a love of creating some of my own health & beauty and home care items. It is a way for us to have fun and be creative while also living more frugally and knowing what ingredients are in the products we use and gift. These soap bars would also make a lovely gift, especially paired with a bar of Melt & Pour Body Balm! Handcrafting with and/or for your family is a wonderful way to preserve the joyful memories of our summer garden while patiently waiting for spring and I can imagine how that will expand again as we move into this next gardening season and the harvest it will yield.

Until next time...

Happy Playing!

Make Your Own Melt & Pour Body Balm

Parents and Caregivers, it's time for YOU to play! I'm veering a bit off course from children's play activities this week to offer some playtime posts for you, the grown-ups. We all know that as parents and/or caregivers, self-care is important--vital, even. And yet, we often put our own interests and projects on the back burner as we tend to necessities of everyday life. So I'm devoting some space in my day and here on my blog to some adult-friendly fun. Of course, we all have different interests and hobbies. If my hobbies of choice don't happen to be yours, I encourage you to pursue your own creative interests. If you don't know what those are yet, try some of the activities here or, better yet, get lost perusing Pinterest boards! There's a hobby waiting just for you! Some of these activities will yield gifts for you. Some will yield gifts for children! Some will be able to be adapted so children can help if you wish and some are even great beginner projects for older kids to try.

Let's kick off with a great one for your winter dry skin:

DIY Melt & Pour Body Balm

This project idea was actually born out of a recurring and stubborn patch of eczema S keeps getting on his leg. While on a visit to family up north, I had my stepmom, a pediatrician take a peek at it and Nana offered S some beeswax balm to put on it. S is very particular about lotions for some reason. He never minds sunscreen but never wants any type of lotion or ointment on. I think this feeling increases when a "boo-boo" is involved. I peeked at the ingredients on Nana's special balm and realized I could probably make it at home. In fact, maybe if I did make it at home and let S decide on a scent he liked, he might even want to try some. (He also might not, and that's OK, too.)

I searched Pinterest and subsequently a few blogs for simple recipes and combined/adapted a few to create my own. I decided to test it out on my own before getting S involved. I got out our crafting crock pot (remember our melt and pour beeswax candles?) and plunked in the first few ingredients. I turned the heat to low and went about my day. Parent Playtime Projects are best when they can easily be ignored or quickly put down! After picking up S from school and getting both boys ready for their afternoon nap, I returned to my now melted ingredients and set out to pouring a bit into empty metal tins. To each individual tin, I added a combination of essential oils I liked. I carefully transferred them to the refrigerator for faster cooling (this gets very hot so be careful!) and within 15 minutes it was set and ready to use, store or gift away!

So, if you'd like to try your hand at your own Melt & Pour Body Balm or some variations thereof, here's what you'll need to know:

Ingredients and Materials:

• 3 oz beeswax 
• You can sometimes find this in craft supply stores or Whole Foods type places locally. If you happen to know a beekeeper, even better! If not, you can rely on Amazon and purchase bricks (as I did) or pellets, which melt faster.
• 4 oz coconut oil
• You can buy coconut oil now in almost all grocery stores.
• 4 oz shea butter
• This can also be ordered from Amazon or purchased locally if you find it.
• essential oils
• I really prefer the "real" stuff here to artificial scents. Essential oils can be pricey, so I'd recommend sticking with one or two you really love if you're just starting out.
• crock pot or double boiler or microwave safe dish
• I use a "crafting crock pot," a small crock pot I devote solely to crafts like this. Keeping a kosher kitchen means that anything I cook in my dishes and appliances must be kosher as well. Since cosmetic grade items don't always fit this bill, I reserve a crock pot for my cooking and some secondhand or inexpensive cookware for the process involved. I'd also add that beeswax and other ingredients can be hard to get off of your cookware, so I do recommend having a separate pot for this if you are using the double boiler or microwave method as well. I have a comparable sized metal mixing bowl that I found at a thrift store. It fits right inside the crock pot so that I don't have to use the ceramic insert itself. 
• measuring cup, spoon, potholders, thick place-mat or towel to cover your workspace
• Don't use your favorite potholders and place-mats here in case of spills!
• empty metal tins and/or silicone molds
• You can order or purchase silicone lotion/soap molds or empty metal tins. I've seen molds and tins even at places like Dollar Tree or Walmart. You can also use a loaf pan lined with parchment paper in a pinch!

