Parenting

Fun Chocolate Treats You Can Make with Your Kids

Baking and cooking with your kids is a great way to bond with them and have fun together. Kids just love getting messy in the kitchen, and they love the responsibility you give them even more.

By baking and cooking with kids, you can teach them the value of food and the skills required to support themselves when they’re older. If your kids love making potions in the bathroom, show them how they can make a potion in the kitchen that turns into something edible!

Almost all children love chocolate and some of the easiest things to bake with kids contain chocolate. Anything with melted chocolate is double the fun because it creates a gooey mess. But don’t forget you can teach your kids how to be clean and tidy in the kitchen too.

Try making some of these delicious chocolate treats that just about anyone can make whether they’re 5 or 85.

Chocolate Nests

These chocolate treats are so easy any adult or child can make them. If you want to get the kids into the kitchen, but you’re not very confident with your skills, these are simple enough for anyone to do.

All you need is chocolate and cereal, and maybe some treats to decorate. Pick whichever cereal you like, but since you’re mixing it with chocolate, don’t go too sweet. You can use Rice Krispies, corn flakes or even bran flakes.Just melt the chocolate (it’s best to do it in a bowl over another bowl or saucepan of hot water), mix it into the cereal and spoon it into cupcake cases. Add some decorations (chocolate eggs are great for Easter) and put them in the fridge to set.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes are also easy enough for the kids to help out. They’ll need a bit of a helping hand with measuring, breaking eggs and handling anything hot, but they can do a lot of the tasks involved.

Have the kids mix, measure and pour, and they’ll feel so proud of themselves for helping in the kitchen. Once the cupcakes are out of the oven and have cooled down, let the kids have fun with decorating.

They may not be the prettiest cupcakes ever, but they’ll be a great achievement for your children.

Chocolate Brownies

Brownies are another easy thing to put together with the kids. You can buy a ready made brownie mix, or you can be a bit more daring and start from scratch. For extremely sumptuous brownies, use a good quality dark Italian chocolate, instead of just cocoa powder.

You can have all kinds of fun with brownies too – they don’t have to be just plain chocolate. Try adding popping candy for a giggly time. You can use nuts, caramel, marshmallow and peanut butter. There’s no limit to the different flavors you can add to your brownies. You can even try blondies – brownies with white chocolate.

When you’re baking with the kids, make sure they’re supervised with anything hot or sharp. Baking should be fun, not cause for a trip to the ER.

How To Plan The Perfect Children’s Party

At first you may think that a children’s party is quick and easy to organise. After all, the little ones are easily pleased are they not? Think again; children become socially aware at a young age thanks to the constant bombardment of advertisers and social networks. (There are age limits for using them you know). They are judged by their peers and will live with the consequences of a poorly organised party for a long time.

Photo by Janet

It is best to plan the party early because there is much to do. Use the same techniques to arrange for the children as you would for a sophisticated gathering of your own. Here are some things to which you must attend.

Is There A Theme?

In the image, the bags of treats are obviously made for a Halloween party. If you are giving a theme to your child’s party, make sure that it runs through every step you take. Read on to see places where you must apply it.

Personalised Invitations

Make high quality invites that guests’ will want to keep. Use a computer, printer, beads, sequins, and hot melt glue, to create invitations that will be legendary in their social circles. Remember the theme when making the invitations. You could include balloon pictures for birthdays or spiders and cobwebs for all hallow’s eve.

Party Food

You may have read articles that encourage you to feed the children with jam sandwiches and chocolate fingers. Do that at the peril of your child’s social standing. Food is a vital part of the occasion, and it should be top quality. The food doesn’t have to be expensive. Salmon, egg mayonnaise, and ham sandwiches always go down well with children, but remember to cut them into triangles and remove the crusts.

Make the cake yourself or pay someone to make and personalise one for your kids. Most of them prefer sponge to fruitcake, but the latter will impress the parents of the guests when they take some home. Remember to apply the theme, if appropriate, when preparing food.

Entertainment

Traditional party games get the occasion off to a good start but follow them up with a professional entertainer of some kind. You will find clowns, who have fun and make balloon animals, in the telephone directory, but try to be a little more imaginative. How about a caricature artist, or a magician? They always go down well at parties. If you have room for a bouncy castle, it is a brilliant way to use up the last of your guest’s energy. Have a first aid kit on hand because someone always suffers a minor injury.

