After School Snack: Shake-A-Pudding

The first thing every kid does upon arrival home from school is look for a snack.

A favorite at our house was

Shake-A-Pudding.

Not only do you get a nutritious snack, this provides a fun activity as well!

Here is what you need:

1-box of instant pudding, your choice of flavor

1- plastic container with a screw on lid.

We have used a variety of containers. All have worked well.

Examples: empty peanut butter jars, empty plastic fruit jars and Rubbermaid/Tupperware containers

Directions:

Pour one small box of pudding mix into the jar and add 2 cups of cold milk (according to the directions on the box). Screw on the lid tight, and then shake away.

Add a twist, hop or twirl. Whatever motions the pudding maker feels like that day.

Dance away for about 2 minutes.

Open the jar and pour the pudding into your favorite bowl.

Top with fresh fruit for a double nutritious, delicious snack.

Feel really adventurous?

Add food coloring, or my favorite, crushed peppermint sticks to vanilla pudding.

Don't feel like a whole box of pudding?

Over the years I experimented with making smaller portions.

This will make the box of pudding mix last for several snack times.

Here is what I came up with. Tweak it to suit your preferences.

Smallest amount:

2 teaspoons of pudding mix powder to 1/4 cup of cold milk

Medium amount:

4 teaspoons of pudding mix powder to 1/2 cup of cold milk

Next time someone says they are hungry between meals,

why not have a shake-a-pudding dance festival?

This Blog Post is inspired from the book:

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky B. Baxa

If you would like more fun ideas to share with your children

(that do not require batteries or electronics )

you can purchase this 180 page book,

full of color photos,

for $21.95

from Amazon.com or Etsy.com

Or

from the gift shop at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO,

Silver Dollar City General Store in Branson, MO .

This book can also be checked out of the following libraries:

Scenic Regional Library - Union and Pacific, MO

First Christian Church - Washington, MO

Hawaii State Library - Honolulu, HI

Story City Public Library - Story City, IA

Ellsworth Public Library - Ellsworth, ME

Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest

 

Recently, we attended a charity event for spinal cord injury victims and their families. 

The event coordinators had provided lots of easy, fun activities for the children. 

One of these activities was a watermelon seed spitting contest.  What fun the kids had!

 

This reminded me of a time in college when a group I belonged to had a similar contest. 

I don't remember how I did in that contest.  But, the memory that is engraved in my mind is that of one of my professors who sat on a grassy knoll and spit watermelon seeds farther than any of the students could.  She was remarkable and memorable. 

 

The point of this stroll down memory lane is that this activity is great fun for all ages.

  So, pick up a watermelon at the local produce stand or grocery store

(not the fancy "no seed" varieties) and have a family contest. 

Invite the neighbors over and let them join in the fun too!

 

 

http://www.poweredbystarlight.wordpress.com

 

 

I have a garden patch...I've got my eye on the watermelons that I planted

 and my fingers crossed for a good crop.  

                                                   I feel a contest coming in my future!

This Blog Post is inspired from the book:

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky B. Baxa

If you would like more fun ideas to share with your children

(that do not require batteries or electronics )

you can purchase this 180 page book,

full of color photos,

for $21.95

from Amazon.com or Etsy.com

Or

from the gift shop at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO,

Silver Dollar City- General Store in Branson, MO .

This book can also be checked out of the following libraries:

Scenic Regional Library - Union and Pacific, Missouri

First Christian Church - Washington, Missouri

Hawaii State Library - Honolulu, Hawaii

Story City Public Library - Story City, Iowa

Ellsworth Public Library - Ellsworth, Maine

Water Mist Fun

I love going to zoos and parks that have mist coming up out of the sidewalk.  It is so much fun to watch the children playing in the mist as the sun creates rainbows through the water droplets around their smiling, giggling faces!  Or, even better to go to an amusement park and walk through a mist tunnel on a hot summer day.

You can recreate this pleasure at home using an empty spray bottle!

Decorate your empty spray bottles with permanent markers, identifying the owner and letting each person's personality emerge.  Then on a hot day, fill them up with water, go outside  and have fun spraying each other. It is almost as fun as squirt guns, only you have to get closer to the person you are spraying.  This makes it more adventurous and the squealing gets louder!  :-)
  
Try spraying the sidewalk or the side of the house.  The sun will evaporate the water quickly. 

Stand in the sun so as to make a shadow on the sidewalk.  Have someone mist in the outline of your shadow.  Step away and your shadow remains.  Estimate how long it will take to disappear.

Spray the plants and make their leaves shine.  On a hot, dry day you will almost hear them sigh in relief.

What else can you think of to do?

This Blog Post is inspired from the book:

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky B. Baxa

If you would like more fun ideas to share with your children

(that do not require batteries or electronics )

you can purchase this 180 page book,

full of color photos,

for $21.95

from Amazon.com or Etsy.com

Or

from the gift shop at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO,

Silver Dollar City -General Store in Branson, MO .

This book can also be checked out of the following libraries:

Scenic Regional Library - Union and Pacific, MO

First Christian Church - Washington, MO

Hawaii State Library - Honolulu, HI

Story City Public Library - Story City, IA

Ellsworth Public Library - Ellsworth, ME

Water Balloons!

The sun is blazing, it is hot outside. 

The kids are bored and it is too hot to think about doing anything! 

Now is the PERFECT time to pull out a bag of balloons,

 put on your swim suits

and have a family water fight! 

Recently, I volunteered for Vacation Bible School. The first couple of days during game time, I dutifully stood guarding the sidelines. Then on Wednesday the temperatures were in the hot 90's and the station leader pulled out water balloons and squirt guns. Well, all inhibition fell off at the sight of this refreshing activity. From that point on, this time of the day was a highlight. As the kids and I played we had so much fun (and there was a 50 year age difference between my students and myself!) Relationships were strengthened through this time of playing. So, throw inhibition to the wind, and PLAY with your kids. You won't regret it!


http://www.fineartamerica.com


P.S.  Two weeks passed and I ran into one of the little boys from my class.  In the past he had always been shy and reluctantly, but respectfully, answered any question I asked.  But on this encounter he was eager to tell me all about the movie he was going to see and he invited me to see it too.  It was a wonderful conversation.  I am positive this change was due to our play time with water guns during VBS.  Playing with your kids opens all types of doors to communication!

This Blog Post is inspired from the book:

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky B. Baxa

If you would like more fun ideas to share with your children

(that do not require batteries or electronics )

you can purchase this 180 page book,

full of color photos,

for $21.95

from Amazon.com or Etsy.com

Or

from the gift shop at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO,

Silver Dollar City- General Store in Branson, MO .

This book can also be checked out of the following libraries:

Scenic Regional Library - Union and Pacific, MO

First Christian Church - Washington, MO

Hawaii State Library - Honolulu, HI

Story City Public Library - Story City, IA
Ellsworth Public Library - Ellsworth, ME