Instructions:

Melting Your Ingredients:

Crock-pot Method: Create a water bath by filling the ceramic insert about 3/4 full with water and placing a comparable sized metal mixing bowl inside. Measure and add your beeswax, coconut oil and shea butter into your metal bowl. Cover and turn heat on low. Let your ingredients melt completely but be careful not to overheat beyond that as it will smell a bit burnt. (Yes, I learned this the hard way and also, not to use the high setting to speed things along!)

Double boiler Method: Measure out and combine your beeswax, coconut oil and shea butter. Melt your ingredients in a double boiler on stovetop.

Microwave Method: Disclaimer: I haven't tried the microwave method as I don't have a microwave, but presumably you should be able to create a water bath using microwave safe glass dishes and melt your ingredients that way. I'd recommend using a lower heat setting and short runs of time in there just to be sure you don't overheat them and burn it.

*If you keep a strictly kosher kitchen, please consult with a knowledgeable rabbi or source on Kashrut before using your stovetop or microwave!

Pour Time! Here's where the fun starts. Carefully handle your melted ingredients (they are HOT!) and pour into your mold of choice. If you are using tins as I did, you'll pour directly into the tin and add your scent. Warning: The container will be very hot once you pour in the mixture! Add a generous number of drops of your favorite essential oil or combination thereof into each tin. Similarly to that method, using a silicone mold you will also pour in your mixture to each compartment and then add your scent. You can make each bar the same scent or change it up! With this method, once completely cooled, you will pop your set mixture out of each mold and have your very own body balm bars. You can store these in tins from there.

To cool and set you can either leave the filled tins/molds out at room temperature until solid or pop them in the fridge/freezer to speed things along.

Now you're ready to use, store or give away your body balm! Since there is no water in this recipe, it stores well long-term. It can melt, though, so do keep it out of direct sunlight and extreme heat. If you've used the direct-pour method into tins, you'll use the warmth of your fingers to soften the body balm and scrape a bit out for use. It can be used on hands, body and even chapped lips. If you have used a silicone mold, you'll be able to warm the bar in your hands and then rub it in. Now here are some suggested scent variations:

Some of my favorite scent combinations are lavender & rosemary, lavender, lemon & peppermint, lemon-peppermint and...

Vapor-Rub Body Balm: Combine eucalyptus, peppermint and rosemary essential oils for an all natural alternative to commercial vapor rubs.

Kid-Friendly Boo-Boo Balm Bar: While this is a project definitely more geared toward adults and older children, you can get little ones involved in selecting a scent for their own boo-boo balm bar. Maybe if he creates his own signature scent, S will want to try it out on his boo-boo! (And maybe not...)

Happy Playing!

 

Three Tasty Play Activities That Are [Almost] Good Enough to Eat!

This time of year can find us busy in the kitchen and kids are eager to join in, whether it's tasting, playing or offering a hindering helping hand. Some of the time I do invite the kids into the kitchen to help with cooking and sometimes I join them in play activities about cooking or baking. And sometimes, I need a really great play activity that will keep them busy while I cook and bake in the kitchen... This post has you covered for all three scenarios and more!

Growing up, I honestly thought a cranberry was something cylindrical in shape, with jellied indentations on its outside that held a remarkable resemblance to the inside of a tin can. Cranberry sauce was served only with turkey and always sliced in even circles, gently laid upon the same white Pyrex dish every single time. Ah, the memories. My mom is a great cook, so heaven only knows why she never made cranberry sauce, but I loved the canned stuff. (Maybe that's why--there was now officially ONE thing I'd eat on the Thanksgiving table...)

