Happy Monday!
Time for another list of ways to make a little magic this week…
1. Cover something fun with chalkboard paint — a globe, the side of an old dresser, a door, old blocks, a wooden puzzle, you name it.
2. Let each child pick out something brand new to try at the grocery store. Look in the international foods and produce section for particularly fun and unique items.
3. Make an old fashioned treat like pulled taffy, rock candy or honey candy. Here’s a few recipes from old-time cookbooks that sound tasty and easy. If you have a favorite candy recipe, please leave a link in the comments!
4. Spend an afternoon in a museum you’ve never visited. If you have a membership to a local museum you may be able to get into out of town museums for free with reciprocal agreements. Many art, science and history museums have free or low cost fees or offer special times when admission is free.
5. Play a different board game or family game together every night this week.
6. Print out the free template for these adorable curled paper flowers from Billie Monster and decorate a wall with whimsical patterned flowers.
7. Fill a shaker bottle (such as an old bottle from parmesan cheese or herbs) with baking soda and let the kids shake designs all over the carpet. If you like, make up some stencils to shake pretty white designs or spell words. Make a big powdery mess, and then vacuum it all up to freshen the carpet!
8. If you live in the right climate for it, go tap maple trees. Many parks, nature centers and other sites will take groups around and teach them how to tap trees. We go to a camp that lets the kids help drill holes, collect bags and taste the crystal clear sap. They even get to do a taste test between real and artificial maple syrups!
9. Get a big box from an appliance store and make a sweet cardboard cat fort like Pink and Green Mama’s or some other fantastic play space.
10. Gather up some crepe paper streamers and tape floor length strips to the ceiling of your child’s bedroom or playroom to form a little secret room. Or for the super cheap and easy version– use toilet paper. 🙂
And with that, I’m off to play catch-up with a million and one things I’d rather not be doing — or to go play with my kiddos and peruse seed catalogs some more. We’ll see which one wins out!
Looks like a great list to me!! Thanks for the link : )
Thanks MaryLea and thanks too for all the great sources of inspiration. 🙂
I made cream fondants this weekend. No recipe, just a small quantity of cream cheese and a HUGE quantity of powdered sugar to make a dough (I used 250 grams mascarpone and nearly 1,5 kg of sugar, woops!) Add some flavouring and maybe some colour, roll it out and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter, or roll balls and flatten them with your thumb, like thumbprint cookies. Leave them to dry out naturally on a non-stick or powdered surface (I forgot this bit and broke a zillion trying to get them loose, had to eat them…) and dip them in (plain) chocolate to take the edge off the sweetness.
Ooh, that sounds wonderful! I made those years ago but never dipped them in chocolate. I’m thinking this would be a fantastic project to do with the kids soon to make up for having such a sick and sleepy mama these days. 😉 Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you’re back! And inspiring blogger world. I mentioned you today and you’re wonderful space. Thank you so much 🙂
JM:)
http://littleenglishtreasures.blogspot.com/2011/03/now-its-getting-difficult.html
Aw, thanks! Lovely blog! Glad you had fun with the grocery store idea. 🙂
So glad to have your back friend! I’m LOVING THAT NUMBER 7!!! OH MY creative! Did you know that some dollar stores carry chalkboard paint cling ons? You could do a chalk board wall for a day! :):)
Ooh, fun idea! I’ll have to go looking at ours for some. Thanks!
Thanks so much for the shoutout! :O)
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