COOKIE COMPETITION

Here's a way to have a little fun with your friends and family!

Cookies are a part of the holiday season. Many of us bake cookies but here's a twist that is guaranteed to be fun!

• First- find at least 3 family members or friends that love to bake. Each "contestant" will bake their favorite holiday cookie recipe.
• Next- Each team spends the day baking their favorite cookie recipes with their kids!
• Each team makes recipe cards to share with everyone that attends the competition
• Then- have a cookie bake off party. Invite family and friends! Feature each type of cookie that was baked by the participants. 
• Everyone that attends votes for their favorite cookie and the winning team gets a special prize!
• Hand out extra cookies to guest along with recipe cards
• MOST OF ALL HAVE FUN!

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS...

 A lot of us will be traveling during this holiday season. Here is a way to take those travel blues away and make the trip much more enjoyable.

Over the River and through the woods card game

Before you go, get together with the kids and make a series of game cards. On each of the cards, you can draw or write different types of cars that you might encounter on the road, signs that you may see, landmarks that you know are on the trip etc- get creative.

When you are on a single lane road each player selects one card, when they spot the item on their card , they get to take another card, whoever has the most cards at the end of the game wins!

If you are stuck in a traffic jam and the kids are antsy, divide the deck evenly between the kids, each time one spots something on their card, they get to discard. The first one to empty their hand wins!

COPY ME!

Toddlers love to imitate their parents and friends. Much of their language is developed by doing so, here is a fun way to combine speech development and their love of music!

Instructions

First, think of a series of  easy-to-say sounds -- bam, boom, pop, bam, boom, stop -- then encourage your toddler to repeat it. after you! 

Now add in a homemade microphone for fun- a spoon, a toy, their favorite wand....You can each have one or you can pass it between the two of you!

Next, add in some patterns of loud and soft sounds - whispering, shouting, medium voices

Now act out the sound as you make it- for instance, start low to the ground with a soft sound then raise up to the sky as it gets higher or louder. 

Get creative- add in those dance steps, be silly, stamp your feet, clap your hands, twirl like a top and make a little sound music! 

Guaranteed fun!