Well fast forward to this year, and I kept seeing photos of cranberry and water sensory bins floating around the internet. I have mixed opinions about playing with food, but it is not something I am rigidly against in my home. Y in particular loves water play, and both boys have been enjoying our Bakery Shop Dramatic Play Center. So I picked up a couple of packs of cranberries, grabbed some of our cooking/baking props (actual bowls, colanders and utensils from Dollar Tree) and added water. It was a hit! The cranberries were so much fun to scoop, smoosh, transfer and stir. The water was a perfect medium for pouring and mixing. When the day was done, I drained the water and stored the cranberries in the refrigerator for more play the next day. Meanwhile, in the kitchen I discovered how easy making your own cranberry sauce from scratch actually is! Just a batch of cranberries, a cup of orange juice and a cup of sugar, simmered on the stovetop until those cranberries POP! About ten minutes later, I had cranberry sauce...who knew?

Well, speaking of our bakery theme... The boys have really been engaged in dramatic play! They have both loved setting up and selling items from our bakery shop, taking orders, making specialty drinks in our hot beverage cups (just hot cups with lids) and creating additional play props to add to the scene. We brought out the Model Magic clay again to create some play donuts (hand shaped) and cupcakes (shaped in cupcake tins). Once the clay air dried (it took a few days here for the thicker cupcakes) we got out some tempura paint and glitter glue for decorating.

These cupcakes look almost good enough to eat and the boys love playing with props they made themselves!

For another DIY play prop that even smells almost good enough to eat, I whipped up a batch of gingerbread salt dough to make play gingerbread cookies. Here's the recipe I concocted if you'd like to make your own. The dough is easy to work with, smells great and dries very well overnight (you may want to flip your "cookies" intermittently to ensure they dry on both sides and through the center). They can be painted and coated with a seal if you really want them to last or to use them decoratively. They are not immune to breaking when dropped, but they boys are having fun with them nonetheless, and if they end up tossed away after we close up the bakery shop this year, we definitely got good use out them. They can for sure be stored and saved if you wish.

Gingerbread Salt Dough Recipe
You will need:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/2 cup cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 cup warm water

Mix your ingredients well until you have a smooth dough. (The dough will be darker than the dried cookies pictured on the left.) To shape your "cookies," roll dough about 1/4 inch thick and cut in your favorite shapes with cookie cutters. Allow finished cookies to air dry until completely hardened. Paint, seal and decorate as you wish. To store leftover dough, seal in a plastic bag or container and refrigerate to prolong shelf-life.

The boys are so excited for Chanukah that I set out some Chanukah shaped cookie cutters along with our gingerbread men. And speaking of Chanukah, here's a shameless plug for my Chanukah Counting Soup available on Teachers Pay Teachers. This is a fun way to promote early math skills, great for ages 3-8 for use in your home and/or classroom. Take advantage of Cyber Monday (and Tuesday) and save 20% ! 

Whatever holidays or special events you're preparing for, I wish you a productive and playful time. Stay tuned for some exciting updates to our dramatic play theme here in the next couple of weeks and until then...

Happy playing!

More Bakery Themed Fun with Art & Sensory Play

Our Bakery Dramatic Play setup has been loads of fun so far. Both boys have been busy baking, boxing, delivering and serving sweet treats around the house. And the fun has extended beyond our kitchen set and playroom to the art table and our sensory bin! These sweet activities are sure to please the little bakers-in-training in your home or classroom...

When school ended last Spring, S really missed "Morning Work" each day, so I started setting up a simple Table Time activity each morning at home. Y immediately took to it as well, and even once school started up again in the Fall, I knew there was no turning back. Every morning, the boys are eager to see what's set up at the table for "Morning Work." Sometimes it is related to a play theme or the season or an upcoming holiday or family event. Sometimes it's a journal activity or related to letters numbers, writing/coloring practice or even process art. Playdough and clay are always popular ones and I try to make the activity developmentally appropriate and enjoyable for each of the boys at his own level.

