Showing posts sorted by date for query Gingerbread. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Gingerbread. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Gingerbread. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Gingerbread. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Ravioli Recipe with Creative Twists

Make Mealtime Meaningful this Holiday Season

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Lipton. The opinions and text are all mine.

Refreshing iced tea is the perfect accompaniment to a meaningful mealtime with family and friends. Bring your family together to make a fun meal and take a break from the hustle and bustle the holidays. Slow down, and laugh together over a bottle of Lipton Peach Tea Flavored Iced Tea and these ravioli recipes with a creative twistEnjoy!


Ravioli Dessert Recipe Reinvented
Ravioli Dessert Recipe Reinvented.

Homeschool Art Curriculum Ideas

Art Activities for Homeschool or Elementary Classroom


Over the years, we've written a lot of posts and done a lot of craft and art projects that make perfect curriculum ideas for homeschool art. If you are looking for homeschool art ideas, you're in luck. We've indexed all of our art activities for kids in one place. Enjoy!


Homeschool Art Curriculum Ideas

Art Projects for Elementary Kids





Recommended:

You've got the curriculum, now you need the art supplies. Here are some of our favorite art picks for kids. They are good quality, but not too expensive. These are affiliate links for your convenience.





ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)



Diy Christmas Gift Bag Ideas

Make Christmas Gift Bags at Home

These gift bags are the perfect things to make at home. Purchase plain bags at deep discount and then do these DIY Christmas Gift Bag Ideas to personalize them for friends and family. Whether you decorate with a Christmas Tree, Santa Claus, Reindeer, Elf, Gingerbread Man or even a Star of David for Hanukkah, these bags are sure to get a smile. Enjoy!

Diy Christmas Gift Bag Ideas
Diy Christmas Gift Bag Ideas to make at home.

DIY Santa Gift Bag Decorations
DIY Santa Gift Bag Decoration.
For this Santa Claus gift bag, we used an oversize gift tag, sticky stars, and cotton balls. Total Cost is under 25 cents! We bought the tags and bags in bulk.

Gingerbread Man Craft Decoration for a DIY Gift Bag
Gingerbread Man Craft Decoration for a DIY Gift Bag.
This Gingerbread Man is a foam form that came in a pack of 100 different holiday characters. We added glitter glue, mini pom poms, and sticky stars.

DIY Reindeer Gift Bag Idea Craft
DIY Reindeer Gift Bag Idea Craft.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is a cardboard cut out. We bought them in packs of 50 at Michael's. They make great traceable patterns for kids. The tree below is traced from the Christmas Tree pack. We added glitter glue, sticky stars, and mini pom poms.

Christmas Tree Gift Bag Craft Idea
Christmas Tree Gift Bag Craft Idea.
Trace a Christmas Tree on felt and cut it out, add some glitter glue and sticky starts and then pop on some cottonball snow to make this gift bag decoration.

Recommended:

Christmas Ribbon for Crafts*

Fun Crafts to Make at Home

Make a Cardboard Gingerbread House

Christmas Tree Cards





ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Activities: 10 Fun Things to Make at Home with Kids of all Ages

Stuck Inside on a Snowy or Rainy Day? Make staying at Home with the Kids a fun adventure with these Activities

In this list of 10 fun things to make at home, we've included something for boys, girls, preschooler, and teens. Kids of all ages will enjoy these fun activities to do inside on a rainy or snowy day! Best of all, you don't need a lot of fancy supplies or expert crafting skills.

1. Make a homemade lava lamp minus the light - but grab your flashlight to illuminate it. Click the link above to see a YouTube Tutorial. If you aren't so diy-iee or crafty try this kit from ALEX® Toys - Make your own Lava Lamp at Home.

Make your own Lava Lamp at home with kids
Make a Lava Lamp at home with a few supplies or use this kit from Alex Toys.

2. Make Homemade Rainbow Slushies at home. Slushes, Slush, Slushy, Icee, whatever you call it - you can make a fun party one at home with popsicles!

Make a slush drink at home for a birthday party.
Make a slush drink at home for a birthday party.

3. This Gift bag purse can be fun for little girls or teens. Do an extra good job, and it makes a great coin purse. So, for a fun teen birthday party activity recycle the gift bags and make purses for kids.

Girls' Birthday Party activity to make at home.
Girls' Birthday Party activity to make at home.