Home Time

Parents try to beat each other with the quality of the party bags the children take home. Outdo them all by including a gift for each child. Maybe a wristwatch or a necklace; nothing costing more than fifty pounds though, there is no need to go overboard.

When they next meet at school or nursery, your child will be able to walk tall in the knowledge that their party was a success. All the other parents will be quaking in their boots now that you have set the bar so high. It is their turn next, so sit back with a self-satisfied grin and enjoy watching them sweat. Mission accomplished!

7 Really Useful Tips When Buying Clothes for Your Little Ones

Kids and toddlers grow so quickly it can seem like their wardrobe is forever changing and you are forever shopping for new clothes for them. You may even find yourself stressing out over this ongoing cycle.

I know exactly what you are going through; I have a four-year-old boy!

Here are my top six suggestions for helping you cope with clothes shopping for toddlers.

1) Always buy clothes that are a little too big rather than a snug fit

I’m sure you remember, as you stood in front of the mirror in your new ‘knee-length’ winter coat, your parent’s encouraging refrain: “don’t worry, it looks lovely, you’ll grow into it!” They were trying their best to make you feel better, and it usually worked!

I’m sure we’ve all said the same thing to our children, as we think about how long it’s going to be before we have to once again dip into our purse for a replacement whatever-it-is.

One of the reasons for buying slightly larger clothes is that your child could go through a growth spurt at any time. And while you can’t guarantee newer clothes will still fit, there is a better chance of them doing so if you allow room to grow.

2) Take advantage of sales

Shops are always having sales and you can grab some serious bargains during such times. Don’t buy for the sake of it though, only buy what you really need. The exception to this rule is shoes and massively discounted expensive items, such as famous brands and designer labels.

3) Think about the future

If you find a bargain, think about the coming months and perhaps even the year ahead; is it worth buying two or three items of same piece of clothing in different, progressively larger sizes? Sometimes it really is!

4) Quality or quantity?

It’s a tough call between the two, as you want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck. Try estimating how many times your child will wear the item you are thinking of buying, and the types of activities your child will be doing when he/she is wearing it.

It’s not worth spending £20 on a pair of jeans for playing out, but you should be prepared to spend at least the same amount (or a little less) on trousers for a special occasion.

5) Buy online

Don’t be afraid of buying clothes online. You can sometimes find great clothes at ridiculously low prices.

When you buy clothes online, you should always check the returns policy of the retailer. The page might be difficult to find, so try using the search facility, look at the links at the bottom of the page or read the terms and conditions.

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of buying online is the ability to try the clothes on in the comfort and relaxed atmosphere of your own home. Most kids hate clothes shopping (so do some adults), and being asked to ‘hold out your arm’ or ‘stand still’ adds to the nightmare.

Buying online and trying at home removes a lot of stress.

6) Try it on

If you can, let your little ones try clothes on before you buy. You will always have the issue of the clothing being a good fit, but you should also consider the feel of the item. Is the material scratchy or too heavy? Kids notice these things and could make your life a nightmare when it comes to wearing what you have bought!

7) Let them choose

If your child is old enough, let them choose some clothes they like, while you make the final decision. Ask them to look at the racks and choose a few items to try-on. This way you stand a good chance of making the shopping trip enjoyable, rather than a living hell.

So, there we have it. Six tips to make clothes shopping for toddlers a little easier. Do you have any more tips? Perhaps you have some stories you would like to share?

There’s plenty of space in the comments section!

Photo Credit: Sydney Treasures Photography

5 Tips For Styling Your Kids For Less

Now that the cold weather season is around the corner, you may find yourself wondering how you’re going to afford to buy new coats, hats, jumpers and wellies to keep your kids warm and dry this winter. You may still be recovering from paying out for school uniforms, P.E. kits and books, not to mention any letters to Santa that will require a remortgage! So, surely there’s a way to keep your kids looking stylish on a budget, right? Well yes, there is, and here’s how:

1. Clothing swaps

Image from Pinterest

If you have friends with children, then why not team up to see what items of clothing you have spare? Pooling your resources can save time and money; most young children won’t mind what you dress them in, and lots of clothes will be in great condition as kids grow out of things so quickly.

If you’re looking for a bigger choice, why not check to see if there’s a clothes swap group in your area? Or even set one up yourself? Organising your own clothing swap party is a great way to meet other parents and make some new friends. Invite your friends, family, work colleagues and members of your local community; the more people who attend, the better selection of clothes there will be.

