Pinecone Bird Feeder

Another classic craft from long ago...this one is great for kids of all ages.  My daughter has fond memories of doing this with her Grandma Cathy years ago.  Enjoy and hopefully you can catch a glimpse of the birds enjoying the treat!

Supplies:

• Pinecone
• Peanut Butter
• Kid knife or spoons
• Plates
• Bird Seed 
• String

Instructions:

I recommend attaching the string to the pinecone before anything else.  Then give each child a plate, kid knife or spoon, and dollop of peanut butter.  Spread the sticky stuff all over the pinecone.  Once it looks covered well, pour some bird seed onto the plate and have them roll the pinecone in the seed.  Find a place to hang them - nearby a window so they can watch as birds fly up to enjoy it!  

Easy Plans for DIY Kid-Sized Picnic Table

My husband built this while I was grocery shopping one Saturday morning not too long ago.  We eat most meals on our deck now anytime it's not raining...it's awesome!  He got his plans off Ana White's website right here:

http://ana-white.com/2010/04/plans-bigger-kids-picnic-table.html

I realize this post is for woodworkers, but if you are so inclined to wield a power saw, this project is a cinch.

Supplies:

2 - 2x6 boards, 8' Long

6 - 2x4 boards, 8' Long

2 1/2'' screws or bolts (bolts should be at least 3'' long and will require washers and nuts)

2 1/2'' pocket hole screws

measuring tape

square

pencil

hammer

safety glasses

hearing protection

Kreg Jig

drill

sander

What to do:

1. Make your cuts and follow the diagrams according to Ana White (see link above).  
2. Serve up breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the table.  
3. Hose down the stickies.  
4. Party on.

Paper Mosaic American Flag

In celebration of Memorial Day...

What you need:
red, white and blue construction paper
crayons as needed
computer paper
glue stick
scotch tape
popsicle stick


Ages: 2 and up


What to do:

1. Help kids (as needed) to draw a small rectangle in the upper left corner of the computer paper, and then make 13 stripes.
2. Tear construction paper into small pieces.
3. Glue red and white pieces over stripes and blue pieces over rectangle  The idea is to cover the entire paper with construction paper bits.  (We were out of blue construction paper, so we colored our rectangles.)
4. Cut paper stars from white construction paper and glue over blue rectangles.
5. Attach popsicle stick with glue stick or tape. 
6. Wave flags proudly for Memorial Day!

Red, White & Blue Strawberries

Holidays are a great excuse to do something special and fun! I saw this idea in a Disney magazine and they are now a new family tradition - so delicious AND festive!

Ingredients:

- Strawberries
- 6 ounces White chocolate (Baker's Premium White Chocolate squares)
- Blue sugar (Wilton sprinkles, blue sugar)

Directions:

Wash the strawberries and dry them by laying them on a towel. Melt the chocolate according to the package (microwave was the easiest). Pour the sugar into a small bowl. Dip the strawberry in the chocolate, let the excess drip off, and then dip into the blue sugar. Serve immediately or if preparing ahead of time, place the finished strawberries into a large storage container lined with wax paper and keep in a cool place. If you choose to refrigerate them, only do so for up to one day ahead of time because the blue sugar will begin to liquify.

Pancake Muffins

This is a genius idea that I got from Pinterest...but I can't give that person credit because the link wasn't working - so, whoever you are out there, THANK YOU!  I did change the recipe a little bit, to make it a little more healthy though.  It is seriously an awesome breakfast option.  This recipe makes about 16 pancake muffins.  






Ingredients:

• 2 cups pancake mix
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 3 TBSP ground flax seed 
• 1/3 cup 100% maple syrup (the real stuff really is best)

Filling ideas: Our favorites have been Raspberry White Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip (2 raspberries and 4 white chocolate chips per muffin, and/or 1 tsp Peanut Butter and 4 chocolate chips per muffin).  Blueberry is also delicious (2-3 blueberries per muffin).  You could also do banana, or even make them savory with bits of bacon!




Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated (do not mix in the fillings yet).  Spray muffin tins with cooking spray OR line with cupcake liners.  I like using a spray because the muffins really stick to the paper liners.  Fill each muffin about 3/4 full.  Place the filling items on top (they will soak into the muffin as they cook).  Bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for 13-14 minutes.   

The Classic Volcano Experiment

I don't think seeing this experiment will ever get old for me! Why is it so fun to watch? "Lava" slowly bubbling up and over a volcano :) The kids and I were feeling a little stir crazy on a chilly morning, so we made the day more exciting by claiming it "Volcano Day!" What is that? Well, we made the classic volcano experiment and even made a little lunch with the same theme. Nerdy...maybe. But fun!

Supplies:

• Container of some kind (we used our empty syrup bottle one time, and then an empty honey bottle another time)
• Tin foil (makes for a great mountain around the bottle)
• Rubber band
• Approximately 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon dish soap (not necessary but supposedly makes the bubbling go slower)
• Red food coloring (for the dramatic effect of "LAVA") but any color is fun
• Approximately 1/3 cup vinegar
• Dinosaur figurines! (to add to the scene, of course)

Instructions:

• Poke a small hole in the middle of the tinfoil to fit over the opening of your container. Wrap a rubber band around that to just hold it in place (image at right).
• Place the "volcano" on a baking sheet for easy clean-up
• Set the scene with figurines (dinosaurs or trees or whatever!)
• Drop the baking soda into the container first.
• Add the dish soap (if using)
• Add the food coloring
• Pour in the vinegar...wait and watch.

After it bubbles for a few minutes, you can stir the bottle a little bit and it will most likely have a second wave of bubbling. We had a lunch that was dinosaur sandwiches (cookie cutters I had on-hand), grapes made the shape of a volcano and red peppers were the lava. The kids decided the apples were dinosaur bones (image below). Weird, random, but fun!

Mamacita's Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

We can all thank my mom for these.  She made these when I was little...and then forgot about them...and then pulled out the recipe (adapted from the Pillsbury Cookbook) last week when she came to visit us.  One 9 x 13'' pan was gone in less than 24 hours at our house.  Kid-friendly and nutritious, plus energizing...these are winners!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup (or honey)
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups whole rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup wheat germ
2 Tbs. sesame seed
2 Tbs pepitas (optional)
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, margarine and vanilla.  
2. Add remaining ingredients until thoroughly mixed.  
3. Press evenly into greased 9 x 13'' baking pan.  Bake 15-20 minutes until golden on the edges.  
4. Cut into bars once completely cooled.

Baked Banana and Nutella Egg Rolls

These can be made along side any meal as a dessert, or with the Baked Breakfast Egg Rolls or Pizza Rolls. Again, make sure you let them cool so that no one burns their mouth! I like to cut them in half for my kids.

Ingredients:

• Egg roll wrappers
• Bananas (each banana can make 3 egg rolls)
• Nutella
• Peanut butter
• Cooking Spray

Directions:

• Cut each banana into three pieces (or if they are smaller, just cut them in half)
• Place an egg roll wrapper on a clean, dry hand towel so that it looks like a diamond.
• Place a banana in the middle, then smear about 1-2 Tablespoons PB and Nutella above and below the banana.
• Roll the bottom corner up over the banana, wrap the side corners in, and then dab your finger in water to wet the top corner...finish wrapping. (See Baked Breakfast Egg Rolls recipe for more detailed instructions on rolling up).
• Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place each egg roll seam-side down.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Once all of the egg rolls are on the baking sheet, spray all of them with cooking spray (this will help them brown a bit).
• Bake for 8 minutes. Turn each egg roll. Bake another 5 minutes.
• Serve after they have cooled down a bit!

