6 Edible Apple Crafts for Kids

Here are 6 fun, easy things to do with apples!

Apples, Apples, Apples! It's September and the best apples are ripening on the trees. Around here, the apples and pears are falling off attracting wasps and bees. I need to collect these gifts from nature and do a creative craft for kids like this first fun apple idea from It's Gravy Baby.

Monster apples and pears from It's Gravy Baby blog.

What could be better than than scent of fresh apple pie?  Why not try to add some sensory play to your play dough? It's Gravy Baby also offers up this apple pie scented play dough. She must have a lot of apples too!

Apple Scented Play dough.... can you smell it?

How about this wormy apple craft from Babble.com?  Worms are squishy, ooey-gooey, fun. This edible apple snack is perfect for Kid's Birthday Party Treat, a Halloween Edible Apple Craft, or an April Fool's day surprise.

Apple Worm Craft for Kids from Babble.com

I'm not really a Star Wars fan, but lots of people think I am. You want to know why? I'm a Sesame Street fan. I LOVE me some Sesame Street. My favorite character is Super Grover. This translates to a special appreciation for Yoda from Star Wars. I even named my favorite pet bunny after him. So, when I saw this green apple craft for kids depicting Yoda I was all, I've got to try that one. Wait, no, I mean, I have to DO that one! Check it our for yourself at Bit Rebels.

Edible Star Wars Craft for kids from Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons.

Why is it watermelons make the cutest crafts for kids or baby shower edible art? I just love these mock watermelon slices made from green apples and jello. Find out how to make them at Chocolate on my Cranium blog.

Mock watermelon slices apple craft for kids snack.

And finally, you've probably seen better versions out there in the blogosphere, but this was one of our first craft idea posts for our summer camp. Turkey Edible Apple Crafts for Kids with Dollar Store candy. Since then, I try to make healthy edible art and crafts for kids!

Turkey Edible Apple Snack Treat for Kids.

Recommended Reading:

Apple Kids and Acorn Frolics: Linework Pattern Workbook

Apples by Gail Gibbons


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Sensory Play: Art Develops Critical Thinking, Reasoning, and Fine Motor Skills

Creative Outlets like Art and Dramatic Play Stimulate Children's Brains with Reasoning, Critical Thinking, and Advancing Fine Motor Skills

Art is creativity in action. Creating and playing with art supplies is stimulating to our brains. Our imagination takes over while art helps develop critical thinking and fine motor skills. Everyone can play and learn with art, regardless of their socioeconomic status or level of education. Read on to learn!

Back to School Life Lessons from a Dyslexic's Mommy

Life Lessons for Homeschooling

Back to homeschooling dealing with brain drain. By now, most kids are back in school full-time.  As homeschoolers, we officially started August 12 with Connections Academy, since there were no scheduled live lessons we eased back into it.  Life lessons for homeschooling quickly ensued. Enjoy!

Brick and mortar schools have late start Monday, so why can’t we?  We started late (10:00) did a lesson, took a break, did another lesson, ate lunch, did another lesson, went swimming (hey, it counts as P.E), and then called it a day.  Although, it sounds easy- it wasn’t!  I’m great at giving advice, remember this post on summer brain drain?  Well, turns out, I didn’t follow my own advice.  How much brain power can one lose in a few weeks, right?  

W-R-O-N-G!

School is back in session.

Jake is doing great, on task, a little hurried so he can get back to his video games, but overall excellent.  He had a perfect spelling test, near perfect Math homework, and he was all smiles and ready to roll.  He hates school, but it comes easy.

Mayhem.  Mayhem.  Mayhem.  That’s not her given name, but that’s what we call her, Mandy Mayhem.  We woke up, brushed our teeth, freed the chickens, collected eggs and tomatoes, took a walk to the pond, and then made scrambled eggs and toast.  Everything was fine. She was excited to start school- and then we started school.  GRR.  “I can’t make this work- the page disappeared- do I have to read this?”  AND  “I can’t find my Notebook- where is a pencil? –You wrote in my sketchbook!”  On a positive note, reading her assigned story, Iris and Walter went well.  It seemed she’d retained more than I thought.

