#328: Candy Christmas Tree

Make a pretty, edible (that means you can eat it) Christmas tree.



You will need: a pointy ended ice cream cone, green icing, and candies.

Cover the ice cream cone with icing and stick your candies on the tree and voila! You have a yummy tree.

For icing, you can make your own, or buy premade icing in grocery stores.


Make this a family activity: Get everyone around the table, making Christmas trees.

This activity promotes creativity and tactile awareness.

#327: Start a Plant From a Seed or Cutting

You can start a plant from a seed, or from a cutting.

A cutting is a piece cut or pinched off a plant. Sometimes you can start a new houseplant by cutting a piece off a big one. For most plants, placing the cutting in water makes it grow roots so you can plant it. There are some plants that can be stuck straight in the dirt after being cut and they will grow! If you aren't sure, experiment to see what works.



Christmas Cactus (shown above) can be pinched off a plant and stuck in the dirt. It will begin growing its own roots. Don't forget to water it!


Make this a family activity: Get everyone to make their own cutting and plant it.

This activity promotes awareness of how plants grow.

#326: See a Play or Other Dramatic Performance

'Tis the season for lots of plays and other dramatic performances (like the ballet) to be putting on wonderful shows. Check your local theater or newspaper to see what's playing.

Make this a family activity: Take everyone to see the play, ballet, or show.

This activity promotes an appreciation for the arts.

#325: Cookies in a Jar

Pull out your favourite cookie recipe, a large sealer jar (you can also use a spaghetti sauce jar), some ribbon and you have a lovely gift.



1. First, make sure your recipe's dry ingredients will fit in the jar you have chosen. To do that, use your math skills. Add (on paper) up all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, chocolate chips, etc.--NOT eggs, butter, etc.). What does it add up to? Swap it for water. So, if you have 3 cups of dry ingredients, pour 3 cups of water into your jar. If it fits, your dry ingredients will fit.

2. Layer the ingredients into the jar like in the picture above.

3. Put on the lid as well as some ribbon--to pretty it up.

4. Add a tag with baking instructions. Do they need to add an egg, vanilla and butter? Write that on the tag. All they will need to do is add the wet ingredients to your jar's mix and they will be ready to bake cookies!

Hint: If you don't have large sealer jars, you might be able to find some at a second hand store. Make sure you wash them before adding your ingredients.


Make this a family activity: Get help from your parents to make up these gift jars.

This activity promotes math skills.

#324: Gingerbread House

Make a gingerbread house. And eat it! (I believe that gingerbread houses should be gobbled up!)



You will need gingerbread OR graham wafer crackers (you can buy these, which is easier), royal icing (you can find a recipe here--you also might be able to buy some from a bakery or find mix in a grocery store), candies, a plate and a knife to spread the icing.

Use the icing as glue to hold pieces of graham wafer crackers (or gingerbread) together to make a house shape. Decorate it with pieces of candy.

Take a picture and then eat it!

Enjoy!


Make this a family activity: Build one large gingerbread house together or make small, individual houses.

This activity promotes creativity and a little bit of baking skills.