Month: August 2014

DIY Tin Can Bird Feeder

Porter Leave a comment

I think what I love most about the Tin Can Bird Feeder is that you’re essentially making something from nothing! It’s also such a fun way to teach kids how to reuse and recycle! We just made the bird feeder on a whimsy for our own backyard, but it would make a terrific gift too.

 

 

Materials needed:

  • tin can and its lid
  • pliers
  • hot glue gun and glue
  • sticks
  • string
  • a few small rocks

 

First, make sure your can has been thoroughly cleaned and remove the paper label.

 

 

 

Next, being careful not to cut yourself, fold the lid in half using your pliers. Our lid was one of the pull-top ones, which made it a little tricky, but we were still able to make it work!

 

 

 

Now, using the hot glue gun, put a little bit of glue around half of the rim of the can and set the lid inside. Try your best to hide the glue, so it’s not so visible from the outside.

 

 

While you’re folding and gluing the top, go ahead and send the little ones off to find sticks in the backyard.

 

 

Find one or two thicker, sturdier sticks and glue them to the bottom of the bird feeder…this is where the birds can perch while they snack.

 

 

Now, go around the can gluing sticks side-by-side until the entire can has been covered. We broke the sticks so they were all roughly the same length, but by no means perfect. If one stick is curved and leaves a substantial gap, go ahead and glue a small stick in to fill the hole.

 

 

On the bottom of the can, glue a few rocks in place…these probably won’t be seen, but will help balance out the bird feeder so it doesn’t tip too far forward.

 

 

Lastly, tie a string around the bird feeder and fill with bird seed. Hang it up where you and the kids can see it from a window…maybe on a nearby branch or off of your porch. Now, sit back and wait for the birds!

 

 

 

We decorated our bird feeder with sticks from the yard, but you can certainly get creative and mix things up a bit. Your kids can paint the tin can, wrap string around the can, or glue buttons on it…anything you all are inspired to do to make it unique!

Sensory Bags

Porter Leave a comment

These bags are great for babies to play with and are a nice calming activity for bigger kids…heck, I even have a hard time walking by one without squishing it! They always feel so cool to the touch! We made ours pretty simple, but you can always embellish yours a bit by throwing some glitter in or some flat foam shapes.

Sensory gel bags - 1

 

 

Materials needed:

  • Ziplock quart-size bags
  • alcohol wipe
  • hair gel
  • food coloring
  • clear packaging tape

 

First, use the alcohol wipe to easily remove the Ziplock logo from the bag.

 

Next, squirt about a cup of hair gel into the bag.

Then add a few drops of food coloring. If you’re using glitter, throw that in too.

Seal the bag shut, making sure you leave little to no air in the bag. Squish the gel and food coloring together, adding more food coloring if you’d like a deeper color.

Reinforce all the edges of the bag with the packaging tape, especially the top, ensuring that the bag won’t split at its seams letting the gel-food coloring mixture out. All done!

WB likes to squish the bags on the kitchen floor, while L likes me to tape hers to the window, letting the sun shine through. As with most toys, you should never leave your baby alone with the sensory bags…you can never be too safe! Enjoy!

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

Porter Leave a comment

In the Summer, when I was a kid, my mom used to make a frozen, creamy yogurt pie for us. She mixed together yogurt, whipped cream and fruit, poured it into a graham cracker crust and stuck it into the freezer to harden up. We ate it for dessert, afternoon snacks and even breakfast! This is a new twist on such a yummy and healthy Summer-time treat!

Ingredients:

  • banana
  • graham crackers
  • 2 cups, low fat yogurt, any flavor
  • 1 cup, low fat whipped cream (store bought or homemade)

 

First, take a 8 x 8 in or 9 x 9 in pan or dish…line it with tin foil. Break the graham crackers into squares and lay them out on the bottom of the pan.

 

 

Cut the banana into slices, about 1/4 inch thick, and lay one slice on top of each graham cracker.

 

 

Mix the yogurt and the whipped cream together in a bowl. Pour and spread the yogurt mixture evenly over the bananas and graham crackers.

 

 

Finish with another layer of graham crackers. Quickly put the pan in the freezer for a few hours to firm up.

 

 

Take the pan out of the freezer and carefully lift the foil and ice cream sandwiches out. Place on a cutting board and cut into squares. Let them sit about 5 minutes so they’re more creamy and less icy. Yum-yum….enjoy!

 

A great thing about this treat is that it’s very versatile…you can make it with just about anything you have on hand.

Variations include:

  • mash up 2-3 ripe bananas, mix with peanut butter…layer in-between graham crackers
  • add 1-2 tablespoons of jelly, jam, nutella or chocolate syrup
  • use strawberries instead of bananas
  • use cookies instead of graham crackers

The possibilities are endless…let us know what you come up with!