Teenage Birthday Party Ideas Indianapolis: Tweens Too!

Birthday Party Ideas  for Teens in Indy

Planning a unique birthday party for a tween (soon to be teen) or teenager is difficult. When they're younger, there are so many options- plus they don't even remember most of them! By the time they become teenagers, you're running on empty. Here's a list of Teenage Birthday Party Ideas in Indianapolis, your tween will love them too. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links.

Edible Art PRETZEL Heart Recipe Valentine Craft Activity for Kids

Pretzel Heart Recipe

Almost as good as the ones you get from a carnival, this Edible Art, Pretzel Heart Recipe is the perfect Valentine Craft Activity for family fun. Enjoy!

Want to make pretzels at home? This recipe is fun to do as a family. And, it's yummy too- better than a breadstick! Make an edible heart for a fun, Valentine activity.

Twist Pretzel into a heart for Valentine's Day.

Have a HEART!

You will need:
1 pkg. dry yeast, 1 tbs. sugar, 1 1/2 cup warm water, 4 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt or sea salt, 1 egg beaten, Red food coloring,

Mix water and yeast together in large bowl until yeast dissolves. Add Salt, Sugar, Flour, and food coloring. Mix and Knead the dough until smooth- but don't over do it. The more you work the dough the less fluff the finished product will have. Flour your hands to work the dough; it is sticky!

Knead in red food coloring.

Roll dough and make heart shaped pretzels or oversize pretzel bread sticks, place on GREASED baking sheet, lightly brush with BEATEN EGG, sprinkle with SALT.

Brush with egg.

Twist and lay out.

 

BAKE at 425 degrees for 12 -15 minutes.

Try with usual dips WARM CHEESE and HOT MUSTARD

Or Experiment with CREAM CHEESE, PEANUT BUTTER, and PIZZA SAUCE.

Valentine Toast with Milk Paint

5 Fab Valentine Crafts

Salt with table salt or pretzel salt, place in oven.

Recommended Reading:

Valentine Doily Gift Pouch

Valentine Cootie Catcher Super Valentine Card Pack*

The Story of Valentine's Day*












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! :)

United States Capitals and Symbols: Free Homeschooling Online

Lesson Ideas for United States Capitals and Symbols

United States Capitals and Symbols: These activities will help you learn how the United States came to be united. Study the state capitals and symbols with fun online games and free printables. Each of our free online homeschooling lessons includes language arts, social studies, science, and art components. Whenever possible, we also include math and PE. Scroll down for online games and activities. Enjoy!

Elementary and Middle School Social Studies: Grades 3-8

Teacher Resources:

Make your Own Worksheets

Free Common Core Lesson Ideas for grades 3 - 12 from Brainpop.com

Lesson Ideas for the United State symbols for early elementary.

Homeschooling Activities

Student Lesson:

Do this:  While you are studying the state capitals, make an index card for each state. On the front write the state’s name in the CENTER of the card in big, bold letters. 

On the back, write the name of the state’s capital. As you learn facts about each state, draw pictures on the card to represent them. For example, for Indiana decorate your card with the Cardinal (state bird) and Corn (state resource).

Watch this video about how it all began:

Schoolhouse Rock The United States Preamble to the Constitution

Geography

Cartoon: Sing the 50 state capitals with Wakko of Animaniacs.

Click United States Facts for a map of capitals, info on state birds, flowers, and more.  Free Printable Blank Map of Indiana Downloadable Blank Maps of all 50 states.

Now, you're ready to practice what you've learned with this cool Capital Catch Game from kidsgeo.com. Match Capitals with States Online Game.

State capital matching game and quiz from kidsgeo.com.
Click the link above to play game.

History

When did Indiana become a State? ______________________

(Write out the question, and answer it in your daily journal.)

Find out here: Statehood Dates. 

Fun Videos that teach how we became the United States of America:

Video on Boston Tea Party by Schoolhouse Rock: No More Kings




Schoolhouse Rock: The Shot Heard Round the World

Why do we have fireworks on the Fourth of July?

Answer this in your daily journal.

Schoolhouse Rocks: Fireworks

Read How did the American Revolution happen?  If you subscribe to Brainpop, watch the video here.

Grab a piece of paper (or use a Google Doc) and tell how the American revolution happened? Why did it happen?  

Start with this Printable Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer

Because of all of that, America became a melting pot.

How are you doing? Test your knowledge with a State Capitals Quiz.

More about the U.S. Constitution from Brainpop.com (subscribers only).

Art Component

Let’s get messy! Make your own 3D map of the United States activity. You will need tempera paint, flour, salt, water, and some cardboard. Remember: Baking and Making is science too!

See how to do it at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

How to make a 3D United States map with salt dough.
Visit Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Language Arts Component

Grammar Monster explains the difference between capital and capitol.  Be sure to scroll past the quick answer to learn more about capital vs. capitol.

