MAKING YOUR OWN FAMILY FUN
Ah, the holidays are upon us and for some reason our brains just cannot function with all the responsibilities we have, not to mention the added worries of living in a nation now at war. What we need is a “time out” from the commitments and a chance to connect again with our children — while giving ourselves a chance to laugh and enjoy the freedom and innocence of childhood. Here are a few suggestions for doing just that.
Snowball Fight
Consider this idea for a group of children or just those who share your name. It will bring laughter to all who participate. This fun, inexpensive game is great for those days when the weather is bone-chilling or even for those warmer climates where snow rarely falls, if ever.
To start:
Crumble sheets of white paper (scrap) — or old newspaper will do— into balls to make pretend snowballs. Or, if you prefer, you can use rolled-up socks. You need about 20-30 snowballs to start, depending upon how many players you have and how long you want the game to last.
To play:
Divide players into two teams. Use chairs, a piece of yarn, or tape to divide the room in half. The team members must not cross the line. Place half of the snowballs on one side of the room and the remainder on the opponent’s side of the room. At the signal, toss the snowballs onto the other side. At the end of a designated time allotment (three minutes or so), whichever team has the least amount of snowballs in their half of the room wins.
Tips:
No running.
Emphasize that the game’s objective is to toss snowballs to the other side, not at siblings or other opposing team members.
Edible Dreidels
Children love making this treat, regardless of their religious beliefs.
Ingredients:
1 16-ounce bag of large marshmallows
1 10-ounce bag of small pretzel sticks
1 9-ounce bag of chocolate kisses
1 can of white ready-to-spread icing (or use home-made)
Dab a bit of icing on the bottom of the chocolate kiss. Place the icing side of the kiss onto one side of a marshmallow. Poke a pretzel stick into the center of the opposite end of the marshmallow. Allow icing to harden 30 minutes or so.
Then, spin, eat, enjoy!
O Christmas Tree
Kids will gobble this sweet, crunchy treat.
Ingredients:
1 box of sugar cones
2 pounds of green dipping chocolate which can be found in craft or candy supply stores.
If you can’t find green, buy white chocolate and dye with a few drops of green food coloring.
1 5-ounce bottle of candied sprinkles from grocery store bakery section or candy supply store.
To Make:
Place a cookie sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes or so. Melt the green chocolate in a double broiler or in the microwave according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Insert a butter knife in the open side of the sugar cone for ease of handling. Completely cover the outside of the cone with the melted chocolate by dipping the cone into the chocolate or by spooning the chocolate over it. Scatter colored sprinkles around the cone for decorations. Stand upright on the chilled cookie sheet. (The chilled sheet stops warm chocolate from spreading).
This makes a great kids’ party treat.
Snowball Favors
Keep a basket of these treats handy to offer visitors, service people and children’s friends.
Ingredients for one:
1/4 cup of white jelly beans
Supplies:
clear cellophane
6-inch piece of white string or yarn
To Make:
Cut a 4-inch square of cellophane. Place white jelly beans inside the square. Pull the ends of the cellophane together to form a tight ball. Tie with string and knot. Cut off excess cellophane.
Place in a decorative basket by the front door and toss them to anyone who rings the bell.
Snowman Ornament
Materials for one:
wooden tongue depressor
white paint
1 6-inch piece of yarn (any weight or color)
red marker
buttons/sequins
1/2 inch by 1-1/2 inch strip of black fun foam
2 5-mm black pom-poms
1 5-mm red pom-poms
craft glue
gold (or any festively-colored) ribbon
To make:
Paint tongue depressor white, leaving 1 inch from the top bare. Paint bare spot black for the hat. Glue the black strip of fun foam across the bottom of the black paint for the hat brim. Glue two black pom-poms for the eyes and the red pom-pom for the nose. Draw a line with red marker for the mouth. For the scarf, tie and knot yarn approximately 1/2 inch down from the mouth. Add a dab of glue on the back to hold in place. Glue three buttons or sequins down the length of the snowman. Glue a loop of gold ribbon to the back near the top to make your snowman ornament easy to hook onto the tree.
Tip:
You can also use wooden paint stirrers for this project. If you are making a large amount of ornaments for a group, ask a hardware store or doctor’s office to donate the stirrers or tongue depressors.
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