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Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients: (12 servings)

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 13 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped
  • ¼ cup applesauce
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 cups Old Fashioned Rolled oats
  • Frosting

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place sugars, vanilla, butter and applesauce in a bowl and combine.
  3. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and oats.
  4. Roll 1 tablespoon of dough at a time into balls. Flatten slightly with your palm and place on a prepared baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden.
  6. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Place remaining cookies on top and gently press on each to squeeze filling to edges.

Sensory Table Basics

We love creating sensory tables!  There are so many ways for kids to engage with the materials in a sensory table and so many different themes to keep kids interested.  Sensory tables can keep kids entertained for long periods of time, are great ways to play alongside you child, and are a fun quiet-time activity.  With a few basic supplies and some items from around your house, you can create many different themed sensory tables.

What should I use for a sensory table?

  • We love to use these sand tables as a sensory table.  They have lids so they can easily be closed up and put away when you are finished playing.  They are also durable and easy to clean.  They can hold water as well as dry items and can be hosed down if things get really messy.
  • The Ikea Flisat table is another great option.  The bins can easily be covered up when the kids are finished playing with the sensory table.  It can also be painted to match the room and be used as a regular table in addition to a sensory table.
  • Plastic bins are another great option.  They have lids so can easily be closed up and put away when kids are finished playing.  They also come in a variety of sizes so they can be stored in a cabinet or under the bed out of sight.

What should I use for a “base”?

  • Beans
  • Rice
  • Sand
  • Bird seed
  • Paper shreads
  • Water

What should I add to the sensory table?

Above all, have fun!  The possibilities are endless so look around the house and see what you can add and change it up frequently so kids don’t get bored.

 

 

Glowing Volcanoes

Materials:

Directions:

  1. Put the tall glass inside the pan.  Mix the baking soda and fluorescent paint in the glass.
  2. Optional:  Add a squirt of dish soap to the mixture.  This will make the eruption move slower and last longer.
  3. Turn on the black light.
  4. Add vinegar to the glass and watch the eruption!

Fizzing Heart Art

Materials:

  • Heart cut outs from watercolor paper
  • Pan for containing the mess (a 9×13 baking pan works or a disposable pan)
  • Baking soda
  • Vinegar
  • Food coloring
  • Pipettes
  • Cups for holding vinegar (We used juice glasses.)

Instructions:

  1. Mix ¼ cup of vinegar and food coloring and put into cups.
  2. Set up: watercolor heart cut out in pan, cup of baking soda, cup of vinegar and a pipette.
  3. Sprinkle baking soda over the watercolor heart cut out.
  4. Use a pipette to squirt vinegar and food coloring over the heart.  Younger kids can use a spoon to drip vinegar over the heart.
  5. After the kids are done with the project, tip off the excess paint and allow them to dry.

Monkey Muffins

Ingredients:

Banana muffins –

  • ½ cup flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon applesauce
  • 1 tablespoon banana yogurt
  • ½ ripe banana, mashed

Topping –

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients. Mix together with a spatula.
  4. Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients.
  5. Fold in the mashed banana.
  6. Scoop into cupcake liners and bake for 12-15 minutes or until fork comes out clean.
  7. After the muffins have cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and decorate with vanilla wafers and black gel icing.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • ¼ cup applesauce
  • 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup hot water

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Grease an 8×8 baking pan or a cupcake tin.
  3. Combine sugar, oil, vanilla, molasses and applesauce in a large bowl.
  4. In a smaller bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder and spices.
  5. Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients bowl and then add the hot water
  6. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes for cake or 15-18 minutes for cupcakes.

Salt Dough Mittens

Salt dough is a fun activity for kids to mix, roll and cut themselves.  In this activity we used a mitten cookie cutter, but you could do any shape.  After they dry, you can paint them if you want to add some color.  This is a fun activity to go along with the book “The Mitten” by Jan Brett.

Materials:

Directions:

  1. Mix the salt, flour and water in a mixing bowl. You may need to add a little more water if the dough is too dry.
  2. Knead the dough.
  3. Flatten the dough and roll out with a rolling pin. Cut out the mitten shape using the cookie cutter.  Make sure the dough is thick enough for the child to indent his hand in.
  4. Press the child’s hand into the dough mitten, creating a good impression.
  5. Draw a line across the bottom of the mitten with a knife to create a cuff. (Optional)
  6. Use a straw to cut a hole through the mitten to string some string or ribbon through to hang.
  7. Bake in the oven at 250 for about 4 hours.

Tissue Paper Art

Materials:

Instructions:

  1. Cut the tissue paper into small squares, triangles or any shape you’d like.
  2. Spray the paper or canvas with water.
  3. Spread the tissue paper squares onto the paper or canvas. You can put them in a single layer or overlap them for more color mixing.
  4. Spray with water or sprinkle snow on top of the paper.
  5. After 20 minutes, remove the water tissue paper and let the canvas dry completely.