Paper Cookies A Preschool Food Craft

My kids are so cute! They always want to help in the kitchen! When I do dishes, my daughter Harper will push a chair into the kitchen and climb up to the sink. She will say "I can do this Mom!" or she will want to help make coffee and push all of the buttons. If there is cooking involved my son dashes in, ready to help! I welcome their company in the kitchen 90% of the time. But, as any mom will tell you, there are times when having small kids in the kitchen is not the best idea.

On those rare times, I feel bad to deny their help, so I came up with a few fun food crafts that the kids can make while I am occupied with a complicated recipe.  The first one we did as you might recall was a pizza craft. The kids had so much fun making pizzas! We have made several of these since the post!

Tonight I was frying chicken, a rare thing that I admit, I am not so great at. I didn't want the kids to get splashed with hot oil so I entertained them with a paper cookie craft. It was a huge hit!

This was incredibly easy for the kids to make, the materials were super simple making preparation a breeze for me, and best of all- this craft does not require anything special. Seriously, you are going to have the supplies in your house!

Materials Needed to Make Paper Cookies

Several Brown Paper Bags or brown or yellow construction paper
Glue
Sprinkles
A Paper Plate

Instructions

To begin, cut circle shapes in the brown bags or construction paper as your cookie base.
{I cut about 30 circles at a time so that we can do this craft multiple times}.


Place as many circle cookie shapes as you like on the paper plate.
Drizzle glue onto the circle 'cookies'
Decorate with sprinkles
Allow to dry.

This was so fun for the kids! We will be making these again soon I am sure! Do you like to do paper crafts with your kids? I would love to hear about your favorites!

Play Doh Stamping Activity

Put your old scrap booking stamps to good use with this preschool play doh stamping activity.

It is no secret that we love play doh. From  using it as an early math tool, to making one of a kind Christmas ornaments. Play Doh is one of my favorite tools for preschoolers to learn with!

This activity was inspired by cleaning out my office, where I had a stash of scrap booking stamps collecting dust. I thought about tossing them in the Yard Sale box we keep going year round, but I had a better idea, they make a perfect play doh tool.

Supplies:
Play Doh
Scrap-booking stamps

Directions:
Invite your child to smash or roll a can of play doh out.
Offer an assortment of stamps and encourage them to stamp a scene.

This activity has kept Harper happily creating for weeks. She keeps a few stamps with her play doh collection and loves to pull them out and make unique scenes.

You can find all of my play doh ideas here.

Reader favorites include:

Play Doh Pie Counting

Play Doh Pre-writing Activity

Best Gifts for Boys

The holidays are near, and I have been looking for great gift ideas for boys. I have found some unique options that work for all budgets, and cover a variety of interests. I know you will find a gift or two on this list that would delight the boys on your shopping list.

Samples have been provided for inclusion.

Boys that like to build will be into this tool set from Stanley Jr. This set has safety glasses, a hammer, a functional tape measure and screwdrivers to get little ones started. Order from Amazon.

Laser Pegs are awesome for holiday gifting. They take a favorite activity for boys, like building and combine lights for a really fun experience. Laser Peg kits start at $8 so this is a gift that works for even the tightest budget. They offer a variety of kits so you are bound to find one that matches the boy on your lists interest.

The Mega Cyborg Hand from Thames & Kosmos is an awesome stem kit that kids will want to get a grip on! They can build this hydraulic hand and then wear it for a giant dose of fun. Order it online for about $40.

Clixo offers an open-ended play system that combines the magic of paper origami, the ease of classic building blocks, and the power of magnets. This unique toy brings building to a modern level. Order a pack or two for curious boys on your list starting at about $24.

Snap Ships are awesome gifts because it combines building and battling which are two things that most boys dig. Parents will love that this creative building toy  adds dramatic play to the table and that all parts are interchangeable, so that the building fun continues into new creations. Check out the line of options from Play Monster, or find some of the exclusive kits at Target. Kits start at $12,

Molotow Mini Subwayz are unique and fun. These little train cars fold and are ready to graffiti for a fun activity. Boys will love to collect these, and in some way fulfill a fantasy of what it would be like to be a graffiti artist, in a safe way. Order the cars starting at about $13.