AND THEN…It was time for written work.  “Number your page for a spelling test”, Mommy politely said.  “Are you ready? This is just a pre-test”, Mommy smiled ignoring the tantrum.  “Don’t worry, it is only practice.”  There was much complaining, whining, and pencil pounding. “I’m sure those letters are backwards!”  “I can’t remember how to spell that word!”  “Which letter comes first?”  And so, it resumed.  All the work, we’d done last year, on the “it’s probably not dyslexia just age appropriate transposition of letters and numbers” was lost.

The paper wasn’t numbered from 1-15.  There were big words and small words scribbled all about, there were capital A’s and small a’s intermixed in the same word.  There were words, that had just been practiced in a worksheet, spelled on tiles, and read in the story.  Not one word was written correctly.  Although, if  you paid close attention and understood the common transpositions, backward or upside down letters, you could decode the correct spelling word.

DeKs, backward J-oB, sAD, LTis, S A backward C- K, DutS, and pockt.

I think its interesting, that the only misspelled word is the only one written in appropriate all lowercase letters.  Did you need a translator?  Desk, job, sad, list, sack, dust, and pocket.  A teacher would have taken one look at the sloppy mess and given up.  Mommy took the time to decode it.  Then, I wrote lines in pink highlighter, filled in the word 'desk' written correctly, and asked her to recopy her words with proper capitalization.  

Dust, chop, Desk, Durm, backward j-ob, t- backward a and g, letts, snack, rook, Rib, engine, mess, and list.

 She did a great job on chop, engine, mess, and list, but snack and rook aren’t on the list.  I will have to decode those later. The good news is the words are written within the lines with appropriate letter size, and numbered from 1-15.  We’ll focus on that for now-  2^nd grade.

Teacher asked if I wanted to pass her last year.  “What kind of question is that?”  She had straight A+’s in first grade.  She hated it.  It was “boring” and too easy.  Except, if the teacher and I hadn’t taken the time to decode the hand-written work…  Did you see that?  Handwritten work?  That’s right, she doesn’t transpose when typing!  Unfortunately, in second grade, she is required to turn in handwritten papers in preparation for academic testing. Bummer, next year I won’t waste those summer months.

In the meantime, she’s going to relax with some art and sensory play with her favorite medium, clay.  This is a great fun dough product perfect for sensory play for children with autism or other processing disorders.Crazy Aaron's Putty World Super Scarab Putty  is unique.  It has thermodynamic and phosphorescent properties perfect for science exploration. Thermodynamics explores the relationship between heat and other forms of energy. The putty changes colors when touched.

Thermodynamic putty.

Recommended:


Homeschool Projects for Elementary

The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain*

Activities for Toddlers: Sensory Messy Play with Foil, Shaving Cream, and Food Coloring

Toddlers Sight Word Sensory Activity

Whether your toddler loves to get messy or hates it, sensory play activities are essential to learning. When more than one sense is involved in learning, learning becomes easier. This Sight Word Sensory Activity with Shaving Cream and Foil is Messy, noisy, and fun for preschoolers. It also makes a great high chair activity for toddlers. Enjoy!

Shaving cream, aluminum foil, food coloring, and paper confetti for 
Sight Word sensory play.

The little explorers love the sensation of feeling a new substance. They learn hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and the ability to deal with being messy through sensory play. This activity is great for young children two to six years old.

So, what senses are used?

