Beat the Winter Blues

It's the time of the year when it's easy to get those wintertime blues; not
only is  mom a likely candidate, but it also happens to the young ones.  "I'm
bored. What can I do" seems to be heard on a daily basis.  That's when Mom
has to come up with something to keep them busy.  With a little research, I
have found a few things that might help you out. Some of these will need your
assistance, depending on the age of your child.  

Chia Potato (This one will give them something to check out every day to see
its progress)

You will need"
* Large Potato
* Grass seed
* Potting soil
* Sticks

Instructions:
Take a large potato and dig out the center of it with a spoon. Add some grass
seed and soil. The sticks may be used to make legs for the Chia. Eyes can be
added with tiny nuts or any other item--just be creative. Water and watch it
grow.


Cotton People Craft

You will need:
* Cotton Balls
* Construction Paper
* Wiggly Eyes
* Glue

Instructions:
Easy craft idea! First you cut hands and feet out of the construction paper.
Then you glue them on to a cotton ball. Next, you glue on the wiggly eyes.
Set aside and let the glue dry.

Dirt You Can Eat
You will need:
* 9 oz. Clear Plastic Cups
* Softened Chocolate Ice Cream
* Chocolate Cookie Crumbs
* Gummy Worms

Instructions:
Fill the plastic cups about 3/4 of the way full with softened chocolate ice
cream. Top with about 1/4 inch of chocolate cookie crumbs. Place gummy worms
in the "dirt" and eat!

Suncatcher Craft
You will need:
* Wax Paper
* Old Crayons
* Newspaper
* Iron

Instructions:
Cut two identical shapes from wax paper  (Find a coloring page picture and
use as a pattern, or  simply cut a triangle, circle, square, etc.)  Lay a few
sheets of newspaper on on your work surface. Place one of the shapes on the
newspaper. Turn on your iron to a low setting with no steam.
Grate some old crayons into shavings. Sprinkle the shavings on your wax paper
shape. Make designs with the shavings. Once your shavings are in place set
the other shape on top of the shavings. Make sure the edges of the shapes
match up as well as possible.
Gently place a few pieces of newspaper on top of your design. Press the
newspaper on top of the shapes with your iron. You might want to experiment
with the iron's settings. It is complete when all the crayon shavings melt
and both shapes stick together. Let cool and hang in the window!  What fun!


Frame Gift Craft
You will need:
* Inexpensive Frame
* Paint
* Buttons or any other small items
* Glue
Instructions:
Purchase some inexpensive wooden frames or use some old discarded ones.  
Remove the glass and let your children paint the frames. After the paint
dries, glue the buttons, or other items,  around the edge of the frame. Now,
what a nice frame for school pictures.


Greeting Card Bookmark
You will need:
* Used Greeting Cards
* Posterboard or Cardboard
* Crayons, Markers, or Paint
* Glue
Instructions:
Cut a strip from the posterboard, or thin cardboard, about 8 inches x 2
inches. Cut out the picture on the front of a greeting card. Glue the picture
at the top of the strip. Allow the glue to dry.
This makes a nice little gift for your child to make for Grandmother, a
teacher, or a special friend. To make it more durable, cover it with clear
contact paper or laminate it.


Mouse Ears Headband
You will need:
* Construction Paper
* Crayons or Markers
* Stapler or Tape
Instructions:
Using construction paper, cut out a strip of paper about 2 inches thick and
long enough to wrap around your forehead (make sure you make it an inch or
two longer so you can staple the ends together.)
Now, fold a piece of paper in half and cut out a set of circles. A helpful
idea is to find a large cup to trace around! Cut out another smaller set of
circles in pink and glue them inside the larger circles.
Put the bottom edge of each ear up against the strip of paper and staple or
tape them in place. Once the ears are attached, staple or tape the ends of
the strip together to snuggly fit around your forehead.


Mini Pizza Recipe (Good Do-It-Yourself for those hungry teens)
Ingredients:
* Roll of Refrigerator Biscuits
* Pizza Sauce
* Cheese
* Other Toppings as Desired
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to the temperature it says on the package of refrigerator
biscuits you use.
Open the refrigerator biscuits and separate. Taking one biscuit at a time,
flatten them as much as possible on an ungreased cookie sheet (leaving the
cookie sheet ungreased allows the biscuits to stick a little and stay
flatter!) Once the biscuits are flattened, you can construct your mini pizzas
using whatever ingredients you want. Once your pizzas are "built", put them
in the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly!


Marshmallow Treat (My dad used to help us make these)
Ingredients
* Marshmallows
* Peanut Butter
* Crackers
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spread peanut butter onto cracker and top
with marshmallow.  Place on cookie sheet and into oven until marshmallow is
slightly toasted.

Simple Gift Craft
You will need:
* Shoe Box
* Glue
* Paint
* Mirror
Instructions:
Paint the outside of the box (or decorate as desired). Glue a small mirror on
the bottom of the box. Make a card and glue it on the bottom of the box top
that reads: "The person pictured here is one of the most special gifts in my
life".