Boo Boo Packs -- Save the Band-Aids!!

All kids inevitably get owies, ouchies and boo boo's, and these Boo Boo Packs are an easy, cheap, quick way to make the little ones feel better in a flash.

All you have to do is take some scrap fabric and sew up three sides, fill partially with rice (regular, NOT instant) and sew up the fourth side. I added a ribbon loop to these just for fun. Then put them in the freezer and use it next time there's a boo boo.

And for the husbands bigger kids, make large ones to use for muscle aches. They're even great relief when warmed up in the microwave. You can make these as fancy or plain as you like, but either way they work just the same. And believe me, we've saved lots of money skipping the Band-Aids. :O)

Rainbow Crafts {Fruit Loops & Jell-O}

At our rainbow playdate the kids all did an amazing job with craft time. The projects were both very sensory and the kids really enjoyed doing them. I found lots of great ideas at Making Learning Fun, but chose two specifically for the playdate.


The first was making rainbows with Fruit Loops cereal. Some of the kids put all one color on each row, while others mixed up the Loops. Either way you get a beautiful result!! Go here to download the Rainbow Fruit Loops printable.

Rows of a single color

  
Mixed colors

The first time Haleigh Ann did this activity (before our playdate) she had fun picking out the different colors of cereal and counting how many of each she needed per row. It also was the first time I let her use glue from a bottle and (thankfully) it wasn't quite the messy experience I figured it would be.

Grace ^ and Izzy making pretty rainbows!!

TIP: Have extra Fruit Loops on hand -- they are yummy and hard for kids (and adults) to resist!!

Our next craft was Scented Rainbows. The kids spread glue onto the page and then sprinkled on powdered Jell-O with spoons. The result was a beautiful, fruity-scented rainbow!! Go here to download the Rainbow Scented Jello printable.

Dante's finished scented rainbow

Haleigh Ann ^ and Ella making scented rainbows!!

 

Props to our 5-year-old crafter Ella who combined the two projects by adding blue Fruit Loops to resemble clouds on her scented rainbow page. :O) She finished by putting her name at the top in Fruit Loops and added some cotton balls for clouds at the top. She's quite a creative little girl!!

Ella with her pretty rainbow creation!!

Glass Block Jell-O {Rainbows}

Another neat treat we had at our rainbow-themed playdate was something I'd never seen before: Glass Block Jell-O. It was ridiculously easy to make and the vibrant colors made it a playful addition to the other snacks.


I came across the recipe at Our Best Bites and couldn't resist giving it a go. The result was pretty wiggly squares that tasted like Skittles. :O) The only thing you really need to make sure you have plenty of is time. Don't wait until the last minute to put this together since it requires two rounds of gelling.

 

All you need is Jell-O, unflavored gelatin and sweetened condensed milk. And because Jell-O comes in a variety of colors you can use whatever colors fit your theme. The recipe linked above makes a big 9x13 pan, but you could easily cut the recipe in half and use a 9x9 pan. 

 

Give it a try for a fun treat kids and adults alike will love!!

Lovin' These Labels!!

I can't believe I won these super-cute vinyl labels from my friend Ginger at Ginger Snap Crafts. It's the first time I've won a blog giveaway!! Now I think I need to buy some new containers to go with these fancy labels, right? :O)

Get on over to Ginger Snap Crafts for more pictures of her craftiness and see what's in her shop!!