Circus Preschool Theme Crafts for Kids
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Circus Crafts for Kids
Animal Cages
Cereal Boxes (all sizes)
Paint
***Knife and/or Scissors ***
Straw
Glue
Plastic Animals
*** Only adults use the knife***
With help from an adult cut out rectangles on both sides of the cereal boxes. Next paint the cages boxes to be the color you want them to be. Glue in some straw for a nice cozy cage and add animals.
Animal Cage Art Work
Foam food trays
Animal Crackers
Pipe Cleaners
Glue
Glue animal crackers to foam food trays. Next glue pipe cleaners over the top of these animals, gluing at the top and the bottom of the tray.
*Option* Make more then one and connect with yarn and you will have a Zoo Train.
Cookie Cutter Painting
Circus Animal Cookie Cutters
Tempra Paint
Construction Paper
Paper Plate
Place a small amount of paint on the paper plate and place the cookie cutter you want used in this paint. Then have the children make prints using the cookie cutters.
**Be sure to wash with soap and water when done before using in baking.**
Ring Masters Megaphone
Construction Paper
Tape/Stapler
Markers and Stickers
Have your child decorate their paper to be bright and cheery. Once done roll the paper into a mega phone shape and tape/staple into place. This is a great craft to take outside when you are done making it.
Circus Activity for Kids: Circus Dress-Up
Craft: Clown Shoes
Two shoe boxes per child w/ lid
Scissors
Markers
Paint
Stickers
Masking Tape (and/or hot glue)
Cut a small hole into both shoe box lids. This hole needs to be big enough for your child’s foot to slide in but not to big that they will step out of the lid. Next tape (and/or hot glue) the lid to the bottom of the box. Once this is done let your child decorate the box with paint, markers, and stickers of their choice. Once dry have your child slide their foot into the shoe and act like a clown.
Craft: Clown Neck Tie
Construction paper of choice
Markers
Stickers
Large Paper Clip
Cut out two triangles with the top points meeting in the middle to create a bow tie or cut out a diamond with one side short and the other side really long. (Use two sheets of construction paper taped together to make a long tie) Have your child decorate the tie and use a large paper clip to clip it to their shirt.
Clown Hats
Construction Paper
Scissors
Hole Punch Holes
Glue in a bowl or small lid
Toothpicks
Pompom
**Bingo Markers
Cut a tall triangle out of your construction paper. Round off the bottom of the triangle to make it look like a clown hat. Next offer the pre punched holes, toothpicks and glue to your child to decorate their hat. Use the toothpick to place the glue onto the hat. Glue on a pompom on the top of the triangle for a finishing touch.
**Option** If your child is to young to do this you can get the same look but a little larger dots by letting your child use bingo markers. **
Farm Preschool Theme Crafts
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Farm Craft for Kids
Make a Farm Book!
Farmer, Farmer, What do you see?
For the total book you will need — pages of construction paper of your choice. This will be the main pages to the book. Your child will create different farm animals and they will be placed on these pages. You will need to write at the TOP of each page…
Farmer, Farmer, What do you see?
At the BOTTOM of each page you will need to write…
I see a ________ looking at me. (Fill in the animal on the pages in blank)
You can connect these pages many different ways either in a binder, punch holes in paper and tie back with yarn or connect with rings. Choose what works best for you.
Farmer
Print out Farmer page
http://www.childstoryhour.com/images/coloring/farmanimals.gif
Water colors
Let your child use the water colors to paint the picture of the farmer. I recommend that you take the black and brown out.
Pig
Print out pig shape
http://www.childstoryhour.com/images/coloring/pig.JPG
Pink Chalk
Have your child color the pig with the pink chalk.
Cow
Print out cow shape
http://www.childstoryhour.com/images/coloring/cow.gif
Black washable stamp pad
Have your child place finger prints all over the cow for spots.
Hen/Chicken
Print out hen/chicken shape
http://childstoryhour.com/images/coloring/hen.gif
Q-Tips
Yellow Paint
Let your child paint the picture of the hen using the q-tips and the yellow paint.
