Free Preschool Activities

The weather is gorgeous! Time to get out of the kitchen, and take those kiddies outside. On hot days, my preschoolers love to play outside in the water. Here are some ideas for your preschooler to have fun with water - just don’t forget the sunscreen and hats. Use one or more of these ideas this weekend - assuming your weather is as nice as ours is!

• Turn on the sprinkler and let your preschooler run through it to cool off on a hot day (a swimming suit and waterproof sunscreen is recommended!)
• Make a rainbow. Turn on the hose and hold it up to a sunbeam. Watch the rainbow you created. What colors do you see?
• Get out a big paintbrush and bucket of water. Paint the fence or the house with water.
• Smash water balloons against the back fence (this is fun and expends a lot of energy!)
• Add some water to your sandbox and build sandcastles.

Well, I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day. I certainly did. My little ones made me a delicious breakfast in bed, and this year they didn’t burn the toast!

I’ve been writing a lot about food and cooking lately, and I think that’s because food is such an important part of preschoolers’ lives. I mean, we’re constantly trying to think of ways to get healthy food into them, and they seem to always be looking forward to the next snack time!

The kitchen is a great place for learning to take place too.

Here are some of the free things you can do with your preschooler in the kitchen.

• make patterns out of fruit loops or smarties.
• learn the alphabet with magnetic letters on the fridge door.
• practice stirring and pouring
• learn counting and measuring
• learn about the food groups or food pyramid
• explore different textures (rice, flour, salt, etc.)
• learn about crystals by looking at salt or sugar through a magnifying glass
• grow some mold, and learn what mold is
• practice sharing (share a snack with a friend)
• practice good manners at a tea party
• use food coloring to learn about colors
• and the list goes on and on!

Today (when you’re not outside enjoying the spring weather) spend some time with your preschooler in the kitchen, and see what you can learn together!

Well, OK, since you didn’t peek at the last eBook (I’m taking your word for it. ) here’s another one just for you Mom.

Here are some cooking jokes that only a Mom can enjoy.

Happy Mother’s Day to you!

Hey Mom! Here’s a quick little eBook that can help your preschooler get ready for Mother’s Day. It has simple recipes and crafts that are so easy to follow, you can just give this book to Dad (or someone else who can look after the kids for a while), relax, and look forward to a very happy Mother’s Day!

Here’s the link to this free eBook, but no peeking! Just print it off, hand it off to someone else, and you go enjoy your free time.

You know you deserve it!

by Christine Steendahl  “The Menu Mom”

With dance practice, choir, cub scouts, and tae kwon do, who has time to prepare an appetizing meal for the kids after school? You do!  You can have time if you serve an easy to cook kids’ meal.

Of course it’s a no-brainer to throw a hotdog in the microwave or set a tortilla in a pan on top of the stove, add some cheese and 90 seconds later have  a simple quesadilla, but what’s the excitement in that?  Instead experiment with Casseroles or one-pot meals which in most cases go over well with the kids; and are simple to whip together.

Try this quick kids meal:

1 – lb. ground beef
1 - 16 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 - cup water
1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 - cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Crumble beef in a three-qrt glass baking dish and microwave for 4-5 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink. Mix & rotate part way through cooking time. Drain Beef.  Stir in sauce, water and macaroni.  Microwave another 12 minutes, stirring part way through.  Sprinkle cheese on top and allow to stand covered approximately 5 minutes before serving. Serves a couple hungry kids.

There are many meals you can cook with hamburger. Any recipe that asks for hamburger will work just fine replaced with ground turkey, chicken or venison instead.  The simple recipe below uses ground meat.  It takes nearly an hour to bake but merely a blink to prepare.

Combine together:

2 pounds ground meat
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
Crinkle Cut French Fries

Brown ground beef and drain the grease. Add both soups to strained ground beef and spoon into a 9×13 greased baking dish. Top off with cut French fries and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until French fries are light brown.

Taco salads are very quick and easy to prepare.  Begin with lettuce.  Add tomato, onion and cheese (if your kids will approve of it.)  Fry up some meat and toss in an envelope of taco seasoning – or just incorporate some taco sauce to the meat.  Next add crushed tortilla chips or Fritos.  Finish off with salsa or Ranch salad dressing.  Remember the sour cream and guacamole too!  Kids love this meal!

For a fast, on the go, healthy, cold meal try:

A head of lettuce (not bagged lettuce)
Ham or Roast Beef slices
Cheese slices
Condiments

Step 1: Peel off a medium lettuce leaf.
Step 2: Assemble meat, cheese, and condiments.
Step 3: Roll up and stick a toothpick in the middle.
Step 4: Gobble Up.
Step 5: Wipe your face, there is a trace of mayo. on your cheek.

How about an interesting twist to the normal macaroni and cheese kids recipe?

1 (16 ounce) box macaroni (elbow, seashell, bowtie – doesn’t matter, just not spaghetti)
1 c. cottage cheese
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon

1. Cook macaroni according to package instructions.
2. Stir in cottage cheese, sugar, and cinnamon with drained macaroni.
3. Taste and add sugar or cinnamon, if required.
4. Serve right away. Delicious!

