Category: Recipes

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SnickerDoodles

SnickerdoodlesBaking is a great way to get your kids involved in the kitchen and build on all kinds of skills: mixing, measuring, learning about ingredients, etc. The bonus is that the sweet treat at the ends means the fun keeps on going.

These cookies are quick, fun & easy to make! Substitute nonpariels or colored sugar for the cinnamon topping and create festive cookies for any holiday!

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
  • ½ cup shortening
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Topping

  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions:

  1. Heat oven to 400°F.
  2. Cream together 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
  3. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  4. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

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Recipes for Kids: Bath Body Paints

Bath Paint RecipeBath time can be so much when you follow this recipe for bath body paints.

Recipe

Ingredients

1+ Tbsp Cornstarch
1/3 cup mild dish soap or liquid bath soap
Food coloring

Directions

Add the cornstarch to the soap until you reach your desired consistency (If you like it thicker, it might take significantly more cornstarch). Separate the mixture into containers such as ice cube trays or other small, non-breakable containers. Add food coloring to achieve the desired color.

Let your kiddos go crazy in the tub with their fun bath finger paint. Then, you can just wash it away.

A Few Suggestions

If your kids make something really cool that they don’t want to lose, you can press a piece of paper against it to transfer the image.

You could put the paint in ziplock baggies and cut off the corner, allowing them to paint with it like icing in a bag.

Give your child paint brushes to use with the paint and watch their little artist emerge. You could also give them sponges or other tools like washcloths to see what patterns they make.

Most of all, let them get messy. It cleans up really easily.

And, of course, have lots and lots of fun.

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Recipes for Kids – Stickers

Gelatin

GelatinDid you know you could make your own lick-and-stick stickers for your kids? What a great way to make them something they can use to create with, and that can be customized just for them.

Recipe

Ingredients

4 packets of unflavored gelatin
1/2 / 2 cup vinegar or water
1 tsp peppermint extract
Pictures for sticking

Directions

Bring the vinegar or water to a boil. Add the packets of gelatin and reduce heat to low. Stir the solution until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

Remove the mixture from the heat and add the peppermint extract. Brush the sticker glue mixture on the back of your pictures and let them dry.

Cut out your stickers. Lick and stick!

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Recipes for Kids – Flubber

Glue

GlueFlubber is a great play object to make for your kids. It reacts in different ways depending on the way you manipulate. Plus, it just feels cool in your hands. If you’ve never played with flubber, give this recipe a shot.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Warm Water
  • 2 cups Elmer’s White Glue
  • Liquid Water Color (food coloring stains)
  • 20 Mule Team Borax, available in the grocery store laundry section
  • Glitter (optional)

Directions

In a large container combine and mix 1 and 1/2 cups of very warm water, 2 cups of glue, and a few drops of color and glitter. Mix well.

In a small container combine and mix 1 1/3 cups very warm water, 2 level tsp 20 Mule Team Borax. Make sure the Borax is completely dissolved.

Combine the glue and borax mixtures. Mix well using your hands until all the liquid is absorbed.

You can store the flubber in a plastic, air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Read more about Flubber at OMSI.

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Recipes for Kids – Gak

Gak

GakGak is a substance that acts like a liquid until pressure is applied to it. Then, it appears solid. Kids have a ton of fun playing with Gak and it’s a good substance to help them learn about liquids and solids.

Recipe

Ingredients
1 cup Elmer’s glue
Food coloring
1 cup liquid starch

Instructions
1. Pour glue and food coloring in plastic container.
2. Stir until color is thoroughly mixed in.
3. Add starch a little at a time, stirring with a spoon or kneading with your fingers.
Stir until mixture holds together like putty

Test the mixture with your fingers. If its too sticky, add more starch in small amounts until it is smooth and rubbery.

A word of caution: Gak is messy! Play with it in an area you don’t mind getting messy.

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Recipes for Kids – Peanut Butter Play Dough

Peanut Butter Play Dough

Peanut Butter Play DoughWant a great edible play dough to make with your kids? Peanut butter play dough is a great solution. It’s fun to play with, easy to make, and it tastes yummy.

Recipe

Ingredients
3 and a half cups peanut butter
4 cups of dry milk powder
4 cups of sugar
3 and a half cups of honey

Directions
1. Mix together peanut butter and the sugar.
2. Beat in honey and milk powder.

That’s it! This recipe only takes about 15 minutes to make and offers endless hours of fun!

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Recipes for Kids – Finger Paint

Finger Paint

Finger PaintFinger painting is a great activity to do with kids. And, with this easy recipe, you can make it whenever the muses call.

Ingredients
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups cold water
food coloring

Recipe
1. In a medium pan, mix all the ingredients together.
2. Cook over low heat 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
Note: The mixture will turn from thin to thick in an instant.
3. After the finger paint has thickened take the pan off the stove immediately, and let the mixture cool.
4. Split the mixture into different bowls and add several drops of food coloring to each bowl.

Finger paint will keep in airtight container for about 3 days.