Family and Consumer Science : Parenting and Family

Parenting and Family

• Summertime Crafts for Kids
• Hot Summer Reading

Summertime Crafts for Kids

By the 1st of July, some parents are probably already wondering what they can do with their children for two whole months. While there is no spell to make days shorter, here are some fun and easy summer crafts that will make the time fly by!

Ice Cream in a Bag
Treat your tummies on a hot day with this cool and delicious treat.

1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup milk or half & half
¼ teaspoon vanilla
1 pint size re-sealable plastic bag
1 gallon size re-sealable plastic bag
ice cubes
6 tablespoons rock salt

1. Fill the gallon size bag half full of ice and add the rock salt.
2. Pour the milk, sugar and vanilla into the pint-size bag.
3. Put the small bag inside the large bag and seal carefully.
4. Shake until mixture turns to ice cream (approximately 5 minutes).
5. Wipe the salt off the top of the small bag, open carefully and ENJOY!

Make Your Own Play-Dough
Your child could be an artist!

¾ cup flour
½ cup salt
1 ½ teaspoons powdered alum (this can be found in the spice rack at the grocery store)
1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil
½ cup boiling water
food coloring

1. Mix together dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix together oil and water, stirring quickly.
3. Add the water and oil to the dry ingredients, stirring until blended.
4. Add food coloring until you get the desired color.
5. Store in an air-tight container (it will keep a little longer if refrigerated).

Giant Bubbles
Make bubbles as big as you!

The Wand: 2 straws and a piece of yarn or heavy string about 36-48 inches long. Thread the string through both straws and tie a knot at each end, forming a rectangular wand.

The Solution: If using regular detergent, use 1 part detergent to 10 parts water. If using concentrated or "Ultra" detergent, use 1 part detergent to 15 parts water. Joy or Dawn seem to work the best. For more sturdy bubbles, add .25 part glycerin or white Karo syrup.

To make giant bubbles just lower the wand into the solution with one straw in each hand. Bring the straws together in the solution, make sure the wand is completely submerged. Lift the wand upward through the air, moving your hands apart as you raise the straws up. Next, bring your hands back together and watch your bubble go!

For more boredom-buster craft ideas, visit the Idea Box at http://www.theideabox.com/.

Julia Stevens,
4-H Summer Intern/Nutrition

Hot Summer Reading for Kids!

School bells throughout Washington County hit their final note for the year, ringing in summer once again. Students' energetic voices have flooded out of the schools and left the classrooms quiet and still. Tossing aside schoolwork for a couple of months in the sun, children can be heard singing, "No more pencils, no more books. No more teachers dirty looks." Yet, just because teachers are no longer handing out assignments does not mean students have to give up reading.

Adept reading skills are extremely beneficial for all ages but are best learned when young. The ability to read well enhances a child's ability to succeed in school and encourages them to branch out and discover new things. Setting aside a time for reading, such as a bedtime story, is the best way for children to love to learn to read.

Though they live in a region rich in agriculture, many children in Washington County have yet to explore all of that really lies at the center of farm life. What, then, could be a better way to encourage your child to enjoy reading and to learn about agriculture than to check out one of these great books!

Hooray for Dairy Farming! by Bobbie Kalman.
With the help of colorful photographs, Kalman gives realistic accounts of life what it really takes to run a farm. Ages 4-8

Extra Cheese, Please! : Mozzarella's Journey from Cow to Pizza by Cris Peterson
This book takes a journey from the dairy farm to the kitchen table to paint a picture of the steps in food production. Ages 4-8

A Farm Through Time by Eric Thomas
Follow the development of a farm from its founding in Medieval times and into the 21st century. Award-winning illustrator Eric Thomas provides detailed pictures throughout the book. Ages 5-9

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
The classic story of Fern and her barnyard friends is a fictional depiction of farm life that continues to captivate both the young and the young at heart. Ages 6 +

Be sure to look at your local library or bookstore for these and other fantastic books to share with your children this summer.

Erica Goodman
4-H/ Ag. Summer Intern