• Hearing: The aluminum foil is noisy. Cream makes a swoosh when it comes out of the can.  Shake the sprinkles to the beat of your favorite song.
• Sight: Add lots of colors for eye candy or combine different colors of food coloring, and watch as they change into a new color.
• Taste: Use canned cream and sprinkles (see below).
• Touch: Aluminum is smooth and crinkly.  Shaving cream is cold and wet.  Dots are difficult to pick up.  Squish a little shaving cream on your fingers to make picking them up easier and more fun. 
• Smell: Shaving cream comes in lots of scents like spearmint, peppermint, or perfumes. Add scented oils or extract for more scentsations :)

One of my favorite things to use for sensory play is shaving cream. It comes in varying scents, it always feels cold, it is light, fluffy, and super fun!  For our last messy play class, we gave each child a large piece of aluminum foil, wrote the first initial of their name, squirted a few drops of food coloring in a blob of cream, and recycled paper from hole punches. 

Fun activity for toddler shaving cream on aluminum foil.  Messy, sensory play is a great tool to use to aid in sensory processing disorders. Starting a sensory play regimen early gives children the best chance for improvement.

What do you think happened?  It was quite surprising. No one messed up their letter.  They played and mixed the blob with food coloring, they picked up the dots and moved them around, but not one preschooler smooshed their letter!  

I demonstrated by decorating my letter with the pieces of paper and mixing in the colored shaving cream.  After this, they were still reluctant to ruin their letters, but eventually one or two began to decorate their letters.  Finally, everyone joined in making faces with the paper and swirling the cold cream around.

This is a great way to teach your toddler the alphabet.  Gently, take their finger and trace the letters.  Focus on a new letter each day.  Add an alphabet coloring sheet.

Tip:  For an EDIBLE option, use refrigerated, canned whip cream, food coloring, and candy sprinkles or colored sugar. 


Recommended Reading:


Learning Sight Words with Scrabble Tiles

Letter B Printable Coloring Page 

100 Write-and-Learn Sight Word Practice Pages: Reproducible Activity Pages*

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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! :)

Country Sayings, Words of Wisdom, Inspirational Quotes: Children Teach Us About Life

Words of Wisdom: Quote about Children Teaching

Summer is time for play! Is there a more fun form of sensory play for children than running through a sprinkler? Kids have so much to share. They are born with a natural wisdom that adults soon forget. Here is an accurate saying to keep in mind during the monotonous day to day activities.  

Hey Mom, take a break and go run through the sprinkler. It's refreshing, fun, and your kids will cherish the memory for the rest of their lives. Remember, "While we try to teach our children about life, our children teach us what life is about."

While we try to teach our children about life, 
our children teach us what life is about.

Life is meant to be enjoyed. Take a break and play this summer. Think about it; these words of wisdom could change your little ones life.  Stop and pay attention :)

Recommended Reading:

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

A Child's Book of Character Building

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6 Cool Pinterest Father's Day Activities for Kids

Wondering What's Hot on Pinterest in Father's Day Activities for Kids? 

Check out these six fun, easy, and giftable craft projects to make your Father's Day the best one ever. These Father's Day activities are so neat- even the coolest Dads will love them. The best part is Kids can help make them. Enjoy!

How to Grow a Living Playscape: Willow Playhouse Cave for Kids

How to Grow a Living Playhouse for Kids from Willow Tree Branches: Plan for Earth Day

Building an outdoor playscape is just one of many fun garden projects you can do with your kids in the summer. We experimented by making a living playhouse from a willow tree. If you aren't sure how to get started on an outdoor design project, visit our post on diy outdoor design templates.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

How to Make a Living Play Space

We shopped for various styles of playhouses, but they were very expensive. After a storm, tree branches covered the yard, so we gathered several willow branches and stuck them in the ground. Then, we cut a few skinny branches off the tree and wrapped them around the bigger branches forming a loose connection. Click here to see examples of  living willow tree play spaces from dengarden.com.

Miracle Grow gave our living willow playscape a boost. The kids generously watered the base of the branches. You don't need to have a green thumb to grow a Willow tree. Take a stem cutting or cut off a branch and stick it in soil. That's all you need to grow your own organic playhouse.

This is an easy project that keeps on giving year after year. Our little gardeners anxiously awaited for Spring in hopes their playhouse had survived the winter. To make sure your trees are well maintained, check with a tree care service and garden maintenance expert.

