(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.