Here we go with some more ideas for crafts for O-U and the snack we ate that day
O: Egg Carton Octopus
Cherrio O's for the snack
5 cups toasted-oat cereal
1/2 butter
4 cups marshmallows
Melt the butter and marshmallows over low heat until melted together. Take off heat and pour over your cereal and mix well. Pour the cereal mix onto wax paper and let it cool slightly. Pull off a handful of mix and shape into whatever shape you want, we did O's. (You may want to spray your hands with cooking spray to prevent the mix from sticking to your hands as you mold them.) Let them cool completely and enjoy!
P: Puzzles, Pretzels for the snack
Pretzels:
1 packet of active dry yeast
1 1/2 C hot water (110-120 degrees)
2 T brown sugar
1 t salt
1 C bread flour (Very important to make it light and fluffy)
3 C all-purpose flour
Mix brown sugar, yeast, and salt. Add hot water and stir gently to dissolve. Mix in flour one cup at a time until it is all incorporated. (I used a mixer with a dough hook) Knead for another 8-10 minutes. Dough will be smooth and elastic, not tacky. Remove dough and round dough into a ball, lightly spray bowl and place dough back in and let rise for about an hour. Once risen remove dough and cut it into 12 equal pieces. Take each piece and roll into 3 foot ropes. Once they are all rolled out spray two parchment lined cookie sheets with cooking spray (They will stick if you don't)
Dissolve 2 T baking soda in 2 C hot water. Give each rope a quick dip in the soda bath before twisting them into pretzels. Once they are all on the baking sheet bake let them rise for 15-20 minutes. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Once they come out of the oven baste them with butter and sprinkle coarse salt over them. They are heavenly!
Q: Queen and King Crowns, Queen's Tarts for snack
Crowns are made out of paper using an origami pattern I found in a book from the library
Queen's tarts:
1 package of uncooked pie crust
1 egg
1 t water
cherry pie filling
Beat egg and water together in a bowl and set aside. Sprinkle flour down on work surface and roll out the pie crust to 1/8 inch thick and cut desired shapes. (The bigger the shape the better, our stars oozed everywhere so the circle and heart were lots better) You will need two shapes for every tart. Put a small amount of filling in the center of one shape; leave 1/2 inch around the edges uncovered. Brush the edges of the shapes with egg mixture and place a second shape on top and press the edges together with a fork to seal. Brush the tops of each filled tart with egg mixture and sprinkle sugar on the top. Place tarts on a cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool and enjoy!
R: Reading, Rice Krispie Treats for the snack
We read tons of books this day as well as the letter of the day books
S: Paper Tube Snake, Sunflower Cookie Lollipop for snack
Take 3 paper towel rolls and paint them desired colors then cut into smaller sections. Punch a hole in one end of 2 cut sections. Tie the end of yarn through one hole and run the yarn all the way through the remaining sections and tie to end of other holed section. Leave enough yarn on the face for it to look like his tongue is out.
Sunflower cookies:
Vanilla Double Stuff Oreos
Vanilla Candy Wafers (You find them in the candy molds section of most craft stores)
Candy Corn
Cashews, chopped
Insert lollipop stick into the center of each cookie (I had to open mine and reclose it). Melt the vanilla bark per package instructions. Once melted dip each cookie into the vanilla bark until coated and lay flat on wax paper. Before it hardens stick candy corn in the sides and sprinkle cashews on top. Let them harden and then peel off the wax paper. Enjoy!
(The original recipe called for the use of white chocolate instead of the vanilla bark, regular oreos instead of vanilla ones, and mini chocolate chips instead of cashews. I happen to be allergic to chocolate so I made mine without using any chocolate)
T: Tree Leaf Rubbings, Treat of their choice
I don't have a photo for this one but we went and found different leaves and then placed paper over them and rubbed crayons over them to get the shapes of the leaves to come through.
U: Cupcake liner umbrella, Umbrella Shape Sugar Cookies
Decorate a large cupcake liner as desired. Then punch two holes in the top of the liner. Twist two pipe cleaners together and put one end up through one hole and down the other. Twist to secure it to the cupcake liner and shape the other end into a hook.
(O craft and treat, S craft and treat, and U are from a book called Make and Takes for Kids by Marie LeBaron. Q's treat is from The Friend magazine. Also the pretzel recipe I found online a long time ago and do not know who it belongs to but whoever it is deserves the credit because they are yummy!)
