May 21: Strawberries and Cream Day

image from runtvapor.com

Not only is today Strawberries and Cream Day, but May is Strawberry month. Here are some fun facts about strawberries, according to MacaroniKid.com:

• Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.
• Each strawberry contains approximately 200 seeds.
• Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in spring.
• Strawberries are low fat, low calorie, high in Vitamin C, fiber, folic acid and potassium.
• There is a museum in Belgium just for strawberries.
• The average person in the United States eats 3.4 pounds of fresh strawberries every year.
• 23,000 acres of strawberries are planted in California each year, which equals around 1 billion pounds!

You can make this dessert with strawberries and cream to celebrate the day:

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Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Materials:

• Crushed pretzels, 1 ½ cups
• Sugar, ½ cup
• Butter, 1/3 cup
• Microwave-safe 9” x 13” pan
• Cool Whip, 1 9-ounce package
• Cream cheese, 8 ounces
• Powdered sugar, ½ cup
• 8-cup microwave safe container
• Strawberry gelatin, two 3-ounce packages
• Frozen strawberries, one 16-ounce package (don’t drain)
• Crushed pineapple, 1 cup drained

Directions:

1. Melt butter at 100% power for 30 to 45 seconds.
2. Combine butter with sugar and pretzels and spread in pan.
3. Microwave uncovered at 70 to 80% power for 2 to 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. Mix cream cheese, Cool Whip, and powdered sugar.
5. Spread over cooled crust s and place in fridge to partially set.
6. In container, heat 2 cups water and add gelatin; heat 1-2 more minutes at 100% power to dissolve gelatin.
7. Add strawberries and pineapple.
8. Pour on top of other 2 layers and refrigerate until set.

Source(s): cooks.com, adapted for the Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity H5).

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Check out the full May calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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May 15: Chocolate Chip Day

image from proteinpow.com

In honor of Chocolate Chip Day, there are a number of desserts and snacks one could prepare. Here’s one of the best-known snacks with chocolate chips.

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Trail Mix

Materials:

• Chocolate chips
• Peanuts (if kids aren’t allergic)
• Raisins
• Cereal
• Pretzels
• Sunflower seeds
• Dried fruit
• Mini-marshmallows
• Butterscotch chips
• Small paper cups
• Spoons
• Bowls

Directions:

1. Children can prepare the different ingredients in a variety of cups or serving bowls.
2. Children can then chose which ingredients they wish.
3. For the best mix, they should take one spoon of an ingredient at a time.
4. Stir!

Source(s): Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity F6). Other recipes in the book which use chocolate chips include activities B5, F5, F7, F8, H2, H9, I9, and I10.

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Check out the full May calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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May 8: Coca Cola first sold to the public (1886).

image from dcgazette.com

In celebration of Coca Cola, why not take a stab at making cola?

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Make Your Own Cola

Materials:

• Sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Powdered cinnamon
• Sweetened lime juice
• Club soda
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Ice
• Glasses
• Other brands of non-diet cola
• Blindfold
• Straws

Directions:

1. Mix 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon, ½ teaspoon sweetened lime juice, and ½ cup club soda.
2. To make it more fun, get several kinds of store bought colas and do taste tests.
3. Ask kids if they think it tastes the same as the other colas. Why or why not? Can they identify different colas if they taste them blindfolded?
4. Another possibility is to mix the cola with different amounts of ingredients than what is indicated above. What happens? How does it change the cola?

Source(s): SolarNavigator.net. Featured in Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity A5).

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Check out the full May calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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Hundreds of Simple Activities for Kids

On Saturday, I conducted a workshop designed to provide families with ideas for simple activities to do at home. Thanks to the 40+ adults and kids who participated and thanks to Blue Valley Library for hosting the event.

Playing off Toolbox Training's series of 100 Activities for Kids books, the room was set up in six areas, each with various activities which could be done cheaply at home. Participants could engage in the activities and write down additional ideas. Here's the ideas which were written down:

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ART:

• Keep a tub of basic supplies on hand
• Keep a tub of recyclable materials
• Provide a variety of kinds of paper
• Create and have fun!

Check out Toolbox Training's book 100 Art Activities for Kids for more ideas:

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COOKING:

• Texture tub
• Let kids use real dishes instead of play dishes
• Include empty food containers with kids' dishes
• Kids can serve adults and tell what foods they are serving
• Kids can help measure ingredients in recipes

Check out Toolbox Training's book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids for more ideas:

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DRAMA:

• Create themed prop boxes
• Keep a tub of dress-up clothes
• Keep old Halloween costumes

Check out Toolbox Training's book 100 Drama Activities for Kids for more ideas:

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GAMES:

• Keep leftover game pieces to make new games
• Keep a tub of travel-size games
• Encourage kids to make up their own games
• Let kids make up their own rules for familiar board games

Check out Toolbox Training's book 100 Games Activities for Kids for more ideas:

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MUSIC:

• Have kids illustrate lyrics to songs
• Keep a crate of instruments on hand
• Make instruments

Check out Toolbox Training's book 100 Music Activities for Kids for more ideas:

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SCIENCE:

• Find books with animals' lengths and weights and then use yardsticks and scales to measure them
• Play a game of trying to identify leaves and rocks
• Put together a kit of basic science experiment tools (magnifying glass, ruler, string, graph paper, etc.)
• Put bugs, dirt, and grass in a jar to observe
• Gather unusual objects and let kids guess their purpose

Check out Toolbox Training's book 100 Science Activities for Kids for more ideas:

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Book: 100 Cooking Activities for Kids

These 100 activities are focused on food. While they have been collected under the banner of “cooking,” one of the criteria is that these projects do NOT require an oven or stove. In some cases, a microwave, fridge, or freezer may be necessary. Activities are divided into the following categories: drinks, frozen treats, gelatin, fruit, toppings/spreads, snack mixes, meat & cheese, desserts, campfire cooking, animal creations, other creations, and play dough. 136 pages. Catalog number: CKBK1111; Price: $9.95 Also available from Amazon.com.