Mother's Day Buttons

Looking for a nifty token to make for a mom (or grandmother) this Mother's Day?  This one is sweet, kind of cheesy and will make her feel special on Sunday.  I must admit, it's not the simplest craft I have made up, but the kids enjoyed it.  And I know they are pumped to give these out on Sunday.  Here's what we did, and I am sure you can come up with even better ideas.


Supplies:

Image 2

• Recycled buttons
• Don't have buttons? Use a metal juice top lid and safety pin (see instructions for details)
• Hot glue gun
• Fabric glue (optional but could use for gluing the felt)
• Felt fabric, various colors
• Toilet paper roll
• Scissors
• Puffy Paint (also optional)

Image 3

Image 4

Instructions:

1. Take the old button (or make-shift button - instructions in Step 2) and have the adult use the hot glue gun to spread a line of glue on the outermost edge of the face of the button...quickly press a piece of felt on top.  I cut the felt after gluing it on...so there is at least 1/4 of an inch extra around the edge.  (See image 3.) 
2. If you do not have buttons to reuse, simply take a clean metal juice top and safety pin.  Put a line of hot glue on the top, press the closed side of the pin into the glue.  Then take two pieces of strong, clear packing tape to press over the pin for extra stability (make sure the hot glue is no longer hot).  (See image 2.)  Then attach the felt piece as stated in Step 1.
3. Cut the end of a toilet paper roll so you have about a half-inch thick ring.  
4. Cut out 8-10 petals with the felt (we made ours about 1 inch long)...whatever colors you like. Glue them onto outside of the toilet paper ring. 
5. Cut two strips of felt.  One that will fit on the inside of the toilet paper roll ring and one that will fit on the outside of the ring after the petals are glued on.  (See image 4.)  
6. After the petals are glued on, the strips are glued into place, then put a line of glue on the bottom of the assembled ring, to then be placed onto the top of the felt-lined-button.
7. Decorate with puffy paint as you wish! 

Announcing the Winner of Our Give-Away!

Thank you again friends for all your kind words and support of The Kid-Friendly Home in this first year.  We have never conducted a drawing before and didn't really have a clue how to go about this.  We started by typing up all the names on our facebook "like" list and added the extra names from the comments in our last post, cut them into strips, mixed them around in a bowl...and Lindsey drew....

drummmm rollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.......................................MERANDA!

Congratulations, Meranda!  Your Amazon Gift Card will be on it's way to you shortly!  

Thank you all for your encouragement and participation with our blog.  Now we must get back to helping our kids clean their rooms...  

We always love your feedback, so of course feel free to comment any time!

                                                            Sincerely,

                                                            Lindsey and Sarah

First Bloggiversary Give-Away Celebration!

Hello friends!

It's been a whole year since we began sharing at The Kid-Friendly Home.  We have been so encouraged to hear from many of you along the way.  So we celebrate our first "bloggiversary" with a give-away to YOU: a $20 Amazon Gift Card for your children's books, art supplies, or whatever you need!!!  (And don't forget that any time you click on the amazon link from our site, we earn a very small percentage of your order.  We always appreciate your support!)

Here is how this will work:  We will ad your name in our drawing  ONCE if you leave us a comment on this post and tell us one of the following:
1) your favorite post so far
2) What you are most interested to see more of in the future
or simply,
3) What you love about kids and parenting.

We will also add your name ONCE if you "like" us on facebook.

So if you "like" (or have already "liked") us and comment, your name will be added in the drawing TWICE!
We will announce a winner of the Amazon Gift Card by next Monday, May 7.
Thank you all for your friendly support and encouragement!

                                      Sarah and Lindsey

Lemon Fruit Dip

Healthy, delicious and has several uses! I made this dip up and it is my new favorite...plus the kids love it too!

Ingredients:

1-6 ounce container lemon yogurt (I prefer Greek because it is thicker)

6 ounces low-fat sour cream

1 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup powdered sugar (or less)

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. It is wonderful as a fruit "dip" but also makes for a perfect fruit salad (image to the right)...just cut up your favorite fruits, mix a small amount in (you can always add more). Enjoy!