Science Component

What is the state bird for __________________? (fill in your state and bird). Optional: Research why your state bird was chosen.

What is an ornithologist?

Become a bird watcher in your state and Research Birds of the United States. Follow the link to learn about typical and rare birds found in each state. Find out how you can help report rare bird sightings.

Print this: Printable Worksheets for State Birds from Education.com

Did you know the state bird for Delaware is a Rooster, okay a chicken but still… :)

Online Lesson on Ornigthology

State Bird Coloring Sheets for Children from Education.com

Early Elementary Component Pre-K - 3, but suitable for older kids too!

Free Online Quiz and Video on U.S. symbols from Brainpopjr.com

Free online matching game: Match the United States symbols.

Name 3 United States symbols. On a separate sheet of paper, draw the symbols with crayons or markers.

1.___________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________

3.___________________________________________________

Social Studies Just for Fun Online Games

Play this fun game from Funbrain.com: Where is that?

From Cool-Mathgames.com: State Snap match the states shape game.

Fun Activity: Collect United States State Quarters. Each quarter has special information about the state it represents.

The U.S. Mint has lots of online games and videos. We've got an online lesson on how to make money - okay, it is really about how they make money at the mint, but how to make money sounds more exciting!

Recommended Reading:

United Tweets of America: 50 State Birds Their Stories, Their Glories

Learn about Presidents of the United States

Fireworks, Picnics, and Flags: The Story of the Fourth of July Symbols

The Story of America's Birthday

Soaring with the Wind: The Bald Eagle

A Picnic in October - A story about the Statue of Liberty.

Tandoori Chicken Recipe Easy

Indian Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Indian Tandoori chicken is traditionally colored dark red. Today, this is accomplished by adding large amounts of food coloring. In the spirit of healthy living, we have omitted the food coloring and focused on the taste. Control the heat by dialing the cayenne pepper up or down to taste. We hope you enjoy this easy Tandoori Chicken Recipe.

This post contains affiliate links.

How to Make Pumpkin Pie Pancakes Vegan Recipe

Ever wonder how to make Pumpkin Pie or how to make Pancakes from scratch? This vegan recipe from Angie does both!

Pumpkin pie pancakes these are breakfast this week. I got this vegan recipe from a friend- not sure where she found it, but when I saw it I knew I had to make these because they sounded so good.

                 How to Make Pumpkin Pie Pancakes Vegan Recipe.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 C flaxseed
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cin + spice blend or pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix together
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup coconut milk or soy milk till consistency of pancake batter.

Mix wet, pour into dry, only mix till combined.

Toast chopped walnuts in your microwave, 1 min at a time until toasted in small microwave cooker.

Using large stainless steel scoop, scoop onto hot double burner griddle. Sprinkle w/toasted walnuts. Flip when bubbly.

Serve with vegan butter and pure maple syrup or try this vegan butter cream frosting.

Recommended Reading:

Kids Creative Chaos Cooks: Fun Holiday Games and Recipes

More Angie's Recipes

How to make homemade Play Dough Recipe Ideas (Edible) and Pistachio Experiment

Ever wonder how to make play dough at home? 

We love to play with squishy dough. It is great for sensory play, especially when it has a scent. This recipe for how to make homemade play dough (Play-doh) is scented and edible, but not very tasty. Enjoy?

Scented Play Dough for a true Sensory experience.

Grands!® Halloween Recipe Easy Edible Art Bento

Grands!® Biscuits Easy Recipes for Halloween

Halloween is our favorite time of year! We love carving pumpkins and creating fun, edible art or Bento lunches with a Halloween, holiday theme. So, when Pillsbury Grands!® asked us to come up with a Halloween recipe, we were happy to oblige. Enjoy!

Hooty owl biscuits for Halloween.

The Hooty Owls are our favorite Halloween biscuits. Before baking, we made a slice in each side of the biscuit and pulled them out to look like wings. Then, we cut a sausage triangle for a nose. Snack pepperoni makes perfect owl eyes. Bake according to package directions.

Grands!® Halloween Recipe Easy Edible Art Bento.

This easy Grands!® Bisuit Halloween recipe is fun for toddlers or preschoolers to make, and it makes a great after school snack for elementary age students. They can choose their favorite Halloween character. We made Jack-o-lanterns, Jack the Pumpkin King, creepy monsters, and little hooty owls!

Creepy monster Halloween biscuit with pepperoni and sausage.

For this creepy monster, we sliced the pepperonis in half. Then, we sliced the sausage lengthwise cutting out pieces for a long nose and two eyes. Just push into the raw dough. They will bake in place.

Below, we made Jack the Pumpkin King with just sliced sausages. As you can see, these are easy for little ones to make. Just pre-cut the meats for them, and let them stick into the biscuit for some sensory, fine motor skill practice.

