Make Happy Birthday Cupcakes with this Cherry Recipe

Read Happy Birthday, Cupcake! and Make some too

Is it your birthday? These cupcakes are perfect for Valentine's Day too, but don't worry- you don't need an excuse to make birthday cupcakes. This recipe for cherry cupcakes, is perfect to pair with the book, Happy Birthday, Cupcake!, by Terry Border. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Cupcake! is a charming book. The main character is a Cupcake! The delightful photos throughout the book tell the story of a sweet Cupcake planning her birthday party with her friends. Her friends are various food items- each with varying needs. She takes into account each of them as she seeks to plan the perfect event. She shows kindness in realizing the limitations of her friends- like Ice Cream's propensity for melting...

Make Cherry Almond Cupcakes with this yummy recipe.

In then end, her friends surprise her with a birthday party to remember. This is such a cute story with an excellent message of friendship, feelings, and love. This picture book is perfect for the younger set. It makes a nice companion book for a birthday celebration. You can incorporate fun activities while talking about important topics like how to be a good friend.

Happy Birthday, Cupcake! by Terry Border.

One of our favorite activities is to bake together! This book lends itself well to a kitchen project. You can make cupcakes easily with a mix or make some from scratch. The most important thing is to spend time together. We enjoyed making Cherry Cupcakes- chosen by my son!

Delicious Cherry Cupcakes!

Here's a yummy recipe for the Cherry Almond Cupcakes that we adapted from one found on Food Network Magazine.

CHERRY ALMOND CUPCAKES Recipe

1 1/3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 stick butter, softened

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1/2 c. milk

1/3 c. maraschino cherries, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. 

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking power, and salt. In another bowl, cream butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth (about 1 minute). Add sugar and continue to beat until creamy (about 4 minutes). Beat in eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat in the flour mixture in three batches alternating the milk. Beat on medium-high speed until just combined. Stir in maraschino cherries. 

Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake until the tops spring back, 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool in pan 5 minutes and then remove to rack to completely cool. 

How to Make CHERRY FROSTING Recipe

1 1/2 stick butter, softened

3 c. powdered sugar

pinch of salt

2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. almond extract

3 Tb. maraschino cherry juice (from the jar)

Extra cherries to garnish if desired

Beat butter, sugar, and salt until just combined. Add extracts and beat on medium-high speed until creamy (about 3 minutes). Beat in the cherry juice until fluffy (about 1 more minute). 

Ice cupcakes when they are completely cooled and add cherries or sprinkles to decorate.

Fun Activity Ideas for the Book, Happy Birthday, Cupcake:

• Plan a play date with a friend.
• Cut out paper cupcakes.
• Make a friendship tree, and write down activites that your friends would enjoy.
• Pretend to have a birthday party. 

Recommended:

Make Strawberry Cupcakes

Get Happy Birthday, Cupcake!*

Snowmen Cupcakes

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! :)

Throw a Backyard Party Tips and Ideas

Throwing a Child’s Party in Your Yard: A Guide 

Planning a birthday party? Are you tired of indoor bouncy play areas? How about mini golf or pizza arcades? Do you never want to see a ball pit ever again for as long as you live? If so, do something different for your child’s next birthday party. Throwing a backyard party is easier than you think! Here's a guide to help you prep for the best garden yard party ever!

This post contains affiliate links.

Sure, you could invite your child’s friends over to a party inside your home, but that always results in a big mess to clean after the party. No doubt something will end up broken. Who wants to deal with all that after entertaining a house full of kids all day?

When you host an outdoor yard party for your child, you don’t have to worry about fingerprints on your door, dirt tracked in your kitchen, or things getting broken. Especially, if you rent a port-a potty! You can finally sit back, relax, and actually have a good time.

Just add a portable camping toilet. Get Pod tent on Amazon.

Always expect the unexpected! To ensure that your guests have a good time at the party, prepare in advance to avoid last minute hassles. Make sure the yard is safe place for the kiddos to run around. Things happen, these yard party tips and ideas will help you avoid mishaps and unhappy guests!

3 Things to Do to Host a Fun and Safe Child’s Backyard Party

Rid your Yard of Pests

Before throwing a party, most people don't consider all of the creatures that run a muck in their yard. The last thing you want at an outdoor yard party is a swarm of nasty wasps or an infestation of ants taking up residence and ruining the party. Most kids are afraid of insects and rodents, which is why you should rid your yard of pests before your guests arrive and the party starts.

When you take on the all-important challenge of banishing pests from your yard, it’s essential that you enlist the help of a professional pest service such as Moxie Pest Control. They'll have the tools, the all-important know-how, and the experience needed to ensure that your pest problem is dealt with in the most effective manner possible. 

Once the pests are under control, you can begin the fun tasks of setting up and decorating for the party.

