Keiki Gifts, Crafts & Activities

Here is an easy recipe that turns crescent rolls into sweet yummy pastry ”puffs”.  My kids and I prepared these tasty rolls together on several occassions.  The final result is quite sticky but it is very very good.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls (i.e. Pillsbury)

16 large marshmallows

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Glaze & Nuts for topping (optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 F.  Spray 16 medium muffin cups with non stick cooking spray**

In small bowl, mix sugar, flour and cinnamon

Separate dough into triangles.  For each roll, dip 1 marshmallow into melted butter; roll in sugar mixture.  Place marshmallow on shortest side of triangle and roll up to the opposite point.  Completely cover marshmallow with dough; firmly pinch edges to seal.

Dip 1 end in remaining butter; place butter side down in muffin cup.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Place foil or cookie sheet on rack below muffin cups to guard against spills.  Cool in pan 1 minute.  Remove rolls from cups; place on cooling racks.

Optional:  Drizzle glaze over warm rolls and sprinkle with nuts.

Serve warm.

**While baking, the melting marshmallows may ooze out of the dough so remember to line your baking rack with foil.  I like to use paper cupcake liners to make clean up of my muffin pan a lot easier. 

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: easy dessert recipe, pastry recipe, tutorials

I could not have asked for a more wonderful idea…Lego + Muji!  It sounds like this gadget-building-paper combination will definately satisfy my creative side as well as the child in me.  I am certain that it will be a hit with my kids too.  Using a paper punch type tool, holes are made into paper and mounted on to the lego pieces turning it into a dimensional creation.  You will be able to make toys, cards, ornaments and more!

I don’t think you are able to buy this paper Lego products in the U.S. just yet but you can find it here online. 

Technorati Tags: craft, Japan, kawaii, Lego, Muji, toy

A fun and timeless drink recipe that the kids will enjoy making and love drinking!

Homemade Lemonade

• 6 Lemons
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 6 Cups Cold Water

Squeeze the lemons to make 1 cup of juice. Hint: Firmly roll the lemons between your hand and counter top before cutting in half and juicing.

In a gallon pitcher combine 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sugar and 6 cups of cold water. Stir. Adjust water to taste. Chill and serve with ice.

Technorati Tags: homemade lemonade recipe, Keiki Activities, Tutorial

I found a quick and easy way to make raffia flowers with this Provo Craft flower loom. In 13 steps you can create your way to pretty flowers that can be used as colorful accessories and decoration. 13 steps sounds like a lot but you are basically doing the same step over and over like winding and wrapping.

This loom set is meant to make raffia flowers but following the same directions I also made flowers out of ribbon. The set comes with a plastic loom with removable pegs, a hook and yarn needle.

With a little guidance and by marking my loom pegs with numbers, my keiki was also able to make flowers.

Product information here:Knifty Knitter Flower Loom

Technorati Tags: craft, craft supplies, flower loom, flowers, knit, provo craft, raffia, ribbon

This past weekend the keiki and I worked on a painting project. It started out with a question, “What are we going to do today?!” and ended with graffiti-ish paintings.

First we scoured our yard for unused pieces of bricks that happened to be ugly and broken. I cleaned them all up then we painted the bricks with old house paint. When the bricks were nice and dry, we painted our own individual blocks with acrylic paint then together we painted a row of bricks to look like a mural.

Although we intended to place the bricks around our yard as brightly colored decoration, we ended up leaving it where we had it drying. It is on our walkway and is a nice welcoming graffiti-ish trimming that leads to our front door.

Technorati Tags: keiki activity, Kids, painting

I’m not sure where my children got this recipe from but it is a drink often requested and it’s easy to make. The drink is called “Cinderella”.

• Equal parts of pineapple-orange juice and lemonade
• Crushed ice or ice cubes

Garnish glass with a slice of orange and serve with bite sized sandwiches.  Have a have a fun princess party.

Photo Source: gamal abdalla

Technorati Tags: juice, party ideas, recipe, Tutorial

I agree with you 100%! These guys are very ugly little creatures but the thing is…they are adored and loved and pampered as if they are the most beautiful dolls in the world. I call them “therapy dolls” and it was created because my little keiki has recently developed a fear of natural disasters that she feels may wipe away our island. She decided she needed a buddy to go to bed with her and keep her company at night. She wanted to create something ugly but soft to sleep with and thus “Bobby” was made. Bobby is the big guy in the photo and she calls him her nightmare doll.

I think my daughter dotes on her doll so much because she “designed” it herself. She picked out the fabric, drew the face, made the limbs and stuffed the doll. I did the sewing although she did try to help.