*Ask your child what the picture is, if they say hen call it a hen. If they say chicken call it a chicken.*
Horse
Print out the horse picture
http://childstoryhour.com/images/coloring/mareandcolt.gif
Different shades of Brown and Tan Crayons AND Colored Pencils
Let your child enjoy using the different kinds of coloring instruments to color the horse and her mare. It is important to supply different things for our kids to use while they do their art projects. This we inspire them to be more creative.
Goat
Print out the goat picture
http://childstoryhour.com/images/coloring/goat.gif
Old Toothbrush
Gray Paint
Paint Smock
Have your child dip the toothbrush into gray paint next over the goat picture rub your finger on the toothbrush bristles. This will cause the paint to shack off the toothbrush onto your goat picture.
Your child has now created many farm animals cut each one out and glue them to the construction paper you chose before you began. Add the wording to your book and create the book explained above.
Farm Books You’ll Love
Big Red Barn Board Book
by Margaret Wise Brown
In the barnyard there are roosters and cows, horses and goats, and a pink piglet who is learning to squeal.
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
by Doreen Cronin
Farmer Brown’s problems REALLY begin when his cows start leaving him notes
Charlotte’s Web
by E. B. White
An affectionate, sometimes bashful pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. A prancing, playful bloke, Wilbur is devastated when he learns of the destiny that befalls all those of porcine persuasion. Determined to save her friend, Charlotte spins a web that reads “Some Pig,” convincing the farmer and surrounding community that Wilbur is no ordinary animal and should be saved.
Flowers Preschool Theme Crafts
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Flowers Crafts for Kids
Garden of Tulips
Red Paint
Yellow Paint
Orange Paint
Scissors
Paint Brush
Paste
Green Construction Paper
Light Color Construction paper
Glue
Using the brush, the paint the palm and four fingers with red paint. Press onto the upper half of your light color construction paper. While you wait for it to dry, cut green construction paper into leaves and a stem. Glue them to the bottom of the flower.
Repeat with yellow and orange paint and you have a garden of tulips.
Pressed Flowers
Small Flower or Weeds
2 Sheets Card Stock Paper
Heavy Books (or weight)
Clear Contact Paper
Collect the weeds and small wild flowers that you would like to save. Place 2 sheets of card stock paper into a book. In between the two sheets place your weeds or wild flowers. Close the large book and let sit. You can add more weight on top of the book if you would like.
Pressed flowers can be used to make bookmarks, pictures, greeting cards and more.
Sunflowers
Golden Yellow Construction Paper
Sunflower Seeds
Glue
Scissors
Paper Plate
Cut out oval shapes out of the golden yellow construction paper, enough to go around the paper plate. Cut off about ½ inch of the end of the oval to leave a flat side. This will look like a petal. Glue the petals on the edges of the paper plate and glue the real sunflower seeds in the middle.
** Add a personal touch by adding google eyes and a red yarn smile.**
Handprint Painted Flower Pots
Paint of any color
Clay Flower Pot
Brush
Seed packet
Potting Soil
Ziplock Bag
Have your child paint their hands one color at a time and place a hand print/finger prints on the outside of the pot. This will decorate your flower pot with a personal touch. While the pot is drying, scoop out enough potting soil for the flower pot into ziplock bag. When the pot is dry, place the potting soil bag and the seed packet into the flower pot and you have a great gift, perfect for Mother’s Day, Valentines or birthdays.
Recommended Books about Flowers
From Seed to Plant
by Gail Gibbons
A simple introduction to how plants reproduce, discussing pollination, seed dispersal, and growth from seed to plant.
The Tiny Seed (Aladdin Picture Books)
by Eric Carle
In autumn, a strong wind blows flower seeds high in the air and carries them far across the land. One by one, many of the seeds are lost. But some survive the long winter and, come spring, sprout into plants, facing new dangers.