Set up Food and Drink Stations

Want to be really fancy? If you’ve got plenty of space in your yard, consider setting up different food and drink stations. Galvanized buckets are perfect for serving up treats and even party games. This gives your birthday party guests something to pick at or indulge in while waiting for the cake. Nobody will get hungry, thirsty, or bored at your party. So it will reduce the number of fussy kids and party-goers.

Are you stuck for inspiration when it comes to deciding what food and drink stations to set up in the backyard? Consider the ideas below for party food and drink stations for a crowd.

A galvanized cart with wheels is perfect for toting
around beverages at a garden party.

For the kids:

Ice-cream stations

Candy stations, get bulk candy at OrientalTrading.

Smoothie stations

Chip and Dip station, plastic beach pails also make a fun, decorative way to serve snacks.

For the adults:

Espresso stations

Cheese stations

Pimms stations

Always Consider the Weather

Even if you plan your child’s yard party in the midst of the summer, you can never be quite sure that it won’t rain on the day of the party. To ensure that your shindig isn’t ruined by the weather, check your weather app often. Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best! Be sure to have a backup plan, such as, a wet weather tent on hand just in case the heavens do decide to open and rain on your party.

Follow the tips mentioned, and you’ll be sure to host a stress free backyard party for kids!

Recommended:

Party Games and Ideas for Kids

Party Ideas for Kids of all Ages

Get Kids Garden Party Decorations on Amazon

Pin it to Remember it!

Throw a Birthday Party or Summer Camp with these 11 Minecraft Games and Activities

11 Minecraft Games and Activities for a Birthday Party, After School Activity, or Summer Camp Program

These Minecraft activities are fun and easy, plan a party or a theme day for summer camp or even an after-school program with these hands-on, tech-off Minecraft games for kids. You know we used marshmallows for our minecraft building.  Enjoy!

Craft a Minecraft house from Marshmallows and design your own skins too!

• We decided to get in on the Minecraft crafting fun with Marshmallows! These days marshmallows come in all different sizes and colors  We used the giant ones to build houses and walls. We painted "glued them together" with a dab of water and colored them with markers and paint. We have recipes for edible paint if you'd like to keep your minecraft characters edible for toddlers.

Does Minecraft have any Educational Value?  Well, we sure hope so. What a great way to turn our kids into zombies... if only I were an evil, super villain from Batman.

Looking for Minecraft Printables?

Minecraft Squares Sheets

Minecraft Paper Cube Printables

How about a Minecraft Birthday Party Theme?

These Minecraft Creeper Lanterns from Play Dr. Hutch are my favorite birthday party decoration! She also has a roundup of Minecraft gift ideas for boys and girls, but don't forget our Minecraft Wood Puzzle. Dr. Hutch's Minecraft construction paper masks are an easy preschool activity.

Minecraft Creeper Lanterns for a birthday party.

Parties4ever blog has some great Minecraft birthday party ideas! I love the idea of play parody songs, and her food is spectacular!

Edible Art: Minecraft Snacks and Appetizers.

Games and Activities for a Minecraft Party

Minecraft Birthday Party Target Game from Housing a Forest blog.

Minecraft Creeper Target Practice Game

Make your Own Minecraft T-shirts

How to Make Glow-in-the-dark Minecraft Creeper Shirts

Make Minecraft Creeper Bracelets


Recommended Reading:

Minecraft: The Official Construction Handbook: 4*

Make Homemade Clay and Craft Pigs

Where to Find the Best Minecraft Skins

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! :)

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.

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

Memories from 2008 - 2012.

Here's my favorite Homeschool Lesson from 2013.

Primary and Complementary Color Homeschool Art and Science Lesson.

Jake's Journey in Homeschool Art Lessons and Projects for Kids

(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

14 Circle Time Activities and Ideas for Preschoolers

Preschool Circle Time is for Group Lessons, Games, and Interaction

Running out of ideas for Preschool Circle Time? Every preschool program needs circle time for group interaction. This is a time to build structure into the program, so the children know what to expect each day. It is great to offer circle time at least twice a day- once in the morning, and once just before time to go home. These ideas will help build a sense of togetherness, (community) a time for sharing, and a fun learning environment for the kids. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

Elementary Circle Time Games, Activities, and Ideas for Preschoolers and Toddlers.

 14 Ideas and Activities for Circle Time

1.  Dance Freeze - Play some music or sing a song. Everyone dances willy nilly. Suddenly, stop the song, but don't sing to the end of a verse, that is too predictable. Everyone must freeze in their position. Is one leg up? Are they doing the worm? If they move, they must sit frozen in that spot, criss-cross applesauce and wait to see who can freeze the longest. No blinking or twitching allowed.