K'nex is always a great gift idea. These kits are challenging to build and absolutely impressive to admire! The Eiffel Tower Kit stands over 29 inches high and is the perfect way to spend a snowy afternoon. Order this awesome option from the Basic Fun amazon store for about $50.

Boys will love this table tennis set from Pro Spin. It will give them a chance to get some active play in, anytime, anywhere. The set contains a retractable net, balls, 2 paddles and a carry case. Order for about $35.

Blinks by Move38 is a incredibly unique gift option for game loving boys. Each Blink is a game cartridge and a game tile. Blinks connect to other Blinks. Together they become an interactive board game. You can get the three pack which has 18 games for about $300.

Tifosi Optics makes stylish and useful sunglasses that will protect their eyes this winter. We usually equate sunglasses with summer, but make no mistake, kids need eye protection in the winter too, as it can be so bright when it snows.  Check out the assortment of swanky styles and find styles starting around $25.

Boys will love Flipover Frog the game. This strategy game is loads of fun for kids and only takes about 15 minutes to play, for a quick game anytime boys need a dose of fun! Order this option from Hub Games for about $13.

Boys who love trains will want to play with the Action Tunnel Circle Set by Brio all day long. This train set is perfect for the youngest conductors to explore. This set is comparable with all of the Brio train gear, so that the set can grow with your child. Order from amazon for about $100.

Smarty Pad is one of my favorite gifts for preschool and kindergarten aged boys because it combines play, education, technology and sensory all in one portable, engaging package. Order one for a boy who loves to learn from Amazon for about $35.

City Spies makes a great gift for boys who love to read. This book has excitement, suspense and a chance at redemption. It makes for an enjoyable read for elementary aged kids. Order from Amazon starting at $11.

Little Justice Leaders is a monthly subscription for kids that will inspire them to make changes to the social justice system while empowering! This subscription includes goodies like books and colored pencils, among other fun items that kids will get excited about receiving monthly. Prices start at $45 a month.

My kids love Little Learning Hands boxes, because they are fun! I love them because while we are not traveling this year, we can still explore the world while learning from home. These 3d Puzzles are awesome for a snow day activity, or a chance to make learning hands on. Check out the puzzles on amazon where they start at about $17. Check out the subscription boxes on the Little Learning Hands site.

If your kids love Ryan on Youtube, then run to Walmart to get this epic Vending Surprise! This has 16 surprises inside and makes such fun sounds! You even get to build your own Ryan from this vending surprise machine, which is bound to be a lot of fun for kids. Get this offering from Just Play Toys at Walmart for about $40.

Relay makes for a great gift for kids who want a little independence, and parents who want a little peace of mind. This device keeps tabs on where the kids are, and gives them a way to call for help if needed. Order a Relay device for a boy on your shopping list for about $35. 

Upbrainery Technologies offers kids a hands on chance to learn! These kits include everything kids need to build something epic, like a digital photo frame, or a bluetooth speaker to name a few. Check out the site to find something epic for your kids to create.

Brushing teeth doesn't have to be a bore. This year gift an awesome boy a way to turn brushing his teeth into a fun game with Brite Brush. Find this interactive toothbrush at Walmart or Amazon for about $20. Chances are you won't need to argue about brushing anymore!

Learn together how to solve the Rubik’s in a fun and interactive way, play games and battle online with other cubers around the world. This is the perfect STEM toy, it is educating and fun and adds tons of value to screen time. Order Go Cube Edge for about $80.

A great sports watch never goes out of style, and this Fila watch is handsome and durable making it a perfect watch for a school aged boy. They have a ton of options so finding the perfect watch is fuss free. Plus you can find some awesome options for about $30.

Give boys ages 3 to 9 a hands on lesson in coding with Osmo. The starter pack breaks down coding into a fun play session so that kids can start learning something super useful in a very kid friendly way. Order the Osmo Coding Starter Kit for about $80.

The Powerup Paper Airplane Kit is awesome for boys this holiday season! This unique idea takes the art of folding paper planes to a whole new level, powered up, of course! Build 10 awesome planes and give them a boost of flying power thanks to technology! This kit costs about $115.

