Homemade Red Playdough for Valentine's Day

Homemade Red Playdough

Valentine's Day is this week and what a beautiful, simple and inexpensive way to celebrate with the children (and grown ups) in your life. This is our own favorite recipe that we have used for over 15 years. We hope you enjoy it. 

Supplies Needed:

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

4 Tablespoons Cream of Tartar (can get at grocery store)

2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil

1 Cup Salt

Few Drops of Red or Pink Food Coloring

2 Cups Boiling Water

Put all ingredients into large bowl except for boiling water.  Pour boiling water over the mixture and stir it up with a large spoon.  Sprinkle your surface with flour and lift warm dough out of your bowl and knead until texture is right.  Play dough can be stored in an air tight container.

Chinese Foil Snakes

I Am a Snake

I have no legs. I have no arms.

(arms down close to body)

I can take off my skin.

(pretend to pull off skin)

I wiggle my tongue.

(like this wiggle tongue)

I’m very, very thin.

(hands on ribs, slide them down)

I can open my mouth so wide.

(open mouth)

And eat my dinner whole.

(rub tummy)

I can curl up nice and tight,

(squat down low)

Or stretch out like a pole.

(stretch up tall)

 Happy Chinese New Year!

This year is the year of the snake so the girls and I spent time today creating these very easy and pretty foil snakes.  We had foil origami squares left over from another project but simple aluminum foil can be used also (the large snake above is made of it).

We experimented with different designs and cuttings:  Folding our pieces like an accordion, cutting with scissors first and then folding and our very favorite technique was wrapping the strips around a pencil resulting in coil-type snakes that we added faces and tongues to.

  

The Chinese New Year is also thought of as the Spring Festival.  I find this so fitting right now as I am currently working on our latest festival book focusing on Springtime.  Similar to our custom of spring cleaning, the Chinese New Year is traditionally a time to cleanse the house and make room for new luck.  It is also a time for honoring ancestors.

The Chinese New Year is actually celebrated for 15 day so you have plenty of time to share this special time with the children!  Regardless of the timing, never feel like you missed a special festival or holiday because life gets in the way, just bring the celebration into your home or school as time permits and enjoy it fully.

We are praying for health, love and happiness this new year and wish the same to you!

xoxo