50 SIMPLE GROUP GAMES for CIRCLE TIME

2.  Bug in a Rug - This is an oldie, but a goodie. Everyone sits in the circle. Before you begin to play, explain EXACTLY how the game works. Grab a blanket or a big beach towel. Now, pick one child to leave the room or wear a fun blindfold. Teacher picks a student. Shh! Just point at the child, grab their hand and take them away from the group. Now, point at another child and then to the "rug". Hide the child under the "rug." Bring the other preschooler back. Can they guess who is missing? 

3. Pass the Movement - I played this for years with preschoolers and school-age children in summer camps, but I didn't give it a name. I found the name at Preksharing Blog. She says it is adapted from a book published in 2011, but we used to do this years ago in summer camp and afterschool programs. Just goes to show, great minds think alike! It is simple to play. Teacher starts with a movement. Perhaps, you wave your hand in the air. Now, the person sitting to your right must wave their hand and add a movement like wiggling their nose. The next person to the right, does those movements and adds one of their own. It is a "WAVE" of different movements.

4. Shake the Sillies Out - Need a game to get kids' moving?  Find some Dragon Tunes from the cartoon, Dragon Tales, and every morning, "Shake the Sillies Out"! Just play the song, and follow the instructions. Kids love this one!

5. Circle Time Collaborative Painting - I like the idea of painting circles in collaboration like the one from Art Project Girl in the link. You know, where Teach lays out a big sheet of paper and painting supplies and everyone paints concentric circles? What if we do it as a part of Circle Time? Pass the painting, and make a PROGRESSIVE PAINTING. 

This idea teaches patience. Everyone must wait their turn. It builds excitement too. Lay out a large painting tarp, sit the children in a circle on the tarp, give each child a cup of paint and a brush. No painting unless it is your turn. To make it less frustrating, pass two large poster boards around starting at opposite ends. Children are allowed to paint only 1 circle or shape of their choice per turn. While they are painting, teacher shares an art lesson on shapes!

Collaborative Concentric Circle Painting from Art Project Girl.

6. Click, Clack, Moo Story Starter - You know the story about the unhappy cows in the barn? They have a typewriter. They are making demands. An electric blanket would be nice. What else might the farm animals want from the farmer? 

Click Clack Moo Story Starter Circle Time Game.

Play a Circle Time Game where each child is given an animal. Before the game, print out cards with farm animal pictures on one side and their name on the other. Each child draws a card from a hat. Give this example to the kids: What does the (insert animal here) pig want? "Dear Farmer Brown, the barn is smelly. Please send air fresheners." Have each child come up with their own idea for what the animal on the card might want from the farmer.

7. Animal Movement Game - Take the game above one step further. Get the kids moving like the animals. Ask, "What does a pig say?" Now, "How does a pig move?" The children take turns walking around the circle like the animal on their cards. 

8. Quiet Mouse, Still Mouse - When Circle Time is done, keep children in a circle to release them to the next preschool activity. The teacher explains, the child who sits as quiet as a mouse (the quietest) get to line up first. Continue until everyone (or almost everyone, I don't like to single out those who can't sit still or quiet) is in line.

9. Calendar Time -  Sing "Sunday, Monday, Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday Friday, Saturday. Suunday, Munday... TUUESday" Emphasize the current day of the week. Sing the song and then check the calendar. Who can find today on the calendar? Here's another days of the week song sung to the Addam's Family theme. 

10. Alphabet Shopping - Using the first letter of each child's name, pretend to go shopping for an item that begins with that letter. For example, “Jake will buy a jump rope.” Go around the circle until everyone has had a turn. This helps with letter recognition. For more ideas like this visit Early Childhood News.

11. Talking Stick - Bring in a cane, or recycle a cardboard wrapping paper tube. The kids can help decorate the "Talking Stick" with Washi or Duct Tape, Glitter, or Feathers. During Circle Time, grab the stick. Now, explain to the group that this is a talking stick. Only the person who holds it may speak. This is a great tool to use for Show and Tell or other situations where children take turns sharing. More lessons in patience and turn taking.

12. Birthday Day of the Week Bags - PreK Pages Blog has a fun idea for Day of the Week Bags. Make a brown paper bag for each day of the week. Give it a colorful label, and fill it with the names of classmates who have birthdays on this day or other special things that happen on this day of THIS week.

   13. Pictures with Facial Expressions - Hold up magazine pictures of facial expressions. Ask, "What is this person feeling." Have the children take turns making the face. After you play this game, have the kids draw themselves like this emotion art lesson.

14. Play Duck, Duck, Goose? - This old standby might be boring to you, but it is likely new to the toddlers and preschoolers in your class. Change it up each day. After they get the hang of the game, add a creative play element by acting it out. Have the kids act and walk like the animal as they toddle around. Walk and Talk like the animal. For older or school-age children, change the theme to pig, pig, cow or ghost, ghost, vampire.

