School Bells to Jingle Bells

By:  Stephanie Benney

Ahhh…the memories of being a kid running off of the school bus to start a “never-ending” Christmas break…ahhh, the excitement!  I would look forward to helping Mom wrap presents, bake endless supplies of Christmas cookies and staying up late to watch Christmas specials on television.  We would see the Nutcracker, the lights at Hartwood Acres and the Santas display in the Wintergreen Room of the PPG building; the days and evening were filled with a magical spirit that could only be felt at this time of the year.

Now that I am in my mid-thirties, in what seems to be a completely different world from the time when I was growing up, I realize how important it is important it is to get back to basics.  Every year, mom’s have their kids home for winter break and snow days.  While these are the greatest days in the world for kids, it can be  exhausting times for Mom.  So, it is important to have some crafts, activities and projects up your sleeve – and why not make them green?  Our friends at Eco Hearth have provided a few activities to chase the boredom and winter doldrums away.  Get creative and enjoy!

Junk-Mail Snowflakes
For instance, you know all that junk mail you keep getting? Why not give it to your kids and have them make cutout snowflakes? Younger children can simply fold the piece of paper in half and start cutting, whereas older children should be encouraged to fold the paper as many times as possible to see what kind of fantastical snowflake will emerge. This project can be varied by having kids color the paper before cutting or decorating the finished snowflakes with glitter.

Winter-Scented Play-Doh
If you have a toddler or preschooler, you might want to consider making winter-scented Play-Doh. An eco-friendly, nontoxic Play-Doh can be made right in your own kitchen. Just combine the following ingredients in a pot:

•         2 cups water

•         2 cups flour

•         1 cup salt

•         4 teaspoons cream of tartar

•         4 tablespoons oil

•         4 tablespoons peppermint extract

Stir ingredients together over medium heat until they begin to form a lump of gooey Play-Doh. Leave the wet ball out overnight until it dries to a normal Play-Doh consistency. After that, store it in a plastic container or Ziploc bag at room temperature. Depending on how much you use it, homemade Play-Doh lasts about one month. That means with new batches you can experiment with other winter fragrances. Add pumpkin-pie spice, ginger or a pine-scented essential oil for new Play-Doh scents throughout the winter. Don’t forget to remind kids that the Play-Doh, despite its appetizing scent, is for playing, not eating.

Bird Feeders
Here’s a perfect way to aid wildlife struggling to survive the winter and have loads of fun in the process. Work with your children to create a food buffet for your neighborhood birds. You and your children can sit together and string a garland of dried cranberries or other fruits. Use the garland to decorate your tree or balcony. Plain popcorn also makes great garlands and is a snack that birds will love.  Don’t forget about the traditional pinecone and peanut-butter birdseed ornaments, as well.

Going out into the woods to find a collection of pinecones is another activity your children will love. If you don’t have any pinecones, you can take apples and oranges instead and turn them into birdseed-covered ornaments.

Just remember, stay away from glue and other toxic substances when creating your bird-friendly ornaments. As a rule of thumb, if you’re not willing to eat it, don’t feed it to the birds (this may also include Aunt Edna’s fruit cake, by the way).

After you hand your bird feeders, get ready for an educational show as birds of many species will visit it. Having a bird identification book on hand will help the children to identify their aerial visitors and learn about the habits of each species.

Ice Sun-Catchers
If the weather isn’t too cold, you can also take the fun outside and make ice sun-catchers. Go on an outdoor scavenger hunt for bits of color that winter leaves behind—twigs, leaves, berries and even small rocks work well. Then take a plastic plate outside and arrange your findings on it. Lay down a piece of string or twine in the plate with a few inched left hanging off the edge (this will become the hanger) and cover the plate with water. After a few hours the water will freeze and trap your objects inside. Gently twist the plate—think ice cube tray—to release your new ice sun-catcher. Now you can hang it near a window. It will even be fun to watch as it eventually melts!

Again, make sure that whatever you put in the catcher is eco-friendly.

Berry Ink
If you’re feeling really brave, you can make berry ink. Again, this project starts with a trip to the woods to look for any kind of winter berry. If the woods are out of your reach, you can make a trip to the grocery store for fresh berries; blueberries or boysenberries work well in this case. Then head to your kitchen. Put the berries in a bowl and have your child mash them with a potato masher. Add five tablespoons of vinegar and a pinch of salt and stir the mixture. Then pour it through a metal strainer. The resulting juice is your berry ink. Use anything from a feather to a chopstick as your quill and start making colorful drawings and paintings with ink you made yourself.

Stephanie Benney is a “Sustainable Visionary” and also the new Pittsburgh Representative for Fuzed Marketing, where she helps companies increase their brand presence. stephaniebenney@yahoo.com