The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds : A Book About How Living Things Grow (Magic School Bus)
by Joanna Cole
Ms. Frizzle’s class is growing a beautiful garden. But, Phoebe’s plot is empty. Her flowers are back at her old school! So, the class climbs aboard the Magic School Bus. And, of course, the kids don’t only go back to Phoebe’s school, but they go inside one of Phoebe’s flowers! Follow the kids’ adventure and learn how living things grow.
Mother’s Day Preschool Theme Crafts
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Mother’s Day Crafts and Activities for Kids
Tea Light Holder
Small Baby Food Jar
Color Tissue Paper
Glue
Paint Brush
Water
Tea Light Candle
Tear the tissue paper into small pieces and set aside. Water down the glue and paint onto the baby food jars. Apply of tissue paper onto the glue and then paint another coat of glue over the tissue paper. Make a few of these for Mom to have around.
‘My Mother Is’ Portrait
8×10 Piece of Paper
Pencil
Crayons/Markers
8×10 Picture Frame
Have your child answer the following questions…
How tall is Mom?
How old is Mom?
How much does Mom Weigh?
What color is Mom’s hair?
What color are Mom’s eyes?
What is Mom’s favorite color?
What is Mom’s favorite food?
What is Mom’s job?
Next have your child draw a picture of what they think their Mom looks like. All around the picture of Mom, the adult can write what the child wrote. Example My Mom is 10 feet tall. My Mom has green hair. Frame the drawing and answers for Mom.
Mother’s Day Banner
2 Sheets Same Color Construction Paper
Pencil
Marker
Scissors
Tape
Trace the child’s hand on one piece of construction paper and cut them out. The second piece of construction paper cut into half the long length of the paper. Tape the ends of the paper together. Using tape, tape on the hand print shapes at the end of each piece of paper. Using the marker write, “I LOVE YOU THIS MUCH!” on the strips in between the hands.
Hands Down the Best Gift Wrap
Paint
Butcher Paper
Paint Brush
Baby Wipes
Cut a large piece of Butcher Paper and lay it on the table. Next taking turns with the colors of paint, paint your child’s hands and have them make hand prints all over the paper. I use the baby wipes to help keep the mess down.
*Optional*
Use a marker and write I Love You in between the hand prints. If child is old enough to do this have them do the writing.
Best Mom Hands Down
T-shirt or Apron
Fabric Paint
Child’s Hands
Fabric Pen
Paint your child’s hands with the color of your choice and have your child place their handprint on the shirt or apron with the fingers pointing to the floor.
Under or above the handprints write “Best Mom Hands Down”
Bath Salts
Epson Salt
Food Coloring
Baby Food Jar or Small Container
Flavoring such as Peppermint, Vanilla or Strawberry
Fabric
Scissors
Ribbon
In a small bowl mix a small amount of Epson Salt, food coloring and your flavoring. Place the mixture into the baby food jar place a lid on it and you now have Bath Salts created just for Mom. Cut a small round piece of fabric that is a little bit larger then the lid. Glue the fabric to the top of the baby food jar and tie a ribbon around the jar. Remember to write the date on the bottom of the jar. Try to use with in one year of the date, to ensure the freshest bath salts.
Vase for Mom
Empty bottle or jar
Masking tape
Shoe Polish (brown or blue)
Cloth Rag (scrap t-shirt)
Smock for kids
Gloves for kids
Completely cover your clean glass bottle, with torn or cut pieces of masking tape.
Making sure that the pieces of tape overlap each other. With an old rag, rub the shoe polish into the tape, leave to dry. If you would like a glossy look a second rubbing is needed. If you are having younger children make this please be very careful, you might even do the shoe polish rub yourself.
Fill with flowers or a plant.
** Do not get shoe polish on the inside of the bottle or jar.**
Recommended Mother’s Day Book to Read
Earth Day Preschool Theme Crafts
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Earth Day Crafts for Kids
Earth
Paper Plates
Paint
Paint 2 paper plates blue. Once the plates have dried, have your child drip green paint on one paper plate and then drip brown on the second paper plate. Put the plates together and it will form a neat pattern of the Earth.
