Search Results for: blog hands on thanksgiving fun

Fun and Easy Ways to Go Green

Earth Day 2013 is less than a week away.  How are you planning to celebrate? Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a lot of green to go green.  All you need is a little time and some motivation to recycle what you already own.  By repurposing materials you would otherwise toss in the trash, you are not only saving money and showing your kids simple ways to save the planet, but you’re also giving them an outlet to showcase their creative energy. Placemats:  Rather than spend cash on everyday placemats, consider making your own with poster board, old magazines and … Continue reading →

Simple and Affordable President’s Day Fun

Having your kids home from school on Presidents’ Day may not sound like a ton of fun for busy parents, but with a few holiday-themed projects to keep them busy, the third Monday in February can be an exciting time. Rather than use Lincoln Logs to build a replica of Abe’s cherished cabin, spice up the construction by using pretzels.  All you need is a paper plate, a small, empty milk carton, some vanilla frosting, a bunch of three-inch pretzel rods, some green gum drops, and a butter knife.  To make the edible cabin, spread generous amounts of the white … Continue reading →

More Hands-On Thanksgiving Fun

For most families, Thanksgiving activities are traditionally relegated to eating, watching football on TV, napping and talking. Not exactly a fun-filled day if you are a kid. If you are planning to host the Turkey Day spread this year, you might consider including activities to entertain your youngest guests. By doing so you will not only make the holiday a memorable occasion for children, but also, by keeping them busy you can spend more time making merry with adult guests rather than breaking up fights and listening to a chorus of whines. These low-budget kid-friendly crafts will keep your pint-sized … Continue reading →

Sweet Turkey Day Fun

Turkey Day is so close I can smell it. So can my 7-year-old. However, it’s not make-ahead cranberry sauce, green bean casserole or stuffing that we’re sniffing. Rather, our kitchen is covered in chocolate. Thanks to the crafty folks at Kellogg’s our pint-sized Thanksgiving guests will be chowing down on homemade chocolate cereal turkey parts. My daughter caught sight of the adorable, edible treats a few mornings ago while perusing the back of the Rice Krispies box. She’s been begging to make them ever since. Last night she got her wish. We went to town hand molding sticky turkey legs … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Fun with Feathers

T-minus 10 days until Turkey Day. In my house the adults are running around like decapitated chickens while the kids watch and wonder what all the fuss is about. If you are hosting pint-sized out-of-town guests like we are, then the following Thanksgiving activities are your ticket to getting little ones to lend a hand. Who knew that leftover toilet paper rolls, some construction paper feathers and a box of Rice Krispies could turn a Turkey Day buffet into a kid-friendly holiday oasis? TOILET PAPER TUBE TURKEY Materials: Empty roll of toilet paper or paper towel Red, yellow, and orange … Continue reading →

Fun with Holiday Leftovers

I’m not talking turkey here. With Christmas just a few weeks away I am desperately trying to purge my home of leftover Halloween candy and remnants of our Thanksgiving feast, so I figured why not have a little fun in the process. If you have kids at home the following projects make for excellent boredom busters during the holiday break from school: CANDY SAND ART Materials: Pixy Stixs Clean baby food jars Gummy worms or fish Small plastic castle or scuba guy Directions: To make sweet sand art, layer the colored sugar from the Pixy Stix into a clean baby … Continue reading →

Black Friday Fun at Home

No one, and I mean no one, despises the thought of a parent dragging his or her child to the mall on Black Friday more than me. For years I was paid to cover the Black Friday shopping madness while working as a local TV news reporter, and I will never forget the looks on the faces of the kids, who were ripped out of their warm beds and forced to stand in the freezing cold, so their parents could be first in line to score a 40-inch TV for 400 bucks. There are better ways to spend Black Friday. … Continue reading →

Simple Last-Minute Thanksgiving Decorations

One of the advantages of parenting a first grader is that you’re pretty much set in the seasonal decoration department. Since the beginning of the month, my daughter has brought home no less than a dozen homemade Thanksgiving-themed craft projects. Each and every handcrafted turkey, pilgrim, cornucopia and Giving Tree is prominently showcased throughout our home, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. My daughter’s art teacher went all out this year. If your children weren’t as productive in art class, or you’re just looking for easy and inexpensive ways to keep the kiddos busy on Thanksgiving morning, and … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Fun in the Kitchen

One my family’s favorite holiday traditions is making at least two or three kid-friendly recipes and allowing the youngest members of the clan to create edible masterpieces with help from mom, dad, grandma or grandpa. Each year my mom, my sister-in-law and I comb through our recipe boxes to find simple yet tasty treats the kids can make with little assistance. I always make sure that we choose at least one dessert and one main or side dish, so they can feel as though they contributed to different aspects of the meal. This year I settled on the following recipes: … Continue reading →

Fun Chocolate Thanksgiving Treats

My best friend from Hawaii and her husband will be joining us for Thanksgiving this year. I couldn’t be happier. We’re already planning a special feast and my 6-year-old is thrilled to put her first grade Thanksgiving-theme crafts on display for all to see. Given that our friends are traveling such a long way to celebrate the holiday with us, we thought it would be nice to incorporate some of their favorite foods into the meal and decor. For example, since my BFF’s husband is a chocoholic we’re planning to make a special chocolate tart to add to the dessert … Continue reading →