How to Make a Pretzel Cabin and Saltine Village

Callie's log cabin inspired by Caleb...

Mariah's masterpiece inspired by the love of glue dispensing!

Steps:

1. Give your children the materials (pretzels, saltines, a cardboard plate and elmers)

2. Say nothing. NOTHING. Don't say, "Okay, so you just do this..." Let THEM figure it out. The variety is astounding.

It it interesting to note that some people think vertically and some horizontally... at least this project they did. :)

How to teach Guitar

I pulled out my guitar today. I showed them how it works REALLY briefly... just defining stuff and why it's there. Then I gave them the rules, no turning the white knobs at the end and no hitting hard. Then, they were allowed the freedom. Callie instantly took like August Rush and started making overtones and drumming and strumming and testing it out. She took note of where it was louder, where softer, where higher pitched, where lower pitched. With pick... without pick. Up and down the bridge. She spent an 1/2 hour independently on it. It was amazing to watch! She can learn so much if I just keep my BIG OLE MOUTH SHUT!!!

How to Build a Horse Protector....

As mentioned earlier, my kids were inspired to take some toys outside and play make-believe among the weeds. Their favorite outdoor friends were their Melissa and Doug horses. Unfortunately, they were easily lost among the late growing winter grasses before mowing season, thus when mowing season had begun... a little horse was mangled to its destruction. Callie, realized that something had to be done to protect her dear horses from the evil monster lawn mower. She build this incredibly detailed structure out of rocks and twig scaffolding, with a grass roof similar to the Little House dugout in Plum Creek. Now her horses have a safe dwelling away from the mower.
Note: When children have REAL motivation... they build and create AMAZING things. Had I said, "Callie, go build a house" she would have made a dinky pathetic little thing... for my approval.

How to Build a Log Cabin- part 2

So, earlier on this year we posted about the log cabin we were building. It has sat half constructed for some time now... so I asked my husband if he could please fell the dead tree in the back yard. He watched a you tube video about how to get a tree to fall the way you want it too, but clearly, gravity is more powerful than the mind. Luckily, our chickens survived and we were able to reconstruct the damage. :) And, now the log cabin is done... and it's raining!

How to Make Chocolate on a Stick

These are some slap happy testimonials of chocolate on a stick. All you do is melt some chocolate chips and pour the chocolate into your typical candy molds. I just happened to add craisins and marshmallows to make it not so thickly chocolate. Then, cool it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Voila! Presto! Yummo!

How to Make a Volcano

The defacto volcano of sorts is certainly exciting, but probably isn't perfect, because it lasts all but a second or two. Anyway, here are my tips for enjoying volcano fun:

1. Let the kids build the volcano themselves... preferably outdoors with no limits to size and materials.

2. Let the kids pour the vinegar themselves... they get to feel confident in what they CAN do in this world where they feel limited.

3. Sing Jimmy Buffets song, "I don't know where I'm a gonna go when the vol- cano blows!"

4. Feed the kids chocolate afterwards. Then their mouths look like volcanoes too. ;)

How to Make Play Doh

As you can see, the beautiful all natural ingredient of Cream of Tartar is the key. Yes, there are other variations, some that even include peanut butter. BUT... traditional play doh is a simple process using the ingredient Cream of Tartar. If you are wondering what Cream of Tartar is... but aren't curious enough to look it up... it is a substance created when one turns grape into wine. I.E. a by-product of wine making. (Name deriving from the chemical composition of potassium acid tartrate) It is all natural and is commonly used to make souffles and candies of sorts. I used almost the entire jar yesterday. Made four large batches of Play doh.

Here is the recipe:

3 cups flour blended with 3 cups water in pot on stove.
Add 1 cup salt.
Add 6 teaspoons Cream of Tartar.
Add 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Food coloring (plan on using most of the tube for good color)

Heat on medium/high heat until it clumps up good enough to look sort of like playdoh.

Throw on a surface (I use a wooden cutting board) and knead until smooth and clumps are out/color mixed well.

Let cool. Let play.

We made green for St. Patricks day, yellow just because, purple for princesses and brown for monkeys. When I get out to get some more Cream of Tartar we will make pink, blue and orange. :)

Clay Happy!!!