Incorporate a bit of creativity to incorporate a twist on a tried and true recipe and even with the chaotic after school activities you will find time to cook a nourishing meal for your kids evening meal.

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Desire More Quick & Easy Kid Approved Meals?  Visit http://www.kidapprovedmeals.com 

Here’s a website I really love. I used it when my kids were small, and I still visit it for project ideas.  A paid membership is available, but you can access a lot of cool stuff for free. I’ve never had a paid membership, and I don’t think I’ve suffered any for it. LOL

The site is Enchanted Learning, and they have lots of free Mother’s Day Projects for Preschoolers. Enjoy!

Here’s a free Mother’s Day project your preschooler can make for Grandma, a favorite aunt, or even for you!

What you need:

• Colored muffin liners
• Pipecleaners
• Vase from the Dollar Store

Insert pipecleaners into the muffin liners to make flowers. Use scissors to create petals if you want.

Place the bouquet in a vase and present it for Mother’s Day. You can make it more festive by tying a bouquet around the vase. Don’t forget to have your preschooler make a card to  go with the bouquet.

My daughter made me a bouquet like this one year, and it graces our dinner table every evening.

by Christine Steendahl – “The Menu Mom”

Almost everyone may remember when classroom bulletin boards displayed the food pyramid. The pyramid – there was only one. One size fit all. Everyone needed to subscribe to the same nutritional guidelines. Everyone was told to merely glance at the pyramid to figure out how many servings were needed each day.

Almost all would agree that it is a good thing that obsolete food pyramid has gone by the wayside! It may have taken a while, but the idea that not all people require the same food intake finally caught on. Nor are children expected to follow the same nutritional guidelines as the adults.

If you’re hoping we’ll show you the “kid’s guidelines” there unfortunately isn’t a predetermined guideline. The amount of food from each food group that each person needs to eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle is dependent on their age, sex and physical activity level. One size doesn’t fit all. You can go to http://mypyramid.gov/ to type in some search criteria to get an idea of how much from each food category to eat every day.

Remember balance is the name of the game. Make sure your little ones are eating fruits and vegetables, dairy, meats and beans and grains every day. Then round it off with water, fresh air and exercise. To help you get started, below you will find a couple of nutritious meals for children.

This turkey avocado sandwich wrap uses kid-friendly ingredients for a nutritious lunch or treat.

INGREDIENTS:
• Whole wheat tortillas
• 1 avocado mashed
• Sliced deli turkey
• Shredded carrots
• Shredded lettuce
• Shredded Monterey jack cheese

PREPARATION:
Assemble wraps in the following order: Spread mashed avocado on tortilla; Sprinkle shredded carrots and lettuce on avocado; Lay on slices of deli turkey; Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

In addition, you won’t get any looks of disappointment if you inform the children you’re making chicken nuggets for supper. This kid favorite is just as good in the low-fat, oven-baked version. For quick clean-up and extra crispiness, lay a sheet of foil on a cookie sheet; and, then place a wire rack on top of the foil.

INGREDIENTS:
• skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut in 1-2 inch squares
• non-fat or low-fat buttermilk
• flour for dredging
• finely crushed corn flakes for dredging
• salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 375. Prepare three large bowls for dredging chicken - 1 with flour seasoned with salt and pepper, 1 with buttermilk, and 1 with crushed corn flakes. Prepare baking pan by laying a sheet of foil over a cookie sheet; and then place a wire rack on top of the foil. Season chicken with salt and cut into 1-2 inch pieces.

Drag chicken pieces in flour. Shake off excess flour and coat with buttermilk. Next, generously coat chicken with corn flakes, and place on rack of your baking pan. Bake nuggets for 15 minutes. These keep well for the next day’s lunch box so make plenty!

The next time you reach into the pantry or freezer to grab something simple to prepare for dinner, take a good analytical look at the ingredients. The idea is not to serve food that is adequate but rather food that is nutritious. Remember that not all of your little ones may require the same servings of food.

Would you like more Kid-Friendly Recipes? Christine Steendahl – “The Menu Mom” invites you to visit Kid Approved Meals at http://www.kidapprovedmeals.com to download your personal 13 week breakfast and lunch menu made just for kids!

Yay, it’s May and the snow is GONE!

Time to get those preschoolers outside and enjoying spring.

The bugs are out too. Preschoolers and bugs make a great combination. It’s fun to look under rocks and leaves and see what’s underneath.

You can even make a homemade magnifying glass so your preschooler can get a better look.

What You Need:

• Small ziplock bags
• Water

What You Do:

Fill each ziplock bag with a different level of water, and seal the bag. Each water level will provide a different level of magnification.

Take your “magnifying glasses” outside and look through them to see what you can see!

Here’s a fun and free activity for your adventurous preschooler.

Get together some tables, chairs and boxes.  Set up a simple obstacle course for your child.

Let your preschooler find a way through the obstacle course on their own. Watch how creative your child can be!

This is more than a fun activity. Making a way through an obstacle course helps your child learn how to solve problems. It helps build confidence in young preschoolers to see they can find a way from start to finish.