Skeleton biscuit is easy edible art for Halloween.

Easy Jack-o-lantern pumpkin biscuit is fun to make for Halloween.

Owl edible art craft for preschoolers or toddlers.

Cute, baby owl edible craft for Halloween.

Grands!® Halloween Recipe Easy Edible Art Bento ideas.

You can share our photos with the kids to inspire them, but let them make their own edible creations.

• Set out several small cups, each with a different ingredient.
• Remember, pepperoni, sausage, hotdogs, Zucchinni, Summer Squash, and peppers work best.
• Give each child a paper plate with a raw biscuit.
• Let them create!
• Bake according to package directions.
• Enjoy with milk or apple juice for a fun snack.

Grands!® Biscuits Easy Recipe for Halloween.

Be sure to share your creations with us! We love to see your creative ideas.

Recommended:

Cool Lunchbox Ideas

Owl Paper Crafts for Halloween

Halloween Cupcake Pans*

Plan a Make Believe Bakery Companion Activity




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

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 Chitika, Google Adsense, and Social Spark ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Easter Recipe: Hot Cross Buns & Song Lyrics

Hot Cross Buns Easter Recipe Ideas

You've probably heard the song, Hot Cross Buns- especially, if you've ever learned to play a musical instrument. But, have you ever eaten Hot Cross Buns?Hot Cross Buns are traditional Easter breads made with dried fruit, such as currants or raisins, with a sugar icing cross on top. So, if you are looking for recipe ideas for Easter, you might want to make Hot Cross Buns. If you don't like to bake, just you can play the song. We've included the song lyrics at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps Recipe like P.F. Chang's

P.F. Chang Cloned Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps Recipe

Angie's Recipes: Lettuce Wraps Recipe a great way for diabetics to save on carbs. These vegetarian lettuce wraps are made with tofu. Enjoy!

P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wrap Clone Recipe.

Okay, first I will let you know I found this "Clone" Recipe on-line after craving these for over a week. To give credit where credit is due, I found this on the website Food.com. I did change a few things after reading the reviews and looking at the ingredient list to find Oyster Sauce ( I chose to omit to make it actually a vegetarian dish). This was an easy dish to make and pass off to the family.

The family fell in love with the chicken version of the lettuce wraps when I introduced them to the restaurant and after making several dishes with tofu; the family fell in love with that too. So no one in my house was going to complain about this dish! Score one for mom. :-)

P.F. CHANG'S VEGETARIAN LETTUCE WRAPS 

(copycat recipe)

(4 servings; you can double recipe for 8)

Tip: When buying bamboo shoots, get the strips. This cuts down on prep time, all you have to do is dice them.

I've also included a sauce for adding to the individual wraps after cooking (just like in the restaurant!) I like my sauce spicy so you may want to experiment with the ingredients for a milder version.

FOR THE COOKING SAUCE:
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoon. water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon cornstarch

FOR THE MARINADE:
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoon dry sherry
2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon water

FOR THE TOFU MIXTURE:
1 cup baked tofu with 1 T Chinese Five Spice added before baking, diced
2 tablespoon peanut oil plus 1 Tbsp. sesame oil, mixed
1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Chinese chili sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, minced
1/2 small or 1/4 large red onion, minced
1/2 can bamboo shoots, diced
1/2 can water chestnuts, diced
TO SERVE:
Cellophane noodles, prepared according to package directions
Iceberg or green leaf lettuce
Spicy Sauce (optional, recipe follows)

TO MAKE THE COOKING SAUCE:
Mix the cooking sauce in a bowl and set aside.

TO MAKE THE MARINADE:
In medium bowl, combine sherry, soy sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, and water. Mix well.

TO PREPARE THE TOFU:
Stir tofu into the marinade. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes.
Heat wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mixed oil and stir fry tofu for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
Add the ginger, garlic and onion; stir-fry for about a minute.
Add bamboo shoots and water chestnuts; stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
Return tofu to wok/skillet. Add cooking sauce and cook until thickened (about 2 minutes).
Combine  mint, cilantro and lemon juice to taste at the end to tofu mixture

TO SERVE:
Place prepared cellophane noodles onto a platter. Pour tofu mixture over them and serve with lettuce and Spicy Sauce.

SPICY SAUCE
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard (e.g., Coleman's)
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon Chinese chili sauce
In small dish, mix the dry mustard and water until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Recommended Reading:


Meatless: More Than 200 of the Very Best Vegetarian Recipes*

Kids Creative Chaos Recipes



-->

25 Valentine Activities for Kids and the Elderly too

25 Fun Activities for Valentine's Day

Whether you work with an after-school program, in a classroom, or at a retirement community for senior citizens, these 25 Valentine's Day activities are the bomb! We curated all of our heart crafts, recipes, and classroom Valentine projects in one place. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

Valentine activities for kids that work for the elderly too.