4. Cardboard Play Kitchen - Save Money and Make your own pretend stove at home.

 Cardboard Play Kitchen Make at home
Make a stove at home with a cardboard box and wrapping paper.
5. Make a Homemade sleeping Mask like this one from Henry Happened.

Make a homemade sleeping mask like this one from Henry Happened.
Want to know how to make a homemade sleeping mask? Click the link above. This is a great activity for a pre-teen or teen girl's birthday party.
6. Make an Art Exhibit at Home How about having a an Art Exhibit at home. Have the kids each draw their favorite cartoon characters and place them on display. This is a fun Art Lesson for Kids.

This is from Bunsella.com Use clay or markers to create your own art exhibit at home. Give the kids ribbons to vote for their favorite entry.

things to make at home soap bath crayons homemade
See the link above to learn how to make these soap bath crayons from Teach Beside Me blog. The kids will love this fun bath time activity.
8. That reminds me of our Fun Shaped Crayons in Soap/Candy Molds. Crayons are a fun thing to make at home.

Make your own fun shaped crayons at home.
Make your own fun shaped crayons at home.
9. Make Mini Cheeseburgers at home to eat after you craft up all of these other ideas!

10. You can make metal butterflies at home using Pop cans. butterflies for Mobile. 

How to make recycled metal butterflies at home.
Make metal butterflies like these from Gingerbread and Snowflakes.

More fun things you can make at home

Homemade Doughnuts - you can make your own donuts at home. It is easy, fun, and affordable. We have 3 Doughnut Recipe posts.



Birthday Party Ideas and Activities for Teen Girls

Time for Teenage Girl's Birthday Party, you Need Ideas!

Want to have the best party everA typical teen girl will change her mind several times when planning her birthday party theme. Why not avoid the stress and surprise her with a cool, hip idea. Here are a few fun ideas for teen girl's birthday parties. Enjoy!  



Cool Birthday parties for teenagers






Jakes Jokes for Kids - 12 Silly Kid Jokes and Riddles

Jake's jokes for kids and funny things kids say are updated and listed all in one place in our Jake's Jokes/Ask Amanda tab above. Here's our latest list of silly jokes and riddles for kids.




  1. What has many limbs but can't move. ( A tree.)
  2. What did the mother ghost say to the baby ghost? (Don't spook until spooken too.)
  3. Why did the gingerbread man go to the hospital? (He was feeling crumby.)
  4. Why did the farmer plant gold in his farm? (To make the soil richer.)
  5. Knock knock. Who's there. Owls. Owls who? (Yes they do!)
  6. What has three feet but can't run? (A yard stick!)
  7. What is the tallest building in the city? (A library because it has the most stories.)
  8. What blows up but doesn't explode? (Possible answers: a balloon, a blowfish.)
  9. What do you call Dracula? (A pain in the neck.)
  10. What dinosaur raps? (A VelociRAPtor.)
  11. What did Susan B. Anthony coin say to the quarter? (Together we make a lot sense/cents.)
  12. What dog can jump higher than a building? (Any dog, buildings can't jump!)


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Preschool Sensory Play Activities: How it all got started!

Sensory Messy Play and Preschool Activities

We've had many great years teaching messy play and preschool classes for The Play Connection and hope the future will send even more blessings our way. Here are our top sensory and messy play preschool activities from 2013. What a blast from the past!


This post contains affiliate links.

Sensory Messy Play and Preschool Activities


Here is a listing of our top posts of 2013. Many offer great ideas for fun, preschool activities, clip art, and lots of fun for kids! Enjoy!


  1. Christmas Eye Candy: Photos of Christmas Trees in Snow Clipart
  2. Angie's Homemade Artisan Bread Recipe
  3. New Year Preschool Party Ideas and Activities for Kids
  4. Lots of Snowmen and Marshmallows Christmas Crafts and Activities for Kids
  5. Fun for Kids with Phineas and Ferb Printables
  6. Lots of photos of Bread Clipart
  7. Cute Valentine Clipart and Free Printables for Kids Classroom Valentines
  8. 9 New Year Activities for Kids with games for kids too
  9. Marshmallows: Fun for kids SENSORY game great for preschoolers
  10. The Tooth Fairy Sagas: Free Toothfairy clipart and true Mommy Drama
  11. Activities for Kids: Make your own snow for Sensory play fun for kids
  12. Birthday Party games for Kids and Moms on a budget
  13. Our new Series Made the cut! Creative Country Sayings and Inspirational Quotes

Activities for pre school Pre K Kids Creative Chaos Lora Langston Edible Crafts fun for kids
Memories from 2008 - 2012.

