Homestead Kids Learn How to Make and Can Strawberry Raspberry Spiced Jam

Homestead Kids Learn How to Make Strawberry Raspberry Spiced Jam

Join us as our homestead kids learn how to make jam.

I didn’t grow up canning it was a craft that both inspired and scared me to pieces. In fact, the entire process was somewhat of a mystery to me. If we go to the store and buy jam off the shelf it’s sealed – bam, done! No thought… no appreciation for the entire process.

The combination of being intrigued by the process, my love for learning, and my ever growing desire to be more self reliant  – I knew the time had come; I had to learn how to can. If we were growing our own food it only made sense that I would naturally want to preserve it for the weeks, months, and year to come.

However, more importantly than that I knew it was a skill I wanted to pass onto our children. As it is not only my desire to teach them ‘how to’ can but, to give them the tools to not only survive but, thrive.

May they never take for granted the simple process of buying food from the grocery store but, always have a natural curiosity and appreciation for how it all works.

Are you new to canning?

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Homestead Kids; Learn How to Make and Can Jam

 

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How to Make and Can Spiced Strawberry Jam

Best No Cook Play-Doh a Multi-Sensory Learning Experience

 

Best Ever No Cook Play Doh, Play-Doh DIY Recipe- Approved by mom and easy enough for kids to make themselves - get your kids in the kitchen and start creating After years of buying store bought play-doh, and many play-doh recipe failures. I think we have officially stumbled across the best no cook play-doh recipe ever. We use play-doh both during read loud time and for busy bin free play.

 

I have found when children are able to keep their hands busy during read aloud time they are more likely to pay attention with their ears and less likely to want to speak over me; thus, making our time together much more enjoyable and productive.

While play-doh can be messy at times – it is still my preferred messy, fun activity {especially over glitter glue..}   Play-doh is great for fine motor development. The malleable properties make it an excellent choice for building hand strength and pre-writing development. It can be squashed, rolled, chopped, poked, and shredded allowing for hours of endless imaginary play.

Check out just some of the creations our kids created in our time together this week. Everything from play-doh pizza’s, ‘sugar’ cookies, to snakes, snails, and turtles –

Best No Cook Play-Doh a Multi-Sensory Learning Experience Want to make their open ended play-doh play time even more exciting? With a few simple supplies you can create an expansive play-doh tool box at a minimal cost. Here are some of the play-doh tools in our box;

    • small toys {dinosaurs, fish, farm animals}
    • straws
    • rolling pins
    • egg cartons
    • sea shells
    • buttons
    • plastic letters and numbers
    • popsicle sticks
    • plastic spoons, forks, and knives {you can omit this of coarse…our kids are a bit older now so I am comfortable with their ability to use them safely}
    • plates/bowls

 

Each of our children are typically given a tray with their selected dough color {they are encouraged to share}. I then, place a ‘tool box’ of supplies in the middle of the table for community use. They play and I read to them. When you add open ended play items to their dough experience the imaginations explode. {Encouraging them to create things they hear in the story is also another great way to ‘test’ their listening and comprehension.}

Want a multi-sensory experience? Flavor up your dough by adding any of these –

  • pumpkin spice
  • cinnamon
  • essential oils
  • ginger
  • oregano

Make it pink, blue, and yellow too…we use plain old food dye but, you can try any of these too I’m sure with an equally good result…

 

Add some texture –

  • rice
  • sand
  • glitter
  • tiny pasta
  • sequins
  • pebbles

Want to try the recipe we use?

Best Ever Play-Doh Recipe

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Best No Cook Play-Doh a Multi-Sensory Learning Experience

Quick and Easy Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe





Quick and Easy Gluten Free Banana Bread

Stress no more.. here is a Quick and Easy Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe that will have your family asking for more.

Whether you are new to the gluten free world or been around for awhile like myself {5 years and counting for our family} – you likely have discovered one thing along the way; ‘things just don’t taste the same.’

Gluten free breads can often times be dry {to the point of choking..}, spongy, or so incredibly heavy you could surely use them to anchor a boat.

 

Quick and Easy Gluten FreeBanana Bread Recipe

Quick and Easy Gluten Free Banana Bread

This recipe is actually so easy I recently made it with our two youngest sons for our weekly wednesday ‘kids in the kitchen’ time. We are always looking for hands on learning opportunities  and what better place to do that than in the kitchen?






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