Our living willow playhouse ended up looking more like a cave than house. The kids crawled inside letting their imaginations run wild. In the spring, it was incredible to watch the miracle of rebirth. In the winter, our little play house looked like a pile of sticks, but a few months later it was well on it's way to becoming the centerpiece in our secret garden. It's the perfect place for sensory outdoor play. 

Recommended Reading:

Playhouses You Can Build

Treehouses and Playhouses You Can Build

Use Universal Design Elements to Decorate a Child's Room Perfect for Sensory Play Based Learning

Decorate Kids Room for Sensory Play Based Learning

Universal Design elements give children multiple means of inclusion in group settings and aid in learning techniques. Implement design elements into your child's room to incorporate play based learning. We're sharing tips to help you build and design a kid's room that is beautiful, fun, and educational. Enjoy!

Each child has a different learning style. Some children learn visually (visual), some learn by hands-on (kinesthetic), and some learn easily by lecture-style (aural). 

A child's room based on universal design incorporating sensory play concepts can aid in the learning process and can give your child a bright future.

The smooth lines of this "rocking horse" chair help prevent injuries.

Olga Rocker*

The concept of universal design, the brainchild of architect, Ronald Mace, began as a concept to design all products, spaces, and buildings to be both aesthetically pleasing and well functioning for everyone no matter their ability. 

Some principles of universal design include: 

• Flexibility in use (The design complements a wide range of preferences and abilities.)

• Simple and intuitive use (The design is easy to understand.)

• Tolerance of error (The design minimizes hazards and unintended actions.)

• Size and space for approach and use (Appropriate space for reach and manipulation whether right or left handed is incorporated in the layout and design.)

• Low physical effort (Design can be used comfortably no matter your mobility/motor skills.)

• Equitable use (The design is useful and marketable to people with varying abilities.)

• Perceptible information (The design communicates information regardless of the user's sensory abilities.)

Stairway Bunk Bed.

Bedz King Twin Over Full Stairway Bunk Bed with Twin Trundle, Honey*

This bunk bed may not allow for children of all abilities to sleep on top, but it is designed with a sleeping space for people of all abilities. The added element of a secret cubby for hide and seek, a reading nook, or just a private getaway space makes it perfect for sensory play. Children can climb to the top bunk and enjoy a spontaneous game of pretend Castle play.

Pretend playhouse castle tent.

Pretend Playhouse Castle Tent *

Incorporate child size spatial elements to give your child a sense of security. A special place all their own is comforting and encourages imaginative play. Children learn by mimicking adults. Give them the necessary tools to explore. In a tent like this, the child becomes "big" which helps give their confidence a boost in contrast to the daily reminders of their diminutive size in oversized spaces and furniture designed for adults.

Castle Rug for Kids Room.

Castle Rug for Kids Room 30" X 30"*

A plush, comfortable rug like this one makes a good place for creative play. The rug is tactile, thick, and soft. The visual sense is explored in the elemental colors and shapes that connect to form a castle. 

When decorating your child's room, think of the five senses and add items that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and sensitive to their sensory abilities.


Recommended Reading:


The Knight and the Dragon (Paperstar Book)*


Pirate Pretend Play

Child Development Psychology: Sensory Play Aids in the Learning Process

Early Childhood Development: Learn with Sensory Play

The psychology behind a child's ability to focus academically or follow rules can be positively influenced by the environment. Parents and caregivers can help children with sensory processing disorders or developmental issues ease into everyday activities with simple games and activities.

How to Make Snow Cones or Sno Cones or Ice Cones or Shaved Ice Slushy Slush Puppy

Make a Snow Cone with Shaved Ice

So how do you make an Ice Cone? I mean it's just ice and syrup, right? Isn't a slushy the same thing?  What is a Sno-cone; is it really made out of snow?  Well, we made one from real snow.  It's springtime in Indiana, so anything goes.  Here's a list of everything you never wanted to know about the tasty shaved ice treat.