This week, it has been natural that we would include a bakery theme to our Morning Work set-ups. We are in need of some new artwork to hang up around the house after a recent swap out, so I set out an invitation to create cookies using colorful card stock, oil pastels, glue, glitter and tiny circle stickers for decorating. For S, I traced a circle (using a roll of masking tape) onto some squares of card stock that he could cut. For Y (and S if he wanted as well, though he loves cutting and chose to cut his own) I set out some pre-cut circle shapes. You can choose other shapes to add or have children trace/draw and cut their own. I set out a bottle of glue that S can squeeze and use independently but also a plastic container of glue with some brushes for Y to be able to work more independently. I always allow for both boys to try any of the materials that are out. That means Y may need some support to squeeze from a bottle and be safe with scissors and that S can use the more "challenging" options intended for his level or use the alternatives. I also filled a couple of salt and pepper shakers from the Dollar Tree with glitter. You have to really love glitter to do this--especially before 9AM! Admittedly, I closed up shop at 8:35 once the boys and surrounding areas were sufficiently covered in sparkle. Alternatively you can forego the glitter altogether or use/make glitter glue. To help minimize the sparkle factor, I used a pre-cut portion of a plastic tablecloth so I could take it off and toss it at the end. Instead of our usual art mats or work trays, I set down some leftover party plates to work on. This was festive, fun and functional for collecting extra glue and glitter spills and tossing out at the end. The boys loved this activity and each of them made a few cookies to decorate our play space. You could also use the finished work in your kitchen set for play.

Speaking of art that can be used in play, both of the boys have loved creating play food from Model Magic air drying clay by Crayola. Model Magic can be a bit pricey, so I waited for a lightening deal on Amazon recently and bought a bulk set intended for classroom use. Coupons from craft supply chains are also helpful. You can also make salt dough at home and use this instead. This week, the boys made clay donuts from Model Magic. S made the world's biggest donut and Y had fun working with my help to make a couple of his own to contribute. We are waiting for those and some clay cupcakes to dry now so we can add puffy paint and glitter decorations and then add them to our bakery shop setup. 

Meanwhile, in the sensory table... 

I tried out a recipe for Birthday Cake Dough  that I found at Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails. 

You can click on the link for the full recipe. 

You'll need:

• a box of cake mix (I used yellow cake mix)
• a box of baking soda (I actually added a little extra at the end because the dough was a bit wetter than I wanted it)
• a cup of vegetable oil
• a bit of vanilla extract 
• sprinkles

This dough smells heavenly and I would definitely classify it as "taste safe" being that the ingredients are all food ingredients. Nonetheless, it will not taste good, so I'd refrain from calling it edible. 

It mixes into a sticky and rather moist but malleable playdough and is super soft and fun! We added it into the sensory bin along with some baking tools, ice cream scoops and birthday candles for making cakes and cupcakes. You could definitely do this tabletop style instead, but I like our sensory bin for dough activities sometimes, especially some of the messier ones. Little ones can definitely help with making the dough as well and no cooking is involved. To store between play sessions, I would recommend using a ziploc bag or airtight container and refrigerating for longer shelf life. This recipe would also be a great one for Ice Cream themed sensory play and you could use other flavors of cake mix as well.

And nothing goes to waste (even and especially when we are using food products in play) here. I saved and sealed the empty ingredient boxes in clear packing tape so the boys can use them in play at their bakery shop. Nowadays, toy companies market all kinds of great play food and accessories. Nonetheless, these can be pricey and using/creating your own play props is a great alternative. As an added bonus, recycling real food containers and boxes promotes a naturally print rich environment and also feels more "realistic" to young children at play. 

Hope you will enjoy some of these sweet little activities. Dramatic play themes can extend well beyond the playroom and incorporate so many areas of play and development. We will be back soon with more and until then...

Happy Playing!

Little House & the Farm, Part 5: 3 Themed Play Activities with Cinnamon Spice Playdough

Playdough is currency here. Both my boys would be totally content to play with it every day and maybe even all day! We use plenty of store-bought playdoughs and I even allow mixing colors (gasp!) but I love making our own. It's cheap, it's fast, it's fun and it is also quite nostalgic for me as I recall my own mother making playdough for us at home (and in her classrooms).