Earth Day Bracelet
Contact Paper
Cut contact paper into a long strip to form a bracelet. Make the bracelet so that it will be sticky side up. Go on a nature walk and let your children put whatever they find (grass, flowers, feathers, sticks, pebbles, etc) on the bracelet.
Litter Bug
Misc. Craft Items such as
Paper Towel Rolls
Stickers
Markers
Pipe Cleaners
String
Buttons
Glue
Scissors
Using your misc. craft supplies and your imagination create your own Litter Bug. Be sure to make it an ugly little bug. Use this bug to show that this is what you look like when you don’t through your trash away.
Indoor Terrarium
Permanent Black Marker
Seeds
Water
Very Sharp Scissors or Knife (used ONLY by parents)
Potting Soil
2 Liter Soda Bottle w/ cap
Take the label off the bottle. Save the CAP! Wash and rinse out the bottle and the cap. Cut the bottle near the bottom, a good place to do this is at the bottom of where the label was. Fill the bottom with your soil. Make sure to leave the soil loose. Do NOT pack it down. Plant a few seeds in the dirt and lightly water. Place the cap on the bottle. Cover the bottom with the top of the bottle. You will have to play around with it to get the top to fit inside the bottom. Place it in a sunny spot and watch your seeds grow.
Earth Day Shirt
Brown and Green Fabric Paint
Paint Brush
White t-shirt
Paint your child’s arm brown and your child’s hand green. Place the painted side of the arm and hand down on the white t-shirt. You can write Earth Day 200- on the shirt also.
Recommended Earth Day Books to Read
Earth Day–Hooray!
by Stuart J. Murphy
Earth Day is on the way, and Ryan, Luke, and Carly have a plan. If they manage to collect and recycle 5,000 aluminum cans, they can make enough money to buy some beautiful flowers for nearby Gilroy Park.
Lets Celebrate Earth Day
by Peter Roop
Using a question-and-answer format, the Roops introduce the history and importance of Earth Day. They discuss Senator Gaylord Nelson’s creation of the celebration in 1970; the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire that led to the Clean Water Act; the concept of endangered species; some positive results of forest fires; and recycling.
Recycle! : A Handbook for Kids
by Gail Gibbons
How to recycle various products to cut down on the need for landfills–for which space is already in short supply.
Earth Day Cooking with Kids
Dirt Cups
Chocolate Pudding Mix
Milk
Oreo Cookies
Gummy Worms
Cool Whip
Cups
Spoons
Zip Lock Bags
In a zip lock bag place Oreo cookies, have your child break them up by banging the bag. Cover bottom of cups with crumbled Oreos. Combined pudding mix and milk to make your pudding, pour into cups; leaving 1/2 an inch of space at the top. Refrigerate pudding until set. Add crumbled Oreos to the top of each cup and garnish with a gummy worm.
Insects Preschool Theme Crafts
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Insect and Bug Crafts for Kids
Inside the Bee Hive
Black Paint
Yellow Paper
Metal Egg Holder from Easter Egg Dye Kit
(The part that holds the egg is shaped like a honey comb.)
Paper Plate
Place black paint into a paper plate. Using the Egg Holder from the Easter Egg Kit dip it into the black paint and make marks on the yellow paper with it. This will give you a honey comb look on your paper. Next dip your thumb into the black paint and place a thumb print on your paper to look like bee’s in the bee hive.
Coffee Filter Butterfly Beauty
Coffee Filters
Spray Bottle with water
Washable Markers
Clothespins
Let your child color coffee filters, spray them with the spray bottle. This will make the marker ink bleed into a beautiful wing. Next twist and clip with clothespin, making the butterfly wings. The kids can then color a face and antennas on the clothespin.
Butterfly Feet and Hands
Large White Paper
Any Color Paint
Have your child make ONE foot print on the paper. Next you will have your child make a total of 4 hand prints using the paint. Have them make two on each side of the foot print with the palm of the hand print touching the footprint. Doing this you will have a butterfly with beautiful wings.