Recommended Reading:

50 Easy Group Games for Preschoolers

Rugs for Circle Time

Circle Time Handbook with Reproducible Pages

Teen Group Games for Camp

Preschool Circle Time Activities

Chicken Art Project for Preschool

Preschool Circle Time Songs

Nature Based Circle Time Activity

How to Play Four Corners Group Activity

Follow us on Instagram for more fun ideas every day!

Cute Monster Paperbag Puppets: Video, Monster Trouble: First in our KCC Kid's Creative Play Series for Kids

Make your own paper bag monster puppets for Halloween

In honor of my favorite holiday (Halloween) we explore Monsters. Special thanks to Alex Toys for providing the crafts and toys in this post. These Paper Bag Monster Puppets came in a kit but you could make your own with construction paper shapes and lunch or colorful party bags. Play a Monster Game too.

 Paper Bag Monster Puppets are fun for a 
Preschool or Toddler Birthday Party.

More Paperbag Puppets for Teaching (Presidents)

Creative Play allows children to forget about stress and school work and let their imaginations run wild. 

I'm a huge fan! The Play Connection, Inc. offers many opportunities through our Sensory Messy Classes, Costumes/Puppets and Kiddie Play Productions.

First, we made Paper Bag Monster Puppets. The kits includes 5 colorful paper bags but with the leftover supplies you can make even more with white or brown paper lunch sacks.

Paperbag Monster Puppets.

After monster making, we went on a CREATIVE PLAY adventure and filmed it for you! The monster in the video is wearing the Face Paint Kit by Alex Toys and his weapons of choice are the Connect a Giant Monster discs. 

We hope you'll join us over the next few weeks as I find my inner videographer and the kiddos explore their improvisational skills in our first video production, The KCC Kids Creative Play Series Videos. 

The KCC Detective Agency presents MONSTER TROUBLE.



Find the Undercover Spy Gear here. After tracking monsters, you can get some much needed target practice when you clean up in the bath with this Screaming Monster Tub Target.

Monster Bath Tub Toys.

Each month, we'll go on a fun adventure and share it with you. Stay tuned next month for our tribute to Thanksgiving and the Wampanoag Indians.

We'd love to hear from you! Do you have ideas for future KCC adventures? Do you want to join in the fun? Leave a comment below or subscribe to our posts.

Recommended Reading:

Monster Toilet Paper Roll Cardboard Tubes

Birthday Party Game Kids Love

Monster Birthday Book by Boynton

June Calendar Special Days Holidays

Planning your Calendar for June? Celebrate these Special Holidays

We've got a fun holidays printable calendar for June, is summer in the states. People are outside, children are frolicking in the park, birds are happily tweeting. How do we celebrate? With picnics, of course. In the states, there are two well-known June holidays: Flag Day and Father's Day. Enjoy!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience.

June Calendar 2021 Printable

Flag Day 14 - Make a felt Flag, Make a colored rice flag! For Flag Day, you could dress up like the Statue of Liberty.

Juneteenth 19 - What is Juneteenth? It recognizes the emancipation of African Americans and is a national holiday for celebrating the end of slavery. Celebrate Juneteenth with a Barack Obama Paperbag Puppet.

Father's Day in U.S. - 19 (third Sunday) Father's Day Crafts to Make and Origami with Money for Dad.

Origami Money Art from Powerful Mothering.

Summer Solstice - 21 Sunshine Crafts and Activities for Preschool from Inner Child Fun. Tie Dye Suns from Creative Family Fun.

National Doughnut Day - (First Friday in June) Make homemade doughnuts.

Go Fishing Day 18 - Here is a super cute fishing activity and song. Math Fishing Activity for Toddlers. Buddy and Buggy also has a Fish Theme Birthday Party post! 

Paul Bunyan Day - 28  You could go see a Lumberjack show. We did that one year in Northern Michigan. How about a Lumberjack Birthday Party? Little Treats blog has some amazing ideas, like the little tree party favors pictured below.

Lumberjack Birthday Party or Paul Bunyan Celebration Party Favors
from Little Treats blog.

Here is a fun game to play straight from elementary pe class, but play it with teenagers at a birthday party for a real hoot!

Lumberjacks and Farmers

You will need orange cones, if you have a cut up log, that's even better! These are your logs for the lumberjacks to "chop down."

Divide into a team of lumberjacks and a team of farmers. Spread the cones or small stumps around the yard, half sitting up, half lying on their side. 

The farmers have to set up all of the "logs." The lumberjacks have to knock them all over! Players can only use their hands. No kicking over the logs! After a few minutes, call time. The team with the most upright or knocked over wins!


Recommended Reading:

Paul Bunyan Swings His Axe

Paul Bunyan (Reading rainbow book)