I especially love the option with homemade playdough to add in unique colors, scents and textures. On a whim before heading out to host our most recent Park n'Play Group, I whipped up a batch of sparkly blue lavender scented playdough for the children to use when they were done painting clouds on mirrors. We packed along some rolling pins, plastic knives and cookie cutters and this was as popular an activity with our group as the mirror painting!

At home, I often have a little helper or two when making playdough. With any cooking activity that involves the stove top, support and supervision are a must. Additionally, you'll want to be prepared that the dough will be too hot to handle right away, especially for little hands. For our Little House & The Farm play theme, I really wanted a dough with a theme related feel. Nothing to me says homestead more than the scent of cinnamon spice. This playdough smells good enough to eat and is technically edible, but not at all tasty, so you'll want to inform your little ones that it is to play with and not to taste.

To make Cinnamon Spice Playdough
You will need:

• 1 cup white flour
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 TBSP cream of tartar
• 2-3 teaspoons cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, all-spice, cloves, nutmeg (in any combination)
• 1 TBSP oil
• 1 cup water

Instructions: In a medium sized saucepan, combine all of your ingredients and mix well. In this dough, your spices give both a scent and a lovely color. Add as much as you like in whatever combination you prefer to achieve your desired shade and scent. Turn the heat on your burner to medium/medium-low. You'll need to keep stirring as the dough cooks and thickens. It may be a bit lumpy at first, but rest assured your stirring and kneading and subsequent playing will get those lumps out in no time. This is a very forgiving recipe and while it will be quite sticky as it thickens, your pan will come clean with a good scrape from a spatula and the dough itself. Anything left behind does best to be soaked in soapy water and easily washed away. Once your dough is thickened to a large ball in the center of the pot, you're ready to remove it from the heat. Wait a bit until it is cool enough to handle (please carefully test it before giving it to children) and knead it well on a cutting mat or art mat. Once it is cool enough to handle, you're ready to play! Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag between use. Dough generally keeps for at least a couple of weeks this way.

1.  Cinnamon Spice Bakery: Our first themed activity with our playdough was to play about baking with it! All throughout the Little House books, Ma is baking breads, cookies, cakes, pancakes and more! Add in some plastic knives, rolling pins, cookie cutters and kitchen utensils and you're ready to bake just like Laura and her family!
2. Invitation to Build a Farm: Wooden craft sticks in two widths and a collection of small plastic farm animals (these are from Walmart) were set out on our sectioned tray for the boys to build their own farms. This is a great way to incorporate STEM and building activities into sensory play! I did not give specific instructions, but rather allowed each of the boys to explore the materials as they wished. 

   

   Y enjoyed gathering and collecting (aka: hoarding) materials and squishing them into the dough. He also acted out little scenes with the animals walking along the table.

   
   

   

   S had a whole story line going with the animals in his craft stick fence. The cat was quite sad because her mother was gone. The other animals helped to look after her while she waited for Mother Cat to return.

3. Invitation to Build Your Own Little House: One of the most fascinating parts of the second of the Little House books, Little House on the Prairie is when Pa builds the family's new home out of logs and wood! My First Little House Books: A Little Prairie House adapted from the Little House books is a great version of this to share with the younger crowd and has beautiful illustrations by Renee Graef to go along. We scored a set of Lincoln Logs from a local thrift shop a while back and added those in along with the wooden craft sticks in this invitation to play. You could easily do without the Lincoln Logs and you could also add in wood blocks of another kind or even twigs and natural loose parts for building. The boys had so much fun building their own unique log cabins.

 Building with Lincoln Logs can often be a little challenging for young children as they learn to master the art of balancing the groves properly so their structures don't topple over. The addition of playdough to this mix allowed a whole new dimension of building--even working vertically for S and he took his building to all new heights (literally).

I hope this simple recipe and the ideas to accompany it inspire some fun sensory and STEM play in your own home. We have more themed fun coming up and until then...


Happy Playing!