Lady Bug Friend
Rock
Red Paint
Black Paint
Newspaper
Paint your rock red. Once the red paint has dried, draw a capital T with the black paint down the back of the rock and add black spot like a lady bug.
Fun Spiders
Styrofoam Balls
Black Paint
Black Pipe Cleaners
Googly Eyes
Yarn
Glue
Newspaper
First lay out newspaper to protect your table. Next you will need to paint your Styrofoam Ball black. While drying cut your pipe cleaners in half. Once dry poke the 4 pipe cleaners on one side of the ball and 4 on the other side of the ball. Next take the googly eyes and glue them on to your spider. To make your spider walk you can poke a piece of yarn through the ball and tie a not at the bottom so as the yarn does not come back through the body. This will give you a way to walk your spider.
Recommended Insects Books to Read
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!
by Bob Barner
Nothing fascinates children more than bugs! Vibrant paper collages illustrate spotted ladybugs, butterflies that flutter, and many more. The book includes an actual size buy chart and a “bug-o-meter” which lists the basics about each featured species.
Shaoey And Dot: Bug Meets Bundle
by Mary Beth Chapman and Steven Curtis Chapman
Shaoey & Dot: Bug Meets Bundle is an endearing tale told from the point of view of one little ladybug, Dot, who happens upon a mysterious bundle one sunny day. Dot stays with the little bundle as she is carried to the place where babies come to be found and promises to stay with the little one throughout her journeys toward getting a family.
Bugs!
by David T. Greenberg
This companion volume to the best-selling Slugs and Skunks! takes an irreverent look at another of the world’s most misunderstood creatures-bugs. Accompanied by Lynn Munsinger’s sly, witty illustrations, Bugs! is sure to disgust and entertain both bug lovers and bug haters alike!
Be Creative With Halloween Decorations!
by Jill Cooper
http://www.LivingOnADime.com/
I just stepped outside and took a deep breath and then another one and another one. No I don’t have a breathing problem or anything. It’s just that for the first time in months, I don’t feel like I’m breathing in an aquarium. The air is crisp and cool and that means fall is here and the humidity is gone!
At one point in our lives, that would have been the signal for us to haul out boxes and sacks full of Halloween decorations and go to work. It would usually take us at least a month to put everything out. We were one of those families who would put out a “monstrous” (Ha!Ha! No pun intended) display. We literally had hundreds of people drive by our home just to see our decorations. It really was a lot of work, especially because back then you couldn’t really buy much to use for outside Halloween decorations. We had to use our imagination and make our own.
We like to have fun at Halloween and not scare the wits out of everyone, so we try to keep our decorations cute and funny looking. To us, Halloween is a time for children to dress up and for one night a year be what they always dreamed of being, whether it’s a fairy princess, a ballerina, Superman or even a robot. They get to be on the “stage” for one night to show everyone how beautiful, strong or funny they look. And to end a perfect night they get tons of candy, bags of candy and did I mention, a whole bunch of candy??
Here are some ideas of things we did to have a whole lot of fun for very little money. You can use these same basic principles for any holiday decorating.
1. You don’t have to have a lot of decorations for your display to look nice. I drive by one home every year and each season the owners put out one simple something. For example, in the summer they have one beautiful pot of flowers sitting on their porch. In the fall a pot of mums, for Halloween, one pumpkin with a smiley face and at Christmas one pretty lit up wreath on the door. It’s never a lot, but I always get pleasure when I drive by the place and see their one simple decoration.
2. We work all year buying things at garage sales or thrift stores for our decorations. We started out with about 25 plastic pumpkins to set out for a pumpkin patch. The next year we added another 50 and drilled holes in the bottoms so we could put lights in them. After a few years we had 200-300 of them that we had collected. We never paid more then 5-10 cents for them. If you want to have a big display, start small and just add a little bit more to your decorations each year.
3. Cute homemade decorations make Halloween fun! If you see something in a magazine or somewhere that you think is cute but too expensive, try to copy it and make it yourself:
* I saw a cute rake in a magazine that I loved. It was an old rake that had a few silk flowers tied on it and a sign that said “Free leaves, rake all you want.” I just happened to have a dead 50 year old rake in my shed I was going to throw away, so I pulled it out, found an old board and some paint (I could have used a marker too), painted on the words and tied on a couple of stray silk flowers that I had and voila! I had a cute rake and saved about $25.