Here's my favorite Homeschool Lesson from 2013.

Primary and Complementary Color Homeschool Art and Science Lesson.
Primary and Complementary Color Homeschool Art and Science Lesson.


(Pre K to Elementary)
There are many Homeschool Lessons in this series, so make sure you click the labels under each post. (Still Life, Water Coloring for Kids, Weaving, Self-Portrait activities, Building Models for Science, Christmas Gingerbread House how to diy, Color Theory Lessons, Primary Colors, and even some History  along the way - it's art to me how we've designed our lives throughout the years. I hope you will follow along on the journey.)


We published a Kitchen Kids Cookbook with mix and make recipes for kids. We helped fund raise for Santa's Elves of Indy, we started Homeschooling through INCA (Indiana Connections Academy,) and we moved to a house in the country. 


2013 holds many dreams as we look forward to gardening, raising chickens, goats, and hopefully bunnies and alpacas, get that YA novel published, and share a few of the many stage plays and skits for kids I've written over the years. Bring it! I am excited to get started :-) 


What does your future hold? Leave a comment and let us know.



Follow us on Pinterest (Kids Creative Chaos and Pin it! Online Scavenger Hunt for Pre school Curriculum) and Google +  Can't find us on Twitter? Check the right sidebar for a link we're @playconnection


Recommended Reading:

Fun with Messy Play: Ideas and Activities for Children with Special Needs

Play Out: How to develop your outside space for learning and play


Art: How to Build a Gingerbread House from Cardboard Holiday Recipe Homeschool Art Lesson

How to make a cardboard gingerbread house and frosting paste

This Homeschool ART journey included a trip to the library where we learned how to make a cardboard gingerbread house that looks like the real thing with ginger/cinnamon paste recipe, and how to make royal icing gingerbread house paste. Enjoy!


This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*


How to Build a Gingerbread House from Cardboard


What She's Wearing Wednesday ~ Elf on a Shelf or What to Wear to a Gingerbread House Decorating Party


Mayhem thought it'd be nice to dress like the Elf on a Shelf.  Note the candy cane stripe socks. She was disappointed Mommy refused to let her wear the the Women's Size 9, Red, Pointy-toe Cowboy boots from the 1980's. See, sometimes I draw the line. It was a safety issue, the bottoms are flat and slippery and the boots are 3 times the size of her feet!
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Toddler Lost a Glove? Make a Fun Penguin Finger Puppet Play

Recycle your lost gloves into a Penguin Finger Puppet Show

Are your kids constantly losing a glove? Turn that frown upside down and recycle the lonely glove into a handful of fun. Grab a shoe box, decorate it with a green cloth, and you have an instant puppet studio. Enjoy!

How to Recycle your lost glove and make a Penguin finger puppet show
Easy Finger Puppets from Kid's Glove.
Kids can design each finger to go with a story or write their own script. Our puppets include a foamy, Halloween spider, a fun ladybug, a cute penguin, a starry night, and a giant snowflake. Imagine the possibilities.

Tip: 
Grab a copy of Goodnight Moon and make a bunny puppet, a moon, bears in chairs, or kittens with mittens.

You might also like: Moon Theme Fun Day


Recommended Reading:

Gingerbread House with Popcorn Snow

Bear Stays Up for Christmas Book


More fun things to do with Marshmallows Activities

Fun Games to Play with Marshmallows for Quiet Time

Here are three children's activities using Marshmallows that are oh so fun for children. Marshmallows are a quick way to steal a few second of quiet time. Kids love them with all their puffy squishy goodness they are fantastic for sensory play. Want to add an element of Messy Play? Just add water or edible paint and make marshmallow prints. 


photo of marshmallows fun for children activities
Marshmallows are the perfect companion for kids quiet time.

Recommended Reading:

Marshmallow Fun for Advent

Gingerbread Marshmallow Man

Marshmallow Game

Peanut Snowman Fridge Magnets or Holiday Pins

How to make a Snowman from a Peanut

These little snowman peanuts are buttons for your shirt. Think- lapel pin. This is an easy craft for preschoolers and teens love it too. You can make it edible with icing in place of paint, but don't eat the shell either way. If you paint the peanut black, you can make a penguin pin. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*


Peanut Snowman Craft

Gingerbread House: What's outside the window? Penguin and Snowman Peanuts, Popcorn, and Marshmallow Edible Holiday Craft Snack fo Kids

How to make a fun Gingerbread House with Marshmallows and Popcorn and Cute Penguins and Snowmen

Mayhem and I had a yummy, crafty time making this edible Christmas scene with candy cane sleighs and peanut snowmen and penguins. Enjoy!