Boys who love space will love building the Mars Space Base from Goju Adventures Toys. This kit has everything needed to build a space station, including some astronauts! This creative building set costs about $45 and can be found on Amazon.

If you are shopping for a dinosaur loving boy this year, look no further than the Egg Mazing Dinomazing Egg Decorator. Find this really fun art kit on Amazon for about $28 for a roaring good time!

Pizza Party Throwdown is an awesome game for boys who like pizza and fun! This game has you tossing and hopefully landing toppings to create pizzas! Order it for about $20 from Amazon or find it at Target.

 Go Noodle offers mindful videos for kids and they have a shop filled with fun! I love the Cookie Decorating Class which includes cookie cutters, an apron and the online lesson on how to make the cookies! Order for about $75 or check out the other goodies in their shop.

I hope these gift ideas help you find some epic gifts for the boys in your life.

While you are here why not check out all of my gift guides?

C is for Cat Coloring Page

This week Harper and I are studying the letter C. Harper attends preschool, but I am a firm believer that education continues when you get home, and any extra help she can get will benefit her as she enters the fast paced world of kindergarten.

I have been designing a coloring page, creating a craft and selecting a fun book to focus on each week. I hope you will pin these totally free coloring page printables so you can use them and share them with other little learners in your life.

This post contains affiliate links.

Harp loves this simple design, it gives her a chance to trace her letter of the week. She can color a picture associated with the letter and of course, the story to wrap it all up is always a hit. This week we are recommending Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. This is one of Harps all time favorites!

C is for Cat Coloring Page Printable

We are revisiting a favorite  craft this week too! Both of my kids have loved making paper cookies for years now. Harp knew we were going to make them as soon as she saw me add sprinkles to the shopping cart this week!

You can check out our easy paper cookie craft here.

Who will you print this coloring page for?

Itsy Bitsy Spider Craft

If you spend a lot of time listening to preschool music like I do, you are going to LOVE this easy Itsy Bitsy Spider craft that I made with my kids. This was so easy to assemble and so much fun to make. This is suitable for preschoolers and my 8 year old enjoyed it too... even though that is a baby song.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider House

You will need one full sheet of colored paper 
one 4x6 inch square of paper in another color
one triangle in another color (to make a roof)
2 2x2 inch squares of paper that are the same color.
One 2x2 inch square of paper in another color
One 1x3 inch strip of black paper
One Straw
One spider ring
2 strips of tape
Glue Stick

First Glue your 4x6 inch square of paper onto the full sheet.

Then glue on the triangle for the roof, and the 2 squares of paper that are the same color for windows.

Next add your door and your chimney.

Tape your straw to the side of the house on the bottom.
Slide the spider ring onto the straw from the untaped top.
Tape the top of the straw.

You can sing the itsy bitsy spider song with your kids, and have them move the spider up the spout! How cute right?

We had a lot of fun with this super easy Itsy Bitsy Spider Craft. I love that with such simple supplies we were able to create something so entertaining. 

This is not the only craft we have that  makes use of straws . You can give used straws a hot water soak and reuse them too to help reduce waste!

You might also like

Straw Necklaces; bling made for kids, by kids.

Straw Flutes; hey, why not?

J is for Jam Coloring Page

Harper is almost finished with her first year of preschool, so we are working harder than ever on writing our abc's. It is so cute to see her early stages of penmanship! There is something about a backwards letter that tugs right on my heartstrings!

I made this fun coloring page for her. It combines coloring and a chance to practice the letter Jj. We found this printable to be perfect around lunch time. Naturally it inspired us to add a little jam to our day.

J is for Jam Coloring Page Printable


You can print as many of these as you want or maybe pin it for later to share with a friend.

In case you missed the other letter printable coloring pages you can get them here:

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Kindness Rocks

Hot Kindness Rocks are a fun way to decorate rocks to hide to share with others!

Harper and I found a kindness rock in the woods one day and we were inspired to make some of our own! This was a fun multi part project for us. As we had to find rocks, decorate them and then hide them!

