#8 is way too cute

Set aside the conversation hearts (except when doing science experiments) and show your kiddos how much they mean by filling the day with oh-so-sweet Valentine’s Day games and activities. From playing musical hearts to making suncatchers to concocting potions, the following ideas are fun ways to share the L-O-V-E. Be sure to check out our favorite DIY Valentine’s Day cards, jokes, and Valentine’s Day gifts kids can make.

1. Four Different Valentine’s Day Games

Not only are these Valentine’s Day games adorable, but they’re easy to pull together, especially with the printables from Happy Days in First Grade.

2. Pink Bottle Ring Toss

There’s nothing quite like a classic game of ring toss, and this pink version is perfect for Valentine’s Day festivities. Start collecting your bottles now, and order some heart-shaped bracelets to use as rings.

3. Heart Counting Game

a picture of a Valentine's day game
Deirdre Smith

It’s craps meets math with a clever counting game from the Kids Activities Blog. Roll the dice then add the same number of beans to the heart. The first overflowing heart is the winner! Play again and again—it’s a lovely (and educational) way to celebrate the holiday. 

4. Musical Hearts

a picture of musical hearts, a Valentines day game
Amy Mascott via Teach Mama

Want to walk all over hearts? It’s acceptable—and encouraged—during a session of musical hearts. Each heart has an entertaining activity written on the bottom. When the music stops, the kids start! Creative mom Amy incorporates reading and acting into each prompt and shares her awesome list of activities on her site, Teach Mama.

 

Related: Valentine’s Day Food and Treats Everyone Will Love

5. Conversation Heart Science Experiment

Mary Catherine via Fun-A-Day

Tiny conversation hearts are big on charm but short on taste. Kids can use these little love messages to start a different type of conversation. First, fill recycled plastic bottles with various forms of liquid. Drop in candy hearts and observe what happens next! Check out Fun-A-Day for the lowdown.

6. Valentine's Day Memory Game

a picture of a boy playