(aka How I Became The COOL Team Mom)

My son’s basketball season is starting.  We had our first practice last week, and our first game will be this week.  While I don’t actively set out to be the over-the-top mom that everyone rolls their eyes at, I do like to find ways to reward our team for an effort well done.  And this week, I found a perfect and easy treat to make for the boys that was a definite slam dunk!  I made basketball goal cupcakes!

Make or purchase mini-cupcakes.  I prefer to make my own, simply because the ones at the store always come with a slew of frosting on them.  For this snack, I make sure that all the cupcakes are frosted flush with the wrapper with white frosting.  Then, using orange gel icing, I trim the outside edge of the cupcake.  Set these to the side.  Next, take a sugar cookie (again, either homemade or pre-made - a cookie that is about 2.5 to 3 inches in diameter works bets) and frost half of it (like a half circle).  Pipe the orange gel along the frosted edge, and pipe an orange square box in the middle for the “backboard” of the goal.    Then, dab a bit of frosting on the unfrosted part of the cookie (in the center) and press the cupcake into it (the cupcake is the “net”).  Use a mini basketball chocolate (you can usually find these around Valentine’s Day in the candy aisle for those sports enthusiasts) and use frosting to secure it to the backboard and net.  Let the whole thing set for about 30 minutes before standing up.

These were so easy to create and were a hit with the boys!

While organizing my recipes, I came across this yummy concoction that is sure to please any sweet tooth.  It is one of our “winter” favorites as my boys always say the coating is “snow”!  Mix some up for your crew this week as a special winter treat!  This recipe is so simple that even little hands can help out!

Winter Trail Mix

3 c pretzels (I prefer sticks)
1.5 c corn Chex or Crispix
1 c nuts (pecans, walnuts or peanuts or a combination)
.5 c dried cranberries or raisins
12 oz white chocolate

Mix all ingredients except for the white chocolate together in a large bowl.  Melt the chocolate (see package for directions) and pour over the mix while gently stirring.  Scoop out and place on wax paper until cool, then bread into bite-size pieces.  Makes about 10 cups of delicious snacking!

Young children can learn so much from tactile experiences.  The sense of touch is a great tool to discovering the world and the fascinating things it holds!

Hidden objects can be great sensory experiences.  Place objects in a paper sack or a box for children to experience through touch.  Objects from nature, such as pine cones, leaves, rocks, flowers and sand, are excellent items.  Also try things such as cooked spaghetti (in a plastic container instead of a paper bag, though!), ice cubes, cotton balls and sandpaper!

Make your own touch and feel page.  Create a simple drawing add tactile objects (felt, salt, sandpaper, aluminum foil, cotton, etc).  Or, cut a picture from a magazine, catalog or old greeting card and turn it into a touch and feel picture with a few sensory items.  Kids will love creating these for each other as well!

Try a temperature experiment!  Take two bowls and fill one with cool water, the other with warm water.  Place one hand in each for a minute, then put both hands in lukewarm water.  The “cool water hand” will seem warmer, even though both hands are in the same temperature of water!  Have child try to figure out why hands feel as if they are in different-temperature water when in fact in same bowl.

Play with playdough or clay.  The act of squeezing and kneading dough is a great way to strengthen hand muscles.  Use pre-made dough or make your own.  Try to make your own silly putty also.  Kids will love stretching the putty and kneading it together as well!  To make silly putty, combine 1 cup of elmers glue and 1 cup of laundry starch.  Knead until thoroughly mixed.  Keep it in an airtight container.  This can also be tinted with food coloring or watercolor!

Even our little kids will get a kick out of this great idea for using fun food to create some excitement about geometry!  It is a great way to explore shapes, and even older kids can benefit tremendously from this hands-on activity with shapes.

You will need toothpicks and a soft (and yummy) food, such as gumdrops, fruit snacks, grapes or marshmallows.  Use the toothpicks to place the piece of food on each end, then stick another toothpick in to form shapes, such as triangles, squares, and three-dimensional objects.  The food pieces are your “endcaps”.  This is similar to Tinker Toys and K’Nex.  See what interesting and new structures your little architect can create!

I’m one of those messy moms.  I buy playdough every couple of weeks (that is, when I’m not making it myself).  I let my kids draw with markers that aren’t washable from time to time, and we even create art with pudding and other foods.  Making a mess is part of exploring the creative side of yourself.  So, fingerpainting is definitely a “must do” at our house!  However, I don’t always have fingerpaints on hand, so I came across this great recipe for making some at home.  The best part is, it is completely washable.  So, make up a batch, set the kids out on the porch with some paper and fingerpaints, then hose them down when they’re done!

Ingredients
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 T sugar
1 cup water (cold)
Food coloring of your choice - to make it truly stain-free and washable, use liquid watercolors to tint the paint, or try different flavors of Jell-o.

