Christmas

Chocolate Mint Playdough

December 23, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This no-cook chocolate mint playdough smells divine! I usually opt for a variation of my favorite stovetop-cooked playdough for early learning activities, as I always make a huge batch of it. But this soft, pliable recipe turns out perfectly and stores well in the fridge. It’s the perfect addition to any holiday celebration. Since it is December, it’s being featured with Christmas-themed accessories.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more playdough ideas.

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Chocolate Mint Playdough Recipe

Gather the following ingredients for this recipe:

1 ½ cup flour
½ cup cocoa
½ cup salt
2 tbsp. cream of tartar
2 tbsp. mint flavoring
3 tbsp. oil
1 ½ cup boiling water

Combine and mix the flour, cocoa, salt, and cream of tartar in a bowl.

Add boiling water.

Drop in the oil and mint flavoring.

Stir all ingredients together.

Knead the dough on a cutting board when cool.

Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

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Playdough Activities

Set out the playdough with rolling pins, holiday cookie cutters, and festive loose parts.

Oh so heavenly chocolate mint playdough and holiday-themed accessoies.

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Soft, pliable, chocolate mint playdough recipe and holiday-themed accessories.

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When using a second time, offer cupcake liners, festive erasers, and white glitter for children to make chocolate confections with. Gingerbread and candy cane erasers are the “stars of the show” below.

Christmas accessories and glitter add a festive touch to this chocolate mint playdough activitiy.

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Tip: Little fingers will get stained with chocolate during these playdough activities. Make sure there is a handwashing station nearby.

Holiday erasers and white glitter add a festive touch to this chocolate mint playdough activity.

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Your little charges may be tempted to taste the playdough since it smells so heavenly. It might be nice to have a small chocolate treat for them to eat after wrapping up this play invitation. A chocolate mint flavored treat would be ideal.

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Christmas Village Tuff Tray

December 22, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This Christmas Village tuff tray is filled with people figurines participating in outdoor activities. It’s the perfect winter play invitation to include in holiday celebrations.

A tuff tray is a sturdy, portable tray that can be used on a table, on the floor, or outside on the ground. Although it stores easily, it can also be set on a stand. I recently purchased a tuff tray online at Education Station, and love using it for this snowy activity.

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Supplies To Collect

A winter-themed pioneer village tuff tray filled with people participating in outdoor winter activities during the Christmas season.

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For the holiday tuff tray set up, gather the following:

wooden train tracks and train
wooden vehicles
silver and white placemats
tin foil disposable lid
snowflake window cling sheet
gem snowflakes
Christmas village-themed gift boxes
winter-themed people and animal figurines
miniature village signpost, mailbox, light post, fence, bench, and tree props

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Setting Up The Christmas Village Tuff Tray

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Place a large, round silver placemat in the center of the tray to represent a skating rink. Or add a circle cut from tin foil.

Lay wooden train tracks around the circular placemat.

Set in another snowy or icy area by trimming a white or silver rectangular placemat into a curved shape.

Add a round tin foil or white cardstock disposable container lid to suggest a third outdoor play space.

Then arrange the gift box buildings around the edge of the tray. These can easily be found at a dollar store.

Cut out large window cling snowflakes, leaving the backs on. Set them in open areas in the tray.

Next, put winter-themed people figurines and miniature village props on and around the “snow” and “ice.”

Generously sprinkle in gem snowflakes.

Finally, set a wooden train on the track. Or add community helper vehicles.

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Your little learners will be excited to investigate this Christmas Village tuff tray. If some of the figurines and props you choose to use are breakable, they need to be used carefully by little ones. The holiday play invitation must be supervised by an adult at all times!

This tuff tray setup is non-messy, so can easily be added to a session where there are ample other activity choices.

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Christmas Treasure Blocks

December 21, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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These Christmas treasure blocks are a festive addition to any play space. They are filled with seasonal loose parts and are fun to use in play by themselves or in addition to other toys.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

The following supplies work well in these see-through treasure blocks:

buttons
jingle bells
Christmas tree garland
pom poms
pony beads
craft stars
gem snowflakes
metallic snowflakes
rubber candy pieces

Seasonal loose parts are perfect to use with these see-through Christmas treasure blocks.

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Assembling The Christmas Treasure Blocks

One wood panel on each of these treasure blocks is easily removed by loosening the screws. After the blocks are filled, the panels can be screwed back on so no festive pieces fall out.

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My Christmas treasure blocks feature a red, green, white, and gold color scheme, but feel free to choose another one.

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Other Christmas-themed loose parts that would work well in these blocks are:

sequins
cut straws
gem Christmas lights
foam pieces
erasers
paper shred
bows

Christmas erasers, figurines and vehicles, other blocks, and seasonal décor can be included in a Christmas treasure block play invitation for added interest.

Christmas erasers and foil trees add interest to a Christmas treasure block play invitation.

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Treasure blocks are a recent addition to my educational toy supply, and I am definitely in love with them. I look forward to using them in more themes for little learners.

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Lemon -scented Christmas Playdough

December 19, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Christmas playdough infused with cut lemon cypress sprigs and cut silk poinsettia leaves and bracts.

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This lemon-scented Christmas playdough activity incorporates lemon cypress branches and cuttings from silk poinsettias. The plant-themed playdough experience evolved from not being able to go on a well-loved field trip this Christmas season.

