Your Holiday Planning may be Hoppin’ so let the Kids do the Poppin’!!

The holiday frenzy may well have begun and lists of things to do can be found all over the house. How about one list that serves many purposes to make this busy time of year fun for the kids? Let’s call it the "Keep The Kids Busy" list that will easily let them be creative, eat their art supplies, and make a lot of gifts (or crafts) using inexpensive supplies and fun treats to take to holiday potlucks support group parties!

All this from popcorn, you say? YES!

From plain white popcorn? YES!

What can you do with plain white popcorn? LOTS!

Fun recipes? YES! YES! YES! How about…

Mother Goose popcorn? Marshmallow popcorn? Popcorn Cookies? Popcorn Candy? Popcorn Pudding? Popcorn Muffins? Popcorn Cake?

Milk Chocolate popcorn too? WHY NOT!!!!!

Green popcorn? Red, too? SURE…just add food coloring, a few drops at a time to the syrup for popcorn balls after it has cooked and taken off the stove. (Tip: you won’t be able to get a real, real red because too much red food coloring would have to be added and this will make the popcorn too bitter to eat.)

Popcorn Gifts? OF COURSE… make pretty ones!

The children can wrap the popcorn balls and shapes in colored cellophane and tied with a pretty curly ribbon, decorated with pieces of construction paper to form a turkey or pilgrim. The seasoned popcorn can be placed in colorful holiday treat bags and tied with a ribbon and a gift tag.

Included below is a craft idea for children too young to work with hot popcorn mixtures, plus lots of recipes ideas.

Please remember: Adult supervision is required for making/mixing the popcorn ball recipes!

While this article is focused on "popcorn," check out our article,"Cookie Decorating Ideas for Kids Of All Ages," that will spark even the imagination of those who don’t think they have any!

Whether you plan to use the microwave, a popcorn popper or the old-fashioned way in a skillet on the stove, this is a good time to teach your children kitchen safety rules in a gentle manner while they make their own art supplies…the popcorn!

POPCORN PICTURES

This is a CRAFT for children too young to handle hot popcorn mixtures. Materials needed:

• Popcorn
• Construction paper
• Glue
• Crayons or markers
• Scraps of ribbon, material, buttons, twigs, dried flowers, bits of this and that

Directions: Make some popcorn and glue onto the construction paper.

Ideas:

Snowman: Cut three construction paper circles, small for the head, medium for the tummy and larger for the bottom. Glue popcorn onto the circles. Then, using a marker or construction paper, make the eyes, nose, buttons and a man’s hat, and use twigs for the arms and a scrap of material makes the scarf.

Snowlady: Use the same directions, but make it a lady’s hat by adding ribbon; and don’t forget her earrings and necklace!

Holiday Sheep: Glue small round clusters of popcorn onto the middle of a piece of white construction paper. Draw a sheep’s head and legs to create a fluffy sheep.

Winter Scene: Using one piece of white construction paper, cut and paste strips of brown construction paper around the four edges to create a frame. Make a construction-paper house and glue it onto white paper. Break up some popcorn into smaller pieces and use it to make a snowman in the yard, snow on the roof and on the lawn. Use blue construction paper for the sky, and perhaps some fluffy popcorn clouds. Is it snowing? Glue teeny pieces of popcorn all over the paper to create a snowy effect.

Imagination: Give your child a theme, such as holiday animals, and let them create their own masterpieces!

---

Popcorn Turkey Ball

Make these fun turkeys for Thanksgiving and watch family and friends gobble them up!

Materials:
Popcorn balls (see recipe below)
Peanut butter cup miniatures (head)
Butterscotch chips (beak)
Cinnamon tic-tacs (gobbler)
Small pretzels (feet)
Decorator frosting
Colored paper
Toothpicks
Scissors

An adult should always supervise the preparation of the popcorn balls

Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls

3 quarts popped corn
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup chunky peanut butter
½ tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

Combine brown sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and heat to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter, vanilla and salt until well blended. Pour over popcorn, stirring until well coated. Shape into balls.

Instructions:
Cut several feathers from different colored papers. Poke toothpicks in and out through the bottom of each feather, leaving half the toothpick sticking out. Poke the toothpick on each feather into the back of the popcorn ball making two rows of feathers.

Unwrap the peanut butter cup. Using decorator frosting, glue the widest side of the peanut butter cup to the turkey for the head. Using a toothpick, poke two dents in the top of the peanut butter cup for the eyes. Using decorator frosting glue a butterscotch chip onto the peanut butter cup for beak. Using decorator frosting, glue a tic-tac to the bottom of the peanut butter cup for the gobbler.

Using decorator frosting, glue two pretzels to the bottom of the popcorn ball for the feet.

© Copyright by HeartofWisdom.com

Looking for something? Try the Advanced Search