Marshmallow and Waffle Cone Christmas Trees for Gingerbread Scene
Marshmallow and popcorn Christmas snow scene.

How to make a Candy Cane Sleigh and Peanut Penguin
Candy cane sleigh with holiday characters including
peanut penguin and gingerbread marshmallow man.

 Materials:

  Halloween candy
  Christmas candy
  Popcorn
  Marshmallow shapes
  Unsalted peanuts
  Waffle cones
  Ice cream cones
  Icing
  Edible Glue
  Gel food coloring



Popcorn snow scene.
Popcorn snow scene.

I made peanut snowmen magnets/pins a few years ago. This prompted me to come up with an edible version for the holiday.  These snowman peanuts are coated with our edible glue, the eyes are Wilton's icing coloring.


Gingerbread House Peanut and Marshmallow Snowman
How to make a cool Gingerbread house scene.
We glued a cheerio on the bottom of the penguin and snowman to serve as a base. The penguin's hat base is also a cheerio, but the snowman sports a circle cut from Fruit Stripe gum.  The noses are made by dipping a toothpick into gel food-coloring.  Use a pair of scissors to cut the top hat and scarf from gum.


The sleigh is made from two candy canes glued together with icing.  The base is a leftover Almond Joy from Halloween with a big, round gum drop as the back of the seat.  Santa's bag is made from the base of an ice cream cone and filled with jelly beans.  The little mouse atop the sleigh is just a peanut sitting sideways. Did you see that little gingerbread man and those Christmas tree reindeer?  Those are store bought mini-marshmallow shapes.


Recommended Reading:


Best Christmas Party Ever


Bear Stays Up for Christmas Book*






ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Easy Edible Craft Sugar Color your Marshmallows

How do you Sugar Color Marshmallows?

We love all things marshmallows, and we're always searching for things to do with marshmallows. When we saw these sugar colored marshmallows on "A Nut in a Nutshell.com" we had to try them! The marshmallows are colored with cookie sugars. What do you think? These would be great for building a colorful, gingerbread house or fun, marshmallow flowers.


how to color marshmallows
DIY Colored Marshmallows from A Nut in a Nutshell blog.

Recommended Reading:

Stained Glass Christmas Cookies and Recipe

Stained Glass Christmas Cookie Ornaments Recipe

BEWARE OF KILLER COOKIES! Years ago, I shared an apartment with two other singles: one male, one female. I decided to make stained glass cookie ornaments for the house. Enjoy!

Steamed & Stained Glass Christmas Cookies Recipe
Stained Glass Cookies From Epicurious.com
Christmas came and we decided to deck the halls. The roommates hung lights and put up a tree, while I got crafty. I wanted to try my hand at stained glass cookie ornaments, but took it one step too far and invented stained glass cookie votives. I am nothing if not the Martha Stewart of crafty flops, but these didn't flop! They were a huge success- at least that's what I thought.

I made homemade gingerbread cookie panels (the walls of the traditional house). Then, I took cookie cutters and a cut a window in each panel. I filled the centers with leftover, Grandma candies from Halloween. You know, butterscotch rounds, red cinnamon circles, and lime things. I baked them in the oven until the cookies were done and the candies were squishy, pulled them out, let them cool, then built them into house squares minus the roof.

Creative genius. I put a small votive in the center of each one and placed my work of art as a centerpiece on the table. With the lights off and a fire in the hearth, Christmas had arrived. The flicker pattern from the stained glass was glorious. Finally, I had a crafting home run.

It was Christmas Eve. I was tired. With visions of sugarplums and gingerbread men in my head, I blew out the candle and trumped off to bed. The roommates were equally wooed by the masterpiece. So much, that one felt inclined to move it to the living room end-table to enjoy its splendor.

A few hours later, it smelled as if Santa had come down the chimney and started baking cookies for us. I drifted back to sleep and awoke to the aroma of burnt cookies. A cloud of smoke filled the stairwell. My roommate rushed downstairs to find the couch smoldering, the end-table burnt to a crisp, and a trail of burning carpet. The male roommate had neglected to blow out the candle before going to bed.

We lugged the table and couch outside, pointed fingers, and thanked God that we were alive.

Thank goodness for apartment insurance, the smoke ruined the drapes, carpet, and furniture.You never know when it is your time to go. Who would think that you could die from a cookie incident.

That was a Christmas I will never forget. I wish I had photos of the masterpiece, but these are similar. Here's a recipe for Cookie Ornaments, they won't burn down your house!

Have a Happy and Safe Holiday Baking Season.


Recommended:

The Gingerbread Man*

Best-Ever Cookies: Cookies 'Round the Calendar*

Make Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments







ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


13 Easy Eatable Edible Christmas Craft Activities for Kids

Fun, Easy, Eatable, Edible, Christmas Art and Craft Activities for Kids


We love any kind of eatable, edible art. It's the best after school snack activity for kids. You get to make it, have fun, and eat it too! These 13 easy, seasonal, holiday snack craft activities for Christmas are sure to get your kids in a happy mood. Enjoy!




This post contains Affiliate Links.


Fun, Easy, Eatable, Edible, Christmas Art and Craft Activities for Kids
13 Easy Eatable Edible Christmas Craft Activities for Kids.

  • From Disney Family Fun, these edible sugar plum gum drop penguins are perfect for the scene around your gingerbread house.

Christmas activities for children Gumdrop Penguins
Candy Gum Drop Penguins = Edible Art.



edible craft activities for kids: things to do with marshmallows
Reindeer Marshmallow Pops = Things to do with marshmallows.


Marshmallow Snowman Sippers: things to do with marshmallows
Marshmallow Snowman Sippers.


  • Edible Crafts shared these adorable and easy to make powdered doughnut snowmen. In our after school program, we used candy corn for the noses and candy dots for the facial features.


Pre School Activities Edible Snowman Craft
Powdered Doughnut Snowman = Edible Craft.


How to make Stained Glass Cookie Ornaments.
Stained Glass Cookie Ornaments.

  • We found these edible cinnamon cookie ornaments at Completely Delicious. There are also non-edible versions which smell wonderful and last for years. Just don't eat them!

  • Christmas Yule Log Roll is the perfect Christmas Eve dessert. Make some hot cocoa, start a fire, and slice up your Yule Log Chocolate Cake! We've got the recipe!

How to make an edible Christmas Yule Log Roll Cake.
How to make an edible Christmas Yule Log Roll Cake.


Edible Cinnamon Scented Cookie Ornament.
Edible Cinnamon Scented Cookie Ornament.

  • Make an edible sleigh from candy canes like this one from One Hundred Dollars a Month. Keep scrolling to see our similar version with edible passengers!

edible sleigh from candy canes
Edible sleigh from candy canes from One Hundered Dollars a Month.

How to make a gingerbread house from cardboard
Make a Cardboard Gingerbread House.


Waffle Cone Christmas Trees: Types of Christmas trees
Waffle Cone Christmas Trees from She Knows.


Sugared Marshmallow Snowman
Sugared Marshmallow Snowman from She Knows.


  • This snowman in a jar is one of our all time most popular posts. This one is filled with fiber fill, but you can fill it with mini-marshmallows, chocolate candy, and candy corn to make an easy, edible craft for preschoolers.

Activities for preschool snowmen: Snowman in a jar. We filled this with cotton batting, but you could use popcorn or vanilla fudge.
Snowman in a jar: We filled this with cotton batting, 
but you could use popcorn, marshmallows, or vanilla fudge.


things to do with Marshmallows fun for kids  Edible Art Christmas Crafts
Edible Chocolate Marshmallow Gingerbread Man.

  • Pop some popcorn, add some waffle cone Christmas trees, a candy cane sleigh, peanut marshmallow snowmen and penguins, and you have the outdoor area at your Gingerbread Land.

    How to make Gingerbread House landscape
    The scene outside a Gingerbread House.


    • This little peanut is a snowman. To make an edible version, paint with white icing and decorate with gel icing.




    Edible Peanut Snowman activities for preschool
    This Peanut Marshmallow is a Lapel Pin, but you can 
    make and edible version for your Candy Cane Sleigh.



    Recommended Reading:


    Get Edible Holiday Snack Crafts and Games on Amazon.


    Turkey Peanut Butter Balls


    More Things to do with Marshmallows from Amazon.

    Book: Christmas Made Easy: Recipes, Tips and Edible Gifts for a Stress-Free Holiday


    Mayflower Cream Cheese Boats