After Bobby was made, another doll was created (not shown) and she is temporarily named “Miss Marge”. Miss Marge is the guidance counselor and she hangs around in my daughter’s bag for day trips and she helps with an assortment of woes.

My keiki are enamored with these dolls and are creating more as I write. They love the “design” process. If my children know your children, then it’s likely you will receive one of these as long as the production line continues. So sorry…I know they’re ugly but they can’t all live here.

The small doll above has no name but it’s called the Confession Therapy Doll - “the devil made do it!” The recipient can confess all his/her naughtiness to this doll.

Excuse me now but apparently Miss Marge is unhappy with the expression she has on her face so I need to do face replacement surgery. A perfect face is hard to come by…

Technorati Tags: dolls, Keiki Crafts

Keiki handprints, when they are not on your television screen, are very precious when they are made into keepsake gifts. These personal gifts are the sweet reminders of your child’s life and growth. Here is a craft idea great for Mother’s Day.

Salt Dough Handprint Plaque - Make a batch of salt dough (the recipe is below). Break off a piece of dough that’s a little bigger than the child’s fist. Roll it out flat and make it any shape you want. Place the child’s hand in the middle of the rolled out dough and press it into the dough to make an impression. Press a paper clip into the top of the dough to make a hanger. Let the dough air dry or place it in a 300º oven 30 minutes to an hour, or until dry. Once dry, paint it any color you want. String a nice ribbon through the paper clip and tie it to make a nice hanger.

Salt Dough Recipe

Mix 1 1/2 Cups of salt and 4 cups of flour in a large bowl. Gradually add about 1 1/2 Cups of water until the dough forms a ball around the spoon. (If you add too much water, just add a little more flour. If it’s too crumbly, add more water.) Dump the dough out onto a flat surface and knead it until it is pliable and easily formed.

I got this recipe from Little Kid Crafts. Click Here!

Technorati Tags: keiki craft, mother's day, salt dough craft recipe

Today, Earth Day, is the day people around the world are bringing attention to the world’s energy needs and ways to protect our environment.  I was thinking of a learning activity to do with my kids when I came across a free offer for a sun powered hot dog cooker on Free Things for Kids.

Free Sun-Powered Hot Dog Cooker - It actually works!
Ask for Solar Cooker Kit directions.
Send .25 and a SASE to:
Energy Management Center
P.O. Box 190
Port Richey, FL 34673

Sounds fun and a great way teaching tool - we could go to the beach and roast up some hot dogs with our own solar powered cooker!  But then, I came across a step by step video on Instructables and the process does not sound so easy.

image source:  iwilltry on Instructables

However, if you would like to do it, here is the link to build a solar powered hot dog cooker.  I am happy to say that I found another solar cooker link on PBS Kids using aluminum foil, cardboard and other household objects.  Instead of cooking hot dogs, I think we will be going outside and making some s’mores.  Yum!

Technorati Tags: Earth Day, Solar Cooker

I enjoy crafty floral projects probably because I lack a green thumb and can’t get anything to grow in my garden. This is a simple how-to project to make colorful flowers out of chenille wires (pipe cleaners) and it is a terrific spring time project to do with children. Chenille wires are inexpensive and comes in many different colors so you can make a variety of different colored flowers from one bag.

These are the materials you will need:

• Chenille wire colors of your choice
• Beads - pony or wooden
• Floral tape

Step 1: Cut the wire into smaller lengths- no need to be precise.  When you cut the wires, be careful of the pointy wire ends.

• 6 wires at 4″
• 1 wire at 6″
• These are the petals, a stem and one wire to wrap it all together

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Step 2: Slide your bead onto the longest (6″) wire, slide about a 1/2″ down and fold and twist wire to secure the bead. This will be the center of the flower.

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Step 3: Bend 5 of the 4″ wires to form a loop. These will be the petals. Gather the loops together placing the beaded wire in the center with the “tail” hanging down.

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Step 4: Pinch together and tightly wrap the loose ends with your last piece of chenille wire. The “tail” is your stem. (Pardon my image but I hope you get the idea).

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Step 5: Cover the stem with your floral tape by winding it along the entire length of the chenille wire.

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Step 6: Gently spread open and shape the loops to form rounded petals.

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What to do with your flower:

• Wear over your ear. A flower over the right ear means you are available. A flower over the left ear, means, “sorry- I’m taken!”.
• Place several different flowers in a small vase and give as an everlasting gift.
• Embellish a gift.
• Use as party favors or party decorations.
• Spread kindness.

Have fun!

Technorati Tags: chenille flowers, children's craft, craft tutorial