When firm, the dough can be worked by kneading. If it is too hard, cut off small pieces and knead until pliable. If the dough sticks to the counter when rolling, lightly spray counter or breadboard with vegetable spray or lightly grease with vegetable oil.

1. Hand shape the dough into a rope or braid, making two or three long ropes and twist or braid them together -- can be used as the outside edge on top of a cake or around the base.
2. Make ribbons to cover the cake. To do this, pat your dough into a disk shape and roll dough out to desired thickness using a rolling pin or else use a manual pasta machine.
3. Flowers, too!

Storage: When not using, MUST be stored in an airtight container and refrigerate

Kool-Aid Play Dough
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
3 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 package Kool-Aid Mix (any flavor of unsweetened)
1 tablespoon cooking oil

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients together in a large saucepan. Slowly add water mixed with oil and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens to dough. Turn out onto a heatproof bread board or counter top and knead until cool enough for children to handle. Dough will be the color of the Kool-Aid mix and will smell like the Kool-Aid mix. (Can be stored in a tightly covered container for up to six months)

Chocolate Clay
Ingredients:
10 ounces chocolate
almond bard or candy discs
1/3 cup corn syrup

Directions:
Slowly melt candy and stir until smooth. Add syrup and blend thoroughly. Pour onto waxed paper and spread with fingers until about 1/2 inch thick. Cover loosely with waxed paper and allow it to stiffen (couple of hours). Then play and eat.

To make flower petals, roll out little balls and flatten them, then pinch the petals together and these make wonderful "I Love You" gifts, even if it isn't Valentine's Day. Compliments of Kim Swanger

Storage: When not using, MUST be stored in an airtight container and refrigerate

Fruit Loop Necklaces
(a simple tool for reinforcing "patterning")
Give the children a piece of elastic cording approximately 18-inches long and a bowl of dry fruit loops. Help them sort the fruit loops into colors and decide on a pattern to string on the elastic cording (example: red, yellow, red, green, red, yellow, red, green, etc.)

Pizza Heads
(helps children to identify parts of a face and recognize that no two "people" are exactly the same and everyone is special)
Ingredients:
Refrigerator biscuits (larger ones work best)
Pizza Sauce
Cheese
Pepperoni, sausage, olives or whatever foods you can think of

Directions:
Flatten biscuit for each child and help them put sauce on it. Then let them use their own imaginations for designing their person's face (example: pepperoni eyes, olive nose, pineapple mouth or teeth, cheese hair, sausage ears, etc.)

Finger paint Pudding
Jell-O Finger-paint (allows the children to taste, smell, see and touch the colors)

Just mix instant pudding and place approximately one-quarter cup on a styrofoam meat tray for each child. Let them have fun drawing and licking as they go! In a small bowl, mix dry gelatin with hot water 1 teaspoon at a time until a paste is formed. This will be grainy. By adding more or less water, you can make it the consistency you want it to be.

Fall Trees
(imagination is the key!)
Prepare ahead of time two or three pans of Jell-O in thin layers using fall colors (cherry, lime, lemon, etc.). Buy pretzel sticks and place one large one for the tree trunk on a paper plate for each child. Let them use small leaf cookie cutters to cut out the "leaves" of their trees from the Jell-O.

Pretzel Initials
(some children learn easier by touch and this project just helps to reinforce the shapes of the initial or letters of their name)
Ingredients:
1 envelope dry yeast
1-1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Glaze: 1 beaten egg and a little salt

Directions:
Soften the yeast in water, add remaining ingredients and knead until pliable. Give each child a ball of dough and let them roll it out "like a snake" and help them form the letter (or letters) of their first initial, name, etc. Place formed dough on a greased baking sheet, brush with glaze and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Bread Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
1 tablespoons quick-acting yeast
1 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon oil

Directions:
Preheat over to 400 degrees. Measure the water, sugar and yeast into a bowl and mix. Wait two or three minutes for the yeast to soften. Stir in one cup of flour, then add oil, salt and remaining cup of flour. Sprinkle flour onto a wooden breadboard and place the dough on it. Knead dough for about five minutes.

Place dough in a bowl and cover it, letting it rise for about 45 minutes in a warm place away from drafts, open windows, etc. Punch the dough down and work it into a ball. Next, separate the dough into smaller portions and let the children use their hands to roll the dough into ropes or snakes to mold dough into different shapes.

Ghost Snack (for a healthier snack use raisins instead of M&M's)
Marshmallow Building Blocks (inexpensive afternoon snack)
Grilled Cheese People (children can use their imaginations while helping you prepare their lunch!)

Spread softened cream cheese on slices of white bread. Give each child one slice of the bread and a ghost cookie cutter. After they have cut it out let them use various things to decorate it. (Change the cookie cutter pattern to fit any holiday throughout the year) Show your child how to stick toothpicks into the marshmallows and then allow them to build anything their imaginations allow, including perhaps a contest to see who can build the tallest tower.

Ahead of time, use a round cookie cutter to cut out circles from slices of bread. Let the children top the circles with cheese. To make each cheesy person, use two circles (one for the head and one for the body). Place them on a cookie sheet, add bacon bits eyes, noses and buttons. Broil until the cheese melts and give one cheesy person to each child. Let them then add the arms and legs (carrot and celery sticks) and the bread left over from cutting out the circles can now be used as shoes, gloves, hats, neckties, bows, etc.

Tasty Paint
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Several drops of food coloring

Give the children paintbrushes and paper or just let them use their fingers. The paint will be a pastel color and when it dries, it will be kind of glossy.

Enjoy these fun projects with your children by letting your imagination be your guide. be an "un-grownup," it's fun!