Most December months our preschool visits a local greenhouse. The children view a vast poinsettia display, smell a lemon cypress tree, participate in a scavenger hunt among cut Christmas trees, and go on a hayride. Then they plant a paperwhite bulb. The trip is always a highlight for preschool families.

This year the field trip wasn’t possible, so I decided to bring a small, feathery needled lemon cypress tree to preschool for the children to view, smell, and use in playdough activities. I wanted to include other seasonal plants as well but realized that most popular Christmas plants are somewhat toxic or poisonous to humans.

Chartreuse green lemon cypress trees for sale during the Christmas season.

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My preschoolers loved this playdough invitation and your children will enjoy it too.

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Playdough Recipes

To offer this lemon-scented Christmas playdough invitation, start by making a favorite playdough recipe. Or use my go-to basic recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 cups water
3 tablespoons oil

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Add the first three ingredients to a sturdy pot and mix them together.

Stir two tablespoons of oil into two cups of water.

Add the water and oil to the dry ingredients and combine.

Heat on the stove on medium heat.

Stirring frequently, cook until the mixture is no longer glossy and the dough forms a ball.

Place the dough on a cutting board.

Knead when cool, adding in one more tablespoon of oil.

Store the playdough in a sealed plastic bag.

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A lemon jello playdough works beautifully too. Substitute lemon jello for cherry jello in the recipe.

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The Lemon-scented Christmas Playdough Invitation

For this scented playdough invitation, start by showing little learners a potted dwarf lemon cypress tree. This small, fine-textured evergreen is hand-trimmed to have a Christmas tree shape and is sold in pots at Christmas time.

Next, have your little charges rub a branch and experience the resulting lemon fragrance.

Give each child a lump of playdough, a few lemon cypress branches, and a pair of scissors.

Offer lemon cypress sprigs with scissors, cookie cutters, and erasers in a fragrant Christmas playdough activity.

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Have them cut the bright yellow-green sprigs into pieces and add them to their playdough. Using the scissors to cut the playdough is fine for them to do too, as it strengthens their little fingers.

Then give little ones a few silk poinsettia leaves and bracts to cut and blend in.

Scissor Invitation with playdough and silk poinsettia leaves and bracts.

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Offer additional supplies such as rolling pins, plastic pie cutters, wooden sticks, and Christmas-themed cookie cutters and erasers.

Lemon cypress scented holiday playdough invitation with cut silk poinsettia leaves and bracts.

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When blended, the plant parts add pops of seasonal color to the playdough and give it a Christmassy look.

Offer this lemon cypress scented playdough invitation with cut silk poinsettia leaves and bracts.

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Tip: A coleus plant can be substituted for silk poinsettia leaves and bracts, as it isn’t poisonous. I plan to take one indoors to save for this activity next fall.

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Other Ways To Experience Lemon Cypress Plants

Let your little learners use a mortar and pestle to grind and crush lemon cypress branches. A pleasant, citrus aroma will soon fill the air.

Using a mortar and pestle with lemon cypress sprigs brings out the lemon fragrance.

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Or invite little ones to add Christmas decorations to the tiny tree.

Decorate a potted lemon cypress tree with Christmas decorations.

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More Playdough Recipes and Activities

Apple Playdough Tray

Edible Playdough Turkey

Scented Playdough Activities

Pumpkin Playdough Activities

Fall-themed playdough tray with pumpkin playdough.

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Gingerbread Playdough

Orange-scented Playdough Invitation

Chocolate Mint Playdough

Christmas Playdough

Santa Claus Playdough Tray

Valentine’s Day Playdough Activities

St. Patrick’s Day Playdough Tray

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Easter Playdough Tray

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Easy S’Mores Bars

November 28, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This easy s’mores bars recipe comes from having forgotten to add wrapped round chocolates to October treat bags. Orange and purple don’t naturally transition into November activities, so I decided to use the chocolates in this melty dessert.

To add versatility to the recipe, I also feature chocolate coins and chocolates wrapped in Christmas style.

S’mores bars were originally classic campfire treats. Made indoors they can be enjoyed year-round. And little learners love to help make them!

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S’mores Bars Supplies To Collect

Just three ingredients are needed for this melty, tasty, indoor s'mores bars recipe.

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Gather the following ingredients and baking supplies:

toasted coconut marshmallows
coin-shaped chocolates
graham wafers or gluten-free crackers
parchment or wax paper
2 cookie sheet pans

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Making These Easy S’Mores Bars

Steps to make an easy sheet pan s'mores dessert recipe.

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Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the graham wafers onto two sheet pans lined with parchment or wax paper.

Place a toasted coconut marshmallow on top of each wafer on one pan. Set unwrapped chocolates on the wafers on the other pan.

Heat both pans in the oven for three to five minutes. Watch carefully as the square halves can easily be overbaked.

Sandwich wafers with chocolate together with marshmallow wafers and place on a dessert plate. Serve when slightly cooled.

Delicious s'mores bars recipe using just three ingredients.

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Stacked s'mores bars made with an easy, three-ingredient recipe.

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Variations Of This S’Mores Bars Recipe

My recipe features gluten-free graham crackers. Graham wafers are a traditional choice.

Regular or mini marshmallows can be substituted for toasted coconut ones.

Creamy Hershey’s chocolate bar squares can be used instead of wrapped chocolates. And why not experiment with one of Hershey’s festive flavors, such as “Strawberries ‘n’ Cream, “Birthday Cake”, or “Cookies ‘n’ Mint.”

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