Directions:
Put the cornstarch, salt, sugar, and water into a pot. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.  Be sure to stir constantly. The mixture will start thin, but it will eventually become thicker. When it is finally thick, take the pot off of the stove and let the mixture cool off. Once it is cool, divide it into small containers (small jars or leftover yogurt containers work well) and add a few drops of food coloring to each. Stir in the coloring and voila! It’s time to paint.

The dog days of summer are definitely here!  While the term, “dog days of summer”, actually stems from the position of the Dog Star, Sirius, during this time of year.  Sirius rises and falls with the sun right now, and the Ancient Egyptians thought that this action is what made this time of year so much hotter.  Whatever the reason, cooling off is on tap for this week!

MONDAY:  Nutritious and delicious, I’ve got a great smoothie recipe to share today!  My boys LOVE these smoothies.  If I could make them every day for them, it wouldn’t be enough!  They’re not overly sweet, and they’re full of calcium and vitamins (and, most importantly, they’re COLD!).  These are great for any age and so easy to make!  In a blender, combine a cup of milk (I use skim but any type milk will do), 1/2 cup of yogurt (we use either blueberry or strawberry lowfat yogurt…again, it is your choice as to flavor!), 1 ripe banana (cut into chunks) and four ice cubes.  Blend for about a minute or until smooth.  Pour into your favorite cup and enjoy!

TUESDAY:  It is really too hot to do much of anything outside in Texas these days, so we’re going to create Big Art today - inside!  I am using some old wrapping paper I have (it is actually my leftover Christmas paper from about three years ago) and cutting off long pieces of it.  Then, I’m letting my boys have at it!  Anything goes - markers, crayons, watercolor, construction paper collage - whatever you feel comfortable letting your kids use.  Spread out on the kitchen floor or another solid surface and create Big Art!  The large motions you make with your arms and hands when drawing are great for motor skill development at any level.  Or, to challenge older kids, have them create Big Art using only their FEET!  Have them grasp a marker/paintbrush/crayon in between their toes and create.  You’re sure to get some interesting results!

WEDNESDAY:  Think your kid’s got talent?  Let it shine!  Today is Talent Show Day at our house.  And, ANY talent goes!  I have one that is a total singer, so we’re breaking out his favorite songs on the CD player and sporting our favorite microphone - Mom’s whisk!  My other son is more of the comedian and instrumentalist…I see several entries from both of them.  Invite the neighborhood or just a friend or two - the more the merrier!  I’m going to be the video queen because, what good is showing off your talent if you can’t go back and watch yourself later?  And, don’t forget to check in at your local library today! 

THURSDAY:  Since we are, indeed, in the Dog Days of Summer, let’s gaze at some constellations this evening!  My boys were thrilled to get to stay up a bit later, and to sit and watch the stars come out, one by one.  Here is a great site for printing out a Star Chart (a map to the sky)…there are loads of other websites out there as well that offer great information for kids about constellations and the night sky.  If your kids are too young to stay up and stargaze, you can create your own constellations.  Using black construction paper, cut circles just a bit larger than the diameter of a flashlight.  Poke holes in the construction paper with a straight pin, then hold the circle up to the lighted end of a flashlight.  Turn out the lights (preferably in a dark room) and do your own stargazing - anytime of day!

FRIDAY:  Let’s cool off those piggies today!  If you have a small kiddie pool, this is great, or you can even use a large pan or bucket, as long as it is bigger than your child’s feet!  Put some water in the pool or other container, then drop in several ice cubes.  Now, it is time to go fish - feet first!  Have your kids use their feet to “catch” the ice cubes and pull them out!  Everyone stays cool, and the challenge is on to see who can catch the most cubes - you or the kids!

That’s it for this week!  If you have fun activities you’ve done with the kids this summer, leave us a comment and let us know!

Whew!  Last week was a whirlwind, but the summer heat is starting to get to us, and we’re looking for ways to cool off around here!  Let’s take a look at this week’s activities!

MONDAY:  Beat the heat with these chilly necklaces!  Take an ice cube tray and fill it halfway full with water and freeze.  Then, cut pieces of plastic straws to just fit inside the ice cube trays and drop one on each cube horizontally.  Fill the tray up with water and freeze again.  Take the cubes out, string them on a ribbon and now you have a frozen necklace!  These are great for playing outside in the yard and grabbing a bit of a cool treat in the process.

TUESDAY:  We posted a great popsicle recipe a couple of weeks ago, and since then I’ve found an awesome frozen yogurt pop recipe!  Mix low-fat vanilla yogurt with your favorite fruits: strawberries, melons, bananas, blueberries and cherries are great choices.  Blend everything together in a blender for about 30 seconds, then pour into paper cups.  Cover with foil and poke a popsicle stick through the top and into the cup.  If you do not have popsicle sticks, plastic spoons can be used; simply poke them through the top of the foil before covering the cup.  Freeze for at least four hours.  Peel off the paper cup and enjoy!