* It takes nothing to stuff some old clothes with plastic bags and make a scarecrow family.
* If you are a little handy, put your talent to good use. My husband took and old metal trash can and motorized it so that the lid moved up and down and when it opened it popped out a Sylvester the cat.
4. We found decorations in unusual places. Once we went to the grocery store where they had a gigantic pumpkin. The thing was about 8-10 feet across. We asked the manager it they threw it out at the end of the season and he said no. We told him what we needed it for and discovered that he had seen our display and liked it. He said “Come by on Halloween morning and you can take it to use and then bring it back.” It doesn’t ever hurt to ask about anything. Most people aren’t mean and hateful, but are usually kind and helpful.
5. Get more bang for your buck. Buy things that have a big impact but cost little. A couple of bags of spider webs and plastic spiders can cover a lot of area and look “cool” but cost very little. I use spider webs for everything. They’re great to use to cover throw pillows for a party, put in your hair, hang on the lights or wrap around the handles of silverware. You just can’t have too much.
6. Use what you already have around the house.
* We were having a Halloween party and to add to the effect, we dug out some black sheets and covered all the furniture. It changed the whole look of the room.
* Another year, my husband found some 10 foot long, thin metal rods. We stuck them in the ground, added styrofoam wig heads to each one and hung some large pieces of sheer fabric I had gotten for free from a friend over the tops of the heads. Everyone loved them. The sheer material had a much more realistic see through look then just a sheet. At night, you couldn’t see the rod so it looked like these ghosts were floating 10 feet up in the air.
7. Start the day after Halloween to prepare for next year. If your kids get a bunch of plastic spiders when they go trick or treating, save them and add them to the decoration box. If your child dressed as a pumpkin this year, save the costume, stuff it next year and set it out with the decorations. Try to think of ways to incorporate any old costumes into your decorations.
To Roast or Not to Roast!
By Tawra Kellam
http://www.LivingOnADime.com/
Peter Piper Picked a Profoundly Plump Pumpkin — Now What does he do with it?
Every fall I get many questions about what to do with pumpkins. Many people find curious fascination in imagining what it would be like to grow these versatile little gems, as if growing something that produces a large fruit is somehow more respectable than growing, say, a serrano pepper. Many people eventually venture into pumpkin experimentation. Some succeed and many fail. Much like a dog that chases a car, many people never give thought to what they would do if they actually succeeded in successfully raising a patch of these fall favorites. Whether you have found yourself with more pumpkins than you know what to do with or you are one of the people who had to buy pumpkins and duct tape them to the vine, these tips for roasting and using pumpkins are sure to help you make the most out of them (no matter how you acquired them)!
How to Roast a Pumpkin
You can only do this with a freshly carved pumpkin! Do not use on a pumpkin that has been carved and sitting out for several days. To bake a fresh 6 to 7 pound pumpkin, halve the pumpkin crosswise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Place halves, hollow side down, in a large baking pan covered with aluminum foil and add a little water. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until fork-tender. Remove. When cool, scrape pulp from shells and puree, a little at time, in food
processor or blender. Mix with a little salt.To freeze pumpkin puree. Put 1-2 cups in freezer bags along with spices and use in pies.
To use pumpkin puree for recipes: Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth or a flour sack dish towel and let the pumpkin sit to drain out the extra moisture BEFORE cooking with it. Pumpkin is very moist, so in order for your recipe to come out correctly, you MUST strain it.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Boil seeds in water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Sprinkle with salt or seasoned salt. Place a thin layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 250 . Stir after 30 minutes. Bake ½-1 hour more or until crunchy.
*Squash seeds may also be used.
