Milk Art/Science

 We LOVE doing art projects and we LOVE doing science experiments, so this next post is a little something that combines both. Be prepared for a bunch of pictures because they're all just so pretty!!!

 This activity is really easy to put together and it's a hit for kids of all ages. Even my two year old got involved this last time.

 What you need:
 A plate with a good sized rim
 Milk (I use 2% because that's what we drink. You do want something with higher fat content.)
 Food colouring
 Q-tips
 Dish soap

 1. Pour some milk into the plate. You just need a thin layer. Make sure the bottom of the plate is completely covered.

 2. Put drops of food colouring randomly throughout the milk. You want to be careful with how many of the primary colours you're putting close to each other because it will quickly turn into a muddy mess. More is not necessarily better for this.

 3. Dip your Q-tip into some dish soap. Then put the Q-tip into the milk on top of your drops of food colouring. Hold it there and watch the reaction happen.

 4. Repeat step 3 as many times as you want!

Kale Chips

   Have you ever looked in your fridge and wondered "what can I possibly do with all of that kale in there and how can I get my kids to eat it"? You have? Wonderful! I have an easy recipe for you that will get those mouths watering. Delicious, nutritious KALE CHIPS!

   Before making the chips, set your oven to 275 degrees. That's what I use and it seems to be a nice temperature for drying them out without taking forever.

   First, rip off some kale leaves and arrange them in a single layer on your tray. You don't want to get them too big, but you want them big enough to be able to hold some of the oil and salt, and also big enough so you can actually pick them up and eat them. They will shrink in the oven.

   Next, add your toppings. I use a brush to spatter on some olive oil. You just need a light coating. Don't go overboard or they will be too wet and won't dry out nice and crispy. After the oil, sprinkle some sea salt over top. Again, don't go crazy. The kale has a nice flavour in and of itself so you don't want to have overly salty chips.

   Put them in the oven to dry out. With my oven I generally put them in for 10 minutes. Then I check on them and decide how much longer they will need based on appearance. I then proceed to put them in for 1-2 minute increments so they don't burn. You want them to be darker around the edges and a bit hardened to the touch so they'll have a nice crunch.

   And that is all there is to it. They are so good and they don't last long at all around here. Sometimes I have to make multiple trays. To me, that's a great problem to have.
Enjoy!

Energy Bites

Kids are always looking for snacks that are delicious, right? Well, we have found a winner
with these Energy Bites because not only are they super yummy, they also are filled with
some pretty good things. 

A friend gave me this recipe a few years ago and now my kids ask for these a lot. 
I usually double the recipe. For some reason when I tried tripling it, they were too dry 
and not as good. Since I have a kid who is not a coconut fan, I omit the coconut and add 
the extra oatmeal. Enjoy!

 No Bake Energy Bites

Ingredients:

1 cup dry oatmeal

⅔ cup coconut (toasted flakes), or just substitute more dry oatmeal

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ

½ cup chocolate chips

⅓ cup honey or maple syrup

1 tbsp. chia seed

1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix all ingredients together until thoroughly mixed. 
Let chill 30 minutes in fridge. Then roll into balls.

Makes 20-25 1-inch balls.

Keep up to 1 week in refrigerator.

Finger Puppets

Finger puppets are beautiful things for many different reasons. Over the past few years I have enjoyed coming up with new patterns for making puppets for nursery rhymes, favourite children's books and television shows, and whatever else comes up in my mind.  

If you don't feel particularly inventive, you can find a pattern by typing in "colouring book" with the desired character (or animal or object) and a lot of times Google will bring up plenty of things that could be turned into a finger puppet.

Here's an example:
If I were to type in "dog colouring page" there would be a ton of pictures that would come up, like this one to the right.

The first step is to make a pattern out of this image. You want to make sure you enlarge the picture enough that the base of it will be as big as your finger (or whoever will be using the puppet).

Then you trace out the pieces, based on the different colours of fabric you'll be using, or how much of the dog you want to have standing out. Here is an example of what can be done:

 

You can easily omit certain things (like the collar) or just make the legs and paws the same colour, which would require fewer pattern pieces. Make it as simple or as complicated as you want.

With the base, you will cut out two pieces (Felt is a great fabric to work with for projects like these). I like to sew those together for added durability, but you could glue the edges if you're not confident in your sewing abilities. Just remember to leave a hole for your finger!

The rest of the pieces can be added with glue. My glue of choice is hot glue. I find that the pieces stay secure without any difficulty. Use the original picture as a guide for where to place your pieces.

For the details, there are a few options. My preferred method is acrylic paint. It requires a steady hand because you only get one shot at it. You can also use fabric markers, or even embroidery thread. I did embroidery once for a custom order on my Etsy shop and it took me a lot longer since I have very little experience in that arena. If you love embroidery, then go for it. It does look nice!

So there you have it. An easy finger puppet right there. You can use them for storytelling, songs, or general play. I have used finger puppets many times with my children and they love them. Whether you're at home, on a long car ride, or sitting in church, puppets are a great way to keep kids occupied. Never underestimate using them in teaching your children as well. 

If you'd like to see more of the things I've made, check out my Etsy shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/shepart

Even my kids have made stuff to sell in my Etsy shop. If they can make puppets, so can you!