WEDNESDAY:  Book day!  Be sure to stop by your library or swap books with a friend.  While we are out at the library, we’re going to stop at our local bowling alley for a game or two.  Our bowling alley runs a special on Wednesday for school-aged kids - free shoe rental and dollar games!  It is air-conditioned and enclosed; what could be better?  No bowling alley near you?  Make your own!  Use empty water bottles and a small ball.  Set up your “lane” down a hallway and bowl a game or two today!

THURSDAY:  It has been dry and dusty here, and quite frankly, my car is taking a beating.  So, we’re declaring today “Pamper The Automobile” day!  We are getting out our sponges and buckets and soaping down the car this morning.  My guess is everyone is going to get a little bit wet, but that will be perfect in this heat!  After we’re done washing Old Bessie, we’re cleaning out the inside.  After all, we’re only halfway through the summer and the “stuff” is getting quite thick on the floorboards!  Time to pull out the old socks, the papers from Sunday School, the empty fruit snack packets and all the other “treasures” my children have stowed in the back seat. 

FRIDAY:  Homemade pizza time!  For this one, I always end up with an extra mouth or two around…tonight, my older child will be having a couple of friends stay the night, so this is perfect!  I’m not kitchen-worthy enough to create my own crust, so we use the Boboli brand crust in the deli department of our grocery store.  Making your own crust would be great, though.  If you would rather make individual pizzas, try using bagels for a different spin.  Spread some sauce on your crust, put on your favorite toppings and loads of cheese, pop in the oven for about 10 minutes (for premade crust) and then enjoy!  Want to try something different?  Use the Pillsbury dough crust, bake, top with cream cheese and fruit, and eat.  Or, try topping your crust with melted butter, sugar and cinnamon for a delicious dessert!

Here’s to another week of fun stuff for you and your family!  We hope this week’s slate of activities inspire your own creativity and ideas…enjoy!

MONDAY: It is blazing hot here in the South (and pretty much everywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere), so let’s make some homemade popsicles!  Use paper cups for the popsicle part, and fill them about 2/3 full with your favorite juice - orange juice works really well, and kids even get into simply freezing water as well.  Cover each cup with foil, and stick a popsicle stick in it (if you don’t have popsicle sticks, you can use plastic spoons, but slip them through the foil from the bottom first before putting them in the cup!).  Set them in the freezer for a few hours to harden, then peel off the paper cups for a yummy summer snack!  Want something a bit different?  Mix up some Jell-0 and freeze it for popsicles!  You can add chopped fruit as well for a bit of nutrition!

TUESDAY: It’s Bubble Day!  We’re going out on the back patio to blow some bubbles.  And, we’re making our own solution!  Here’s my favorite bubble recipe:  3 parts Dawn liquid dishwashing detergent, 2 parts corn syrup (yes, corn syrup!), 16 parts water.  Using this recipe, you can make enough for a small container or plenty to fill a small plastic wading pool!  And yes, I’ve done that!  The key is to make this solution ahead of time and let it sit overnight for the best bubbles.  Find all sorts of objects for your bubble-blowing.  Our favorites include strainers, coat hangers (plastic work best), funnels, and even a small, plastic harmonica!  When we filled the wading pool with solution, we used a hula hoop to create MASSIVE bubbles.  You can even place a child in the middle and pull the hula hoop over them to create a kid in a bubble!  Older kids LOVE this, too!

WEDNESDAY:  Don’t forget to visit your local library today!  We’re going to take our favorite book today and make a movie of it.  My kids LOVE using my digital camera to make movies.  Or, simply film your child reading or retelling their favorite.  Once they get the chance to watch themselves, they’ll want to do it again and again!  Can they tell the story in a funny voice?  Want to dress up in costume?  Invite some friends to help out as well.

THURSDAY: Time to do some exploring outdoors!  Today, we’re going on a nature hunt in our own yard.  We’re finding interesting leaves and other objects that are good for making rubbings.  I’m also including coins and a couple of shape cut-outs I have from my scrapbooking stuff.  Then, we’re going to make rubbings of our objects.  Simply place the objects flat on a table, place a piece of paper over it, then rub the side of a crayon across the paper to create a rubbing of the objects!  Experiment with different sides of leaves to find out which “side” makes the best rubbing!

FRIDAY: We’re going to the zoo today!  My kids love the zoo, even in the heat.  No zoo close to your house?  Why not visit a pet store instead?  Or, call your local animal shelter or humane society and find out if they have a special visitation time.  Get out and visit our furry (and scaly) friends!