Rainbow Slushy Popsicle Ice.

Wikipedia defines snow cones as a North American variation of shaved ice commonly served in paper cups. Shaved ice is finely crushed ice. Hawaiian's call it Shave Ice. Baltimorians call them Snowballs.

Slushies are all about freezing water. Snow is frozen water, right?

Authentic Snow Cones.

We cheated. We scooped up some Indiana snow and added the Hawaiian Punch syrup we found on clearance at Walmart. They put it on clearance when snow is in season, go figure. This was the easiest snow cone recipe ever. Start with clean snow. 

Mayhem leaves out collecting bowls whenever they are predicting snow. Was it good? Um... yes. It is softer than shaved ice, and oh so perfect for a snow cone. Just like the real thing, if you live in Baltimore.

Snow cone syrup: Get this, the first flavor of syrup for shaved ice was EGG CUSTARD. Apparently, during the American Industrial Revolution  New York ice houses started selling ice to Florida. When the truck passed through Baltimore, kids started asking for free samples. Each time the truck came through they got their wish. The mothers decided to flavor the ice. Since eggs, butter, and sugar were readily on hand, they made egg custard flavor shaved ice. Of course they did. Yep, Baltimorians invented this tasty treat. Later during the Great Depression, it was an inexpensive snack earning the Baltimore Snowball the name "Hard Times Sundae".

The Hawaiian's added a scoop of ice cream at the bottom of a cup and poured a little milk on top. Thank Hawaii for the rainbow colors too. Thank India for Salt and Pepper flavored shaved ice popsicles known as Kala Khatta. Hmm... I'll just stick to the colored, sugary syrup.

Sensory Play with Fake DIY Snow

When I was a kid, growing up in Indiana the Slush Puppie was the cat's meow. What a treat to get a $1.00 from Grandpa and head into the corner store for a Slush Puppie.

Slush Puppies.

Snow Cone Syrup Recipes (How to Make)

You need Sugar, lots of it, for a healthier alternative you could try Clear Corn Syrup or Light Maple Syrup. That's funny right there. For a healthy alternative how about ice and food coloring.

2 C. Sugar, 1 packet Kool-aid Drink Mix, 1 C. Water

Stir sugar and water together in a saucepan (or substitute one of the syrups above). Bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in Kool-aid. Cool and store in a recycled glass bottle. Wait for a snow storm or use one of those nifty ice shaving contraptions or use the crushed ice from your fridge dispenser. Now pour the syrup over the ice. Tada! You should start your own snow cone biz 'cause you are officially a pro.

Recommended Reading:


Snowmen at Night*

Maple Doughnut Glaze

Kids Creative Chaos Cooks: Kitchen Kids Series: Holiday Recipes*

Meet MaryAnne from Mamasmiles, her Crafty Patchwork Doll Quilt, and Fairy Princess Costume.

Are you looking for a thoughtful, intelligent, fun blogger? Meet MaryAnne from Mama Smiles (Joyful Parenting) blog. MaryAnne studied at the University of Scotland and she has a sweet story about the birth of her first child. 

Isn't it fun how life chooses your path for you? I don't know all of the details, but she attended medical school while there. Now, Mama Smiles is a respected Kid Blogger. Life is full of surprises much like the treasures you can find while exploring Mama Smiles Blog.  

Meet MaryAnne from Mama Smiles.

  

MaryAnne is a member of The Kid Blogger Network on Pinterest. Its how I first discovered her! We also co-host a monthly linky party for Sensory Play Based Learning.  Recently, I spent some time exploring her blog. She has so many fun, educational ideas. I especially like her World Culture for Kids series. 

I chose two crafty posts to feature here. I love this little quilt for a doll. I think we all have things stashed away to make a quilt some day! Do you have a little princess? Mama Smiles Princess Dress tutorial is almost as easy as magic. In all my years of making quick costumes for kids, I've never tried this way. What a fabulous idea- you can bet I'm trying that one as soon as possible!