Pumpkin Smoothies
½ cup pumpkin
¾ cup milk or vanilla yogurt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. brown sugar
4 ice cubes
whipped cream (optional)
sprinkles (optional)
Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into 2-3 glasses. Serve with a small amount of whipped cream on top. You may also add orange sprinkles if you like. Serves 2-3.
Pumpkin Pancakes
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 ¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
½ cup nuts, chopped (optional)
½ cup pumpkin
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cups milk
Combine ingredients. Stir just until moistened; batter may be lumpy. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat; brush lightly with vegetable oil. Pour ¼ cup batter onto hot griddle; cook until bubbles begin to burst. Turn and continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with Pumpkin Maple Sauce and nuts.
Pumpkin Maple Sauce
1 cup maple syrup
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 ¼ cups pumpkin
Mix together until well blended.
Frighteningly Frugal Fun!
By Tawra Kellam
http://www.LivingOnADime.com/
The average American family spends over $100 per year on Halloween goodies. As your kids drag you through aisles full of ghosts and goblins, the scariest thing about Halloween is threatening to leave bite marks in your pocketbook. No wonder so many moms flee screaming from the store… It can be much less expensive and a lot more fun to devise your own chilling creations. Here are a few tips that you can use to stave off the greenback gremlins and exercise your creative muscle. It won’t hurt a bit! These and other free frugal tips are available at http://www.LivingOnADime.com/.
Face Paint
1 tsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. cold cream
food coloring
Mix all ingredients together in an old muffin pan and you are ready to paint. This amount makes one color.
Fake Wound
1 Tbsp Vaseline
tissue
cocoa powder
2-3 drops red food coloring Place Vaseline in a bowl. Add food coloring. Blend with a toothpick. Stir in a pinch of cocoa to make a darker blood color. Separate tissue. Using 1 layer, tear a 2×3 inch piece and place at wound site. Cover with petroleum jelly and mold into the shape of a wound. The center should be lower than the sides. Fill the center with the red petroleum jelly mixture. Sprinkle center with some cocoa. Sprinkle a little around the edges of the wound to make darker.
Fake Blood- Mix 2/3 cup white corn syrup, 1 tsp. red food coloring, 2-3 drops blue food coloring to darken and 1 squirt dish soap (helps blood to run well).
Abrasions -Dab brown, red and black eye shadow on area. Apply blood over area with cotton balls. Use comb to gently scratch area in one direction. Apply cocoa or dirt over wound with cotton balls.
Black Eye -Apply red and blue eye shadow to depressions around eyes.
Bruises-Rub red and blue shadow over bony area to simulate recent bruises.Blue and yellow eye shadow to create older bruises.
Look Old – Cover face with baby powder. Draw dark lines on your skin for wrinkles. Smooth edges to blend. Cover again with baby powder. Add baby powder to your hair to create gray hair.
Deviled Eyeballs- Make deviled eggs. Add a green olive with pimento in the center for an “eyeball”.
Radioactive Juice- Mix equal parts Mountain Dew and blue Kool-Aid
Toxic Juice- Add some green food coloring to lemonade for a spooky color!
Brains- Scramble eggs with some green, yellow and blue food coloring
Bloody Eyeballs- Boil cherry tomatoes 30 seconds. Allow to cool; then peel skin.
Goblin Hand- Freeze green Kool-Aid in a rubber or latex glove, float in punch.
Use the tape from old cassettes or black yarn to make spider webs.
Use cotton balls stretched out for small spider webs.
Glass Jack-o-Lantern- Outline a pumpkin face on a spaghetti or pickle jar with black paint. The paint around the outside of it with orange paint. Place a candle inside for a jack-o-lantern.
Halloween Guess It Game
In this game, you challenge the participants to reach into mystery boxes filled with creepy things and try to guess what each item is. The person with the most correct answers wins the game. An example is if you want them to guess “grapes”, you might try to confuse them by saying, “I think it’s eyeballs…”
Cut a hole in the top of a shoe box or laundry box for each item to be used. Cover the box with black spray paint. Decorate each box with pumpkins or spiders for a more festive flavor.
Place the following items inside, one per box. Be sure to place enough of each item so the guests can adequately “feel” the guts.