We found a super special rock that had a chip in it. The chip was in the shape of a heart. We knew this special love rock needed to be placed someplace special. We knew just the place! Preschool! We headed there to hide it in a special spot!

These rocks were fun to make, but truly not kid friendly. 

To begin I heated rocks in the oven at 200 degrees for an hour.

When they were hot I melted crayons on them.

After they cooled for several hours we were ready to share them!

Fine Motor Counting Activity

This activity is perfect for small hands. It combines counting and fine motor work for a fun, hands on approach to learning. This introduction to math is perfect for preschoolers. Best of all, you can get everything you need to set this up at Dollar Tree.

Little hands love pinching, so this activity is perfect for making math fun while engaging fine motor skills! My kids both loved this early introduction to counting when they were smaller, and I often pull this activity out when we have little guests in our house who need something to do. This is the ultimate boredom buster and will always have a place in my busy bag collection.

All you need to make this is some tiny clothespins from dollar trees craft section and a few craft sticks. Mark the numbers you are using on the craft sticks and hand the kids some clothespins. Encourage your child to count the clothespins and put them on the craft stick. 

This is one of those activities you will want to supervise, to keep the pins from mouths, noses and ears. 

If you enjoyed this easy activity for kids, you will want to check out some of my other preschool projects.

Play Doh Stamping 

Itsy Bitsy Spider Craft

A is for Alligator Coloring Page

I shared an easy and cute letter a craft for preschoolers with you a few days ago and wanted to continue our letter a adventure with a fun coloring page you can print for your little ones.

In case you missed our craft you can click through to check it out. Letter A; A is for Alligator Preschool Craft.

This free printable gives kids a chance to practice writing their a's while coloring a fun companion to the craft, which was so much fun and so simple! I will go through the entire alphabet with Harp, so keep checking back for the rest of the letters of the alphabet!

This post includes affiliate links.

You can also grab a really cute book for under $1 on amazon to add to your letter A lessons. Harper and Irecommend A is for Alligator naturally!

                                                        Print the A is for alligator coloring page here

If you have a fun idea for the letter A please leave a comment to inspire Harper and I!

Chicken and Mushroom Sandwich

A few weeks ago, I realized that my grocery budget needed a major overhaul. Summer is here and my expenses always double in the summer. From utilities to entertainment; gasoline and groceries. You name it, with my entire family home for 3 months, it is going to cost more!

Thanks to BFree for sending product to use in this recipe! Be Free offers wheat and gluten free options ranging from pita to bagels, breads and rolls.

This year, I want to enjoy having my son and husband home with Harper and I. Sometimes, money stress really hampers our summer fun. So, I began examining our expenses and finding ways to cut them where possible without sacrificing any standard of living... well lets be honest, standard of eating!

I made it my mission to uncover great meals for a family of 2 adults and 2 preschool-ish age kids that would cost us less than $7 total.

$7 seems like a cheap meal right? Originally I thought about doing $5 meals, but I doubted I could produce delicious and nutritious meals on such a tight budget. We are not big beans and rice eaters. The possibilities have been promising so far on this inexpensive gourmet mission. I incorporate sale items into my menu to maximize my savings and to get the best use of fresh ingredients.

Sandwiches are a great option for any meal. They are fun to eat and they tie so many good flavors together! There is no shortage of sandwiches you can make! If you can dream it, make it and eat it! This is another one of those incredibly yummy and easy recipes that you can create for under $7. I loved that it created minimal dirty dishes in the preparation process and that the sandwich was substantial enough to make a meal on its own.

Ingredients

1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast sliced thin or diced into small chunks.

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup of shredded cheese

8 slices of your choice sandwich bread, I used BFree Brown Seeded Sandwich Bread
Spicy Brown Mustard

Directions

 Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a frying pan. Cook thinly sliced chicken breast thoroughly.

As your chicken is browning, saute sliced mushrooms until they are a golden color.

When your chicken is ready add the cheese and allow to melt.

Add spicy brown mustard to the bread. Add cheesy chicken to the bread and top with mushrooms.
Serve while hot.

Do you ever serve hot sandwiches for dinner? What is your favorite kind to prepare?

You might also like my Elvis Sandwich Recipe or My Peanut Butter Chicken recipe.