Patchwork Doll Quilt

Doll quilt from Mama Smiles.

Easy Instant Fairy Princess Dress Costume (Nearly)

How to make a Princess Costume.

Facts about Mama Smiles.

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What is Sensory Play Based Learning? Looking for activity for kids or child games? Join the Linky Party

So, what is Sensory Play Based Learning? Linky Party

Find out more at PBS Parents. Here at Kids Creative Chaos the definition is simple: Play to learn! Find a fun activity for kids and lots of child games as you peruse our pages. 

What is Sensory Play? Join the Linky Party!

Please join the linky party and link up your ideas for messy crafts, games, and even art activities for preschoolers. The best early child development activities begin at birth. Some children suffer from sensory processing disorders and need more play based learning games throughout their childhood.

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.spectrumpsychological.net/1/post/2013/03/play-to-learn-march-blog-hop.html" title="Play to Learn Blog Hop"><img src="http://www.spectrumpsychological.net/uploads/1/4/9/5/1495826/3711599.jpg?1358187461" alt="Play to Learn Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

If you want, grab the linky button for your blog! 
Link up to 3 posts. Visit as many as you can.

You've come to the right place! 

We've worked with autistic, adhd, add, and more in our "Let's Play" and "Messy Play" classes with great success. Now, we are sharing our ideas through our team of play based learning enthusiasts.  Nikki at Spectrum Psychological specializes in Attention Deficit and Autism Spectrum Disorders.  She's created this "play to learn" blog hop to help spread the word. 

MaryAnne at Mamasmiles.com co-hosts. Her blog is filled with awesome ideas for joyful parenting. I especially like her focus on activities around the world. She recently wrote this post about how to make a weighted blanket (great for children with sensory issues).

We can't wait to see your ideas! Great ideas will be chosen and featured on this blog and pinned on Pinterest. Want to chat about your children or class? Drop us a comment or email.

Thanks for stopping by~ If you like this linky, why not sign up for our email in the sidebar, so you won't miss any great activity ideas for kids. For more ideas click on the keywords in the green bar below this post.

Recommended Reading:

Activities to Engage Your Toddler in Small Motor and Gross Motor Activities, Crafts, Language Development and Sensory Play*

Sensory Play for Baby with Music







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! :)

Saint Patrick's Day Party Games for Kids: Perfect for Circle Time

Planning a themed Saint Patrick's Day Party? 

These easy games can be played with one child or more. Try some leprechaun approved games for kids. Use these Saint Patrick's Day games in a circle time setting with preschoolers or early elementary school. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*

Saint Patrick's Day Party Games for Kids.

Baby Carrying Babywearing Mama? What style Sling are you?

What Style Baby Carrier Sling is Best for You?

Those cumbersome Baby Slings got little love when I was a babywearing mama. Apparently, I'm too uncoordinated to pull it off. I could never pull off carrying the baby in back. So, what style baby carrying device is best for you? A Sling? A Pouch? Read on and then tell us your favorite. Will your baby be a fashion statement or are you more practical? Enjoy!

Wear this baby carrier forward or Reverse.

So, my babies faced forward- eyes to the world, and not to their babywearing mama. What a lucky baby who gets to snuggle tightly next to his mama and star in her wardrobe as a fashion statement. 

Purple Boa Baby Wrap Sling Carrier. 

As a new Aunt again- and a soon to be (ahem) step grandma, I decided to see what kind of baby carrying new moms are wearing these days. I can't believe all the fashionable baby sling options.

Grandaughter with her Uncle.

I was always afraid my baby would suffocate, but these fabrics are breathable. The water carriers are mesh. Sure wish I'd had one of those when we went to the beach!

I love the MAYA WRAP Baby Carrier it is totally me, but the hip carrier seems more sturdy for baby security. Either way, baby is cuddled and snuggled to his Mama or Papa! So, what style baby sling best fits your personality and fashion style?

Recommended:

Sensory Baby Play with Music

Whimsical Nursery Ideas

*This post contains affiliate links.