Eyeballs – grapes or peeled cherry tomatoes
Intestines- Cooked Spaghetti
Skin- oil a piece of plastic bag
Brains- scrambled eggs
Hair- an old clown wig
Bones- thoroughly washed chicken bones placed in some sand
Vomit-chunky salsa
Fingers-hot dogs cut into finger sized pieces
Teeth- corn nuts, pine nuts or popcorn
Have a Pumpkin Hunt
Hide mini pumpkins like you would Easter Eggs. Let the kids find and decorate them. For small children use glue sticks with construction paper cut-outs for decorations.
Edible Slime
Pour lime gelatin into a glass bowl. After it is partially set, add gummy worms. Chill until lightly set. Then serve slopped all over the plate.
Bloody Popcorn- Add red food color to melted butter and pour over popcorn.
Freeze gummy worms in ice cubes and add them to drinks. Cut gummy worms in half if needed.
Acres of Apples, Frugal to the Core
By Jill Cooper
http://www.LivingOnADime.com/
I’ve always dreamed of having an apple tree in my back yard. You know the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for?” Now that I actually have my own apple tree, I stand in my yard watching the apples piling up around me thinking, “Oh no — What do I do with this mess now?” If I could make gasoline out of apples, I could retire, but since that is not an option and my frugal mind will not allow me to waste one apple, I have had to come up with some yummier “apple disposal” methods. If you find that you have a few dozen more apples than you know what to do with, these recipes from LivingOnADime.com will help settle your frugal dilemma.
Other Uses:
~When you have a partially eaten apple, save the good part and chop into pieces. Place in a microwave safe dish. Blend together 1 tsp. each brown sugar, flour, oatmeal and margarine and a dash of cinnamon. Top the apple with the topping and microwave until tender.
~Core and slice apples very thin. Dehydrate and use in granolas, eat alone or soften in warm water to use in recipes.
~Slice and use in Pancakes or waffles.
~Freeze. Peel, slice and core and then store in 2 cups portions in freezer bags.
~Use soft apples in cooking.
~Cut into small pieces and add to salads with a fruit based dressing.
Apple Butter
9 to 10 apples, cored, peeled and chopped
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. salt
Place everything into a crockpot. Stir, cover and cook on high 1 hour. Cook on low for 9-11 hours or until thick and dark brown. Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook on low 1 hour longer. Stir with whisk until smooth. Refrigerate or Freeze. Makes 2 pints.
Apple Pie Filling
9 cups baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
5 cups water
2 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Toss apples with lemon juice and set aside. Combine the rest of ingredients in Dutch oven and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add apples and return to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender (6-10 minutes). Cool for 30 minutes. Then ladle into freezer containers or bake immediately. Makes two 9-inch pies.
Fried Apples
4 large apples, cored and sliced
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Cut apples into 1/4 inch slices. Heat butter in a large skillet. Put the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the skillet and cover. Over medium-low heat, cook apple slices 7-10 minutes or until they begin to soften and the syrup thickens. Serve coated with excess syrup on top. Serves 4.
Baked Apples
apples, cored
raisins (optional)
1 tsp. margarine
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 Tbsp. honey or brown sugar
(These amounts are per apple.)
For each person use 1 apple. Fill the center of the apple with all the ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees until tender or put in a Dutch oven on top of stove and simmer on very low until tender.
Apple Snack
2 qts. apples, peeled, cored and halved
Coarsely grate apples. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 225 degrees until dry. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Apple Crisp
6 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon and/or nutmeg
1/2 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange apples in well-greased baking dish. Blend all remaining ingredients except water. Spread evenly over top of apples. Pour water over the topping. Bake 45 minutes until apples are tender and top is crisp. Serves 6.
Peach Crisp
Use peaches in place of apples.
~When you have a partially eaten apple, save the good part and chop into pieces. Place in a microwave-safe dish. Blend together 1 tsp. each brown sugar, flour, oatmeal and margarine and a dash of cinnamon. Top the apple with the topping and microwave until tender.