There are also online sites such as Freegive that link people in your area so that unwanted items can be collected for free. There are a few rules to adhere to, such as placing items for free collection before making a request for anything. The community is a friendly and accessible place to find some great items, and feel good about recycling.

2. Re-style

Image from mommygyan.com

You may find that some of your kids clothing can be re-styled by adding a detail, or getting the scissors out. A pair of jeans that are too short can be made into a pair of shorts, or old t-shirts can be sewn together to make a dress. There’s plenty of tutorials online to help with inspiration, and you don’t necessarily have to be great at sewing.

Upcycling old clothing is a fantastic way of creating new clothing from old. You can even change adult shirts and jumpers into clothing suitable for kids, or convert bandanas into a summer dress, as shown in a tutorial at mommygyan.com.

3. Charity shops

Your local charity shop is a great place to pick up a bargain, whilst supporting a good cause. A lot of shops have a “bargain rail” or a £1 section, which is brilliant for buying clothes for you kids to get messy in. You may also find new items with tags still attached, if you prefer unworn clothing.

Charity shops are also a fantastic place to pick up fancy dress items for parties, and much cheaper than buying a whole outfit, or renting one from a costume hire store.

4. Make your own

Image from Pinterest

The Great British Sewing Bee tv series has ignited a revival in traditional dressmaking in the UK. The concept of getting your sewing machine out and having a go at making something has inspired a new generation to create their own wardrobe. Making some simple items for your kids is a great introduction to learning about dressmaking, and there’s a huge selection of pre-designed sewing patterns available if you’re not sure where to start.

An electric sewing machine will cost you anywhere from £80 upwards, but you can pick up an old hand machine for next to nothing from a second hand shop, or auction. Finding fabrics is easy as you can either buy new, or re-use vintage or second hand fabrics to make something extra unique.

5. Online bargains

Image from Pinterest

Many online retailers have outlet sections to their websites where you can purchase last season’s stock at a hefty discount. There are also other online stores which sell overstocked clothing, or factory seconds, where you can find a bargain.

Websites such as Preloved and Gumtree have clothing listings from local sellers in your area, with the latter having a category for baby and toddler clothes in particular.

There’s also a great selection of websites selling second hand children’s clothes, whether you’re looking for a warm winter coat, or the perfect party dress; you’re sure to find something stylish and sustainable.

Five Surefire Tips for Helping Your Kids Enjoy Science

Science has a bad reputation among many kids, but it can be fun if you put in some work at home. Here are five surefire ways to get your kids interested in science.

1. Get the right equipment

Science requires a lot of equipment, much of it is very expensive. While it’s not possible to buy everything you need to have a complete laboratory, there are a few key pieces you can purchase to make science a lot more appealing. On the top of that list is a microscope and some slides. Microscope.com is a great resource to assist you in finding the right fit for your home lab. Getting a decent telescope and a few other essential scientific instruments is also a good idea. You may have to lay out a bit, but having nice equipment that will last you many years will keep your kids interested in science as they progress to more and more complex studies.

2. Visit a science museum

Getting your kids excited can be as easy as planning a trip to your local science museum. There are many fields of science, and odds are that your child will find one that sparks his or her interest. Check out upcoming exhibits to make sure your kids will get to see stuff they are interested in and that is age appropriate. Make sure you plan plenty of time as kids will want to linger unpredictably at favorite exhibits.

3. Learn the lingo

It’s difficult to communicate in any language if you don’t know the lingo. Science has a language all its own, and if you desire to encourage your kids to pursue studying science, it’s in your best language to learn as well. This can be as simple as becoming familiar with the metric system and as complex as learning the inter-working of the various systems in the human body.

4. Do experiments

While experiments are only a part of science, they are definitely the most fun. Do research online to look for experiments that are possible to do at home with kids your kids’ ages. Include your kids in all of the preparation, learn the major concepts before-hand, then do the experiment. Kids who may struggle with traditional learning methods will often do well recalling and explaining the concept behind the experiment due to different areas of the brain being reached through experimentation versus straight reading or book-work.

5. Research science careers

There are many incredible careers that have basic science fundamentals. In order to encourage your kids to get involved in science at whatever level they are currently at, research science careers that they may be interested in or have an aptitude for. There are so many options these days, and with the internet it is easy to find many different and interesting science based career options.

The world is in desperate need of good scientists, and you can help your child prepare to meet the scientific challenges of the future by instilling a love of science in them today. You don’t have to be a whiz yourself to encourage this love. By applying some of these ideas and others, you’ll be able to have the positive impact you desire.