Quick snack craft

For those antsy times...

What you need:
*prepackaged crescent rolls
*cookie sheet
*chocolate chips or bars
*powdered sugar
scrumdilly-do it:

Whack open that tube of over processed dough (hey, if you only use it once in awhile, you're good.) separate and unfold triangles. Place on cookie sheet.
Have your wee ones gently stretch and pull the triangles or flatten them out to give them a little bit more size. Make sure hands are clean!Add a piece of chocolate bar or a few chocolate chips to center of triangle.Shape dough into crescent shapes and bake according to package directions.Let cool, place on a happy plate and sprinkle with a pinch of powdered sugar. Serve with a small glass of your preferred beverage and enjoy!


You can do this with biscuit dough also or homemade biscuits or french bread. If using already made bread or biscuits, make a small hole or pocket into the bread, add the chocolate and heat in microwave for about 10-15 seconds. Cool and enjoy!

Repurposed Art: Puffy Hearts

You can also do this ahead of time with blank paper and have your wee ones art them up before stuffing and puffing them...it's up to you.

What you need:

*your kidlets artwork or blank paper
*scissors
*white glue
*clothespins or paper clips
*recycled plastic bags, grocery, produce, bread, etc.
*paint, chalk, markers, etc. if using white paper.
*ribbon, string, yarn
*stapler or hole punch

scrumdilly-do it:

Gather up your supplies. Cut up your wee one's artwork into two or more equal sized squares. If you are using a large sheet of paper, fold it into quarters. If you are using white paper, do the same.Cut out a heart shape through the layers of paper. You will be able to make half as many puffy hearts as their are cut shapes. Two hearts for each "pillow". If you are using blank paper, make your hearts as large as possible so allow your wee one's ample creating space. If you are having your wee ones repurpose their own artwork, you may want to draw a heart shaped template for them or if they are able to, have them draw their own template.Apply glue to the "wrong" side of the repurposed heart just around the edges but leaving a two inch space. The opening will allow you to "stuff" your puffy hearts.Place the companion heart, "right" side up on top of the glue-y heart, add paper clips or clothes pins to the edges to help secure. Set aside to dry.Once dry, if you are using white paper, now is the time for your kidlets to art them up. If you are using paint, set the hearts aside to allow the paint to dry. If you are using repurposed art, it is time to "stuff" 'em up. Get your plastic bags and cut into manageable pieces. I used three quarters of a bread bag for one 8 inch heart. Squish 'em up and push into the opening.Add glue to the edge to seal and use your clips to hold it closed.Once dry, staple a ribbon, string or yarn loop to the top. You can also use a hole punch. You now have a nifty Valentine's Day ornament for your front door, door knob or what have you. Give a little love to your friends and family, Happy Heart Day!

Following the Leader....

or rather, the lines...
It's not often I will include a project that is so direction oriented, seriously, all my other posts are meant to inspire. However, this is a simple project geared for your three year olds out there but I am sure your older kidlets will wanna play along also. We're gonna make some hearts! Don't you remember the a-ha moment when you learned how to cut out a "perfect" heart? This set up will help your wee ones who are just getting used to scissors; develop those fine motor skills and some awesome coordination!

What you need:
*paper (any kind will do really)
*kid friendly scissors
*fat markers or crayonsscrumdilly-do it:

Gather up your paper and cut into an assortment of sizes. Keep the sheets large for your smaller kidlets and make the sheets smaller to challenge your scissor pros. Fold each sheet in half.Next up, draw your half a heart template onto one side of each paper. Keep in mind which hand your kidlet is most comfortable using and draw your heart-half out towards the other hand. This will better enable them to cut out the paper along the line. If they are left handed, the fold should be on the left and vice versa. Using a fat tipped marker will help alleviate trauma to those wee ones that are perfectionists, there will be a lot of line for them to cut on and the line will be all the more visible. If you have older kidlets, ask them to help teach their smaller siblings the fine art of heart making. It will make the older kids feel proud and give them an excuse to do something they may think is too young for them to do. I however believe you are never too young to cut out hearts!Ask your kidlets to cut along the line and then show them the magic they had made! If you have an especially scissor happy kidlet, have them practice on an old magazine. What better way to recycle than to turn it into art.Set out glue and larger sheets of paper, folders, paper plates or what have you and have your wee ones make a collage. Or, you can ask each kidlet to write down or recite words of love and encouragement for your family and put them in a glass jar to be read on Valentine's Day. Let's share the love, shall we? Have fun!