Materials:

cake pan with edges
milk
food coloring
liquid dishwashing detergent

1. Pour milk into the cake pan until the bottom is covered.
2. Sprinkle several drops of food coloring on the milk.
3. Add a few drops of dishwashing detergent in the centers of the largest drops of coloring.
4. Watch the resulting eruption of colors.
5. If erupting slows down, try adding more food coloring and then more detergent. If the experiment will not work after awhile, begin again from clean milk and new drops of color and detergent.

Variations:
Use a clear baking pan. Have someone hold the experiment above eye level and watch the erupting colors from the bottom of the pan.

Milk contains water and fat. These two substances do not mix. Even though the milk looks like one substance, it is really separate water and fat. Detergent is a substance that will mix with water or fat. When detergent is dropped into milk, one end of the detergent molecule attaches to fat in the milk and the other end of the detergent molecule attaches to the water which causes a boiling effect.

Super fun creativity game!  No supplies needed.  Also good for car rides, rainy days, hikes...

The starting player says something innocuous, like "I almost couldn't find the syrup." Next player says something like "It could've been worse. You could have been covered in syrup." Then the next person says something worse, like, "It could've been even worse than that, you could've been on Dancing with the Stars at the time." And then the next player tries to find something worse than that. Or, the next person says "it could be better..." And so it goes...

I always loved these tissue paper crafts as a kid. Easy to do with simple supplies, but looks great!   Something fun to do over the weekend! 

A fun simple art activity with supplies you may already have around the house: 

Supplies:
knife
potato
pencil
spoon
tempra paints and brush
paper
Technique
1. With the help of an adult, cut a potato in half, with a pencil, draw a simple geometric shape, letter, or any created design on the sliced portion of the potato.

2. With the spoon, scrape away the part of the potato that is not part of the shape. The shape will be raised; the background will be cut and scraped away.

3. Paint any color on the remaining raised shape. Then, firmly press the potato on the paper to make a print. Make several prints before repainting. Each print will be lighter than the first.

4. Shading Step: With the spoon or other digging utensil, scoop away a little more of the remaining shape. Paint a different color on the potato shape and press the potato on the prints already made. Try to print exactly on the area of the first print. This will produce the look of dual colored shading. Continue this method to make more shaded prints or additional prints.

Variations:
Explore making prints with other objects from around the house, such as these suggestions:
bar of soap
carrot
block
nuts and bolts
eraser on a pencil
crumpled foil

Pumpkin Dip

2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese sofened
1 large 30 ounce can of pumpkin
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teas cinnamon
2 teas ginger

Whip together and serve with giner snaps for dipping!


Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake
Graham cracker crust (buy one premade, or crush graham crackers with melted butter)
2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese
1/2 sugar
2 eggs
1 - 16 ounce can of pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Bake crust for 5 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
Mix cream cheese sugar and eggs until smooth.
Add pumpkin and spices.
Put over crust, bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees

Home Made Root Beer is always a hit for Harry Potter All Camps and 4th of July Parties!!!

By: Amanda Formaro

Difficulty: Easy

Age: 5 and up

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Show your love for the USA by making one of these fun and patriotic pins!

What you'll need:

How to make it:

1. Mix together the salt, flour, and water. If dough is sticky, add additional tablespoons of flour one at a time until the mixture is smooth a pliable. Be careful not to add too much or your projects will crack.
2. Roll out or press dough with your hand and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes or form your own shapes.
3. Place shapes on cookie sheet and heat oven to 250 degrees F.
4. Place cookie sheet in oven and bake for 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours, or until items are dry. Remove from oven and let cool.
5. Paint all the shapes
6. Turn pins over and glue on pin backs. Use a generous amount of glue and let them dry completely before wearing.

Tips:

• Salt dough can be kept in a covered container for a couple of days.
• It is not necessary to dry out salt dough in the oven, you can air dry it, but the oven is faster.

My dietitian friend, Janae "Pepper" introduced me to spinach smoothies!

Fun and easy activity for the summer!

Homemade Finger Paints

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Total Time Needed:

1 Hour

Inexpensive easy to make with items likely to have from home!

Materials

• 1 cup of cold water
• 1/4 cup of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of light corn syrup
• Washable, nontoxic tempera paint

• Bowls
• Finger-paint paper or freezer paper
• Masking tape

Instructions

1. Before you begin: Spread out a plastic tablecloth, keep wipes handy, and wear a smock or old clothes.

2. In a small saucepan, stir together the cold water and cornstarch. Whisk the mixture over low heat for about 5 minutes until it thickens and clears -- this will happen all at once. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of light corn syrup, then divide the mixture into bowls and stir a squirt of tempera paint into each one.

3. After the paint has cooled, scoop blobs of it onto finger-paint paper (taped to your table) or let your kids scoop it out themselves -- whichever they prefer -- and commence smearing. Leftover paint can be stored in sealed containers in the fridge for a day or two.