Child Friendly Recipes

I always attempt to allow children to be as independent as possible and when going shopping or making cakes I think independence and learning is optimised if children are fully involved through the use of pictorial lists and recipes. I usually draw these but occasionally collect photos or draw on computer for printing (usually for times I need to impress!!).

The above recipe is just perfect for a single child to make with very little adult input, making four cup cakes. I used a chocolate cake mix in this recipe but as long as it is this ratio of dry versus liquid it should work. When you use the microwave for cooking cakes is works best if you put paper cases into silicone cases to help the cakes hold their shape. Also microwaves vary and this is an average time (don't have on highest setting in a 700watt oven).

This is particularly good for pre/ emerging readers especially those with special needs, as it is clear, gives sense of achievement and is motivating. Have pictorial recipes in role play area too.

Some other pictorial recipes I have created are availible from TES resources section (you will need to register=free)

• Mincepies
• Stir Fry
• Pancakes
• Crispy cakes

"Omit and substitute! That's how recipes should be written. Please don't ever get so hung up on published recipes that you forget that you can omit and substitute." Jeff Smith

More Story Stones

Have been rather enjoying painting these stones, think I may have started a new obsession. My favourite is this little baby that I actually copied from an image about an amazing story of a man who left these all over his town at Christmas to remind people of the real message, I am inspired. I think I may make a little stone nativity too.

"A little child
a shining star
a stable rude,
the door ajar.
Yet in that place
so crude, forlorn,
The Hope of all
the world was born."
--Anonymous

Story Stones

I saw this wonderful idea for story stones on Red Bird Crafts blog. I immediately set to work, making these stones but I used acrylic paint rather than fabric. I think they will be such a lovely resource for a quite fill in time activity with children taking it in turns pulling the stones out of a bag and using them as inspiration for creating a story.

"Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today." Robert McAfee Brown

Tiara

I saw this wonderful idea on 4 Crazy Kings, I have been thinking of an idea to recycle the insulating cup holders from coffee shops for a while and when I saw this I was super excited (I get through rather a lot of them).

I used pipe cleaners to secure to the head (twisted around head or hooked over ears). I think we shall make some crowns for the boys, but I rather love the girlyness of this!!!

"...and they lived happily ever after!!!" Hans Christian Anderson

Versatile Blogger Award

Versatile Bloggers Award!

What a surprise!! I have received a Versatile Bloggers Award!!! award from Honey at Mondorfment. I have seen others getting awards before but never got one myself so a huge thank you to you Honey.

There are rules to receiving this award which apparently is not uncommon so here goes.

Rule number 1:

Thank the person who gave you your award.

Already done, but thank you again I'm just glad you found it helpful and "versatile"

Rule number 2:

Share seven things about yourself.

1. I work in early years special education.
2. I spend large proportions of my time day dreaming creative ideas, particularly making things for kids needs. One day I'll make a fortune with some of them (I doubt it)
3. I set up my website www.alljoinin.net in order to share some of my ideas, because I wanted to preserve them and help others and didn't have the time or commitment to make a fortune from them.
4. I set up the alljoinin blog because I couldn't always add stuff really quickly to my website and was really into reading others blogs so thought it would be a good option and it really has been great.
5. I am a Christian, my faith is who I am
6. I am desperate to adopt a child with special needs.
7. I think I haven't quite grown up yet (prob never will) and still love skipping and dancing and singing as if no one is watching.

Rule number 3:

Pass the award onto 15 bloggers whom you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic!

1. The Work Plan
2. Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs
3. The Crafty Crow
4. Little Blossoms
5. Learning and Teaching with Preschooler
6. Playscapes
7. Preschool-daze
8. Brick by Brick
9. Patti's Nursery School
10. There's a Dragon in my Art Room
11. Sippy Cup Central
12. 4 Crazy Kings
13. Teach Mama
14. Tot Play
15. Joyful Mama's Place

Playdough (Gluten free)

We all know the popularity and versatility of play dough in play. However shop bought or home made playdough contain gluten. Which poses a difficulty for child is on a gluten free diet due to gluten intolerance, is on a gluten free diet in relation to autism; particularly if they are going to put it in their mouth. So I have compiled a list of a recipes for gluten free playdough.

Recipe 1

2 cups salt

3/4 water

1 cup cornflour

1/2 cup water

Mix salt and 3/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cornflour and 1/2 cup water. Stir and heat again on medium heat until smooth and thick. Refrigerate until firm.

Recipe 2

With a few more ingredients but creates the best replica to "regular" home made playdough.

1/2 cup rice flour

1/2 cup cornflour

1/2 cup salt

2 tsp cream of tarter

1 cup water

1 tsp cooking oil

Mix ingredients cook on a low heat until a ball is formed.

Recipe 3

This recipe is intended to be an air hardening dough, but can be used for a nice textured gluten free dough.

2 cups salt

1 cup corn flour

1 cup warm water

Mix together, and heat over a low heat until a ball is formed. Ensure you keep this in a completely air tight container, it will dry hard very quickly.

Obviously with all these recipes can be coloured with food colouring and scented with flavouring.

"Play has been man's most useful preoccupation." Frank Caplan

Kitchen Sink

Having been inspred by so many home made and Ikea hacks relating to toy kitchens I was desperate to have a try, but no reason to. But realised a kitchen sink would come in handy, in an inspired moment (whilst waiting for a train at a level crossing, a common thinking spot) I realised could probably make it a working sink. Here's an evening's work. Made from:

• Cardboard box
• Empty pump soap bottle
• Mixing bowl
• Acrylic paint
• Foil paper
• Hot glue gun
• Craft knife
• Funky foam (optional)

• Cut hole to fit the mixing bowl in (with bowl lip holding in place) and another to accommodate the bottle neck of soap, cut this about 2cm from edge of bowl hole (Otherwise water will not spray into bowl.

• Add some fake drawers to front.
• Add a back splash to the sink.
• Paint top and back splash with three layers of acrylic paint (to seal cardboard so that when it gets wet the card does not warp), also paint the underside of the top of the box to seal more effectively.

• Add a draining board by covering a piece of card with foil (ensuring fully glued and folding the foil over and glueing securely on the underside)
• Add funky foam tiles (optional)
• Seal edges (soap hole, bowl hole, edge of draining board and back splash join) with hot glue gun. Again to reduce warping.
• Add some embelishments, gluing draw handles onto "draws" and attaching a curtain ring to side using a pipe cleaner threading through two holes. If you have mouthers ensure you use large handles as they can be pulled off!!!

• Then ready to play!! Add water into the bottle so that it can pump water.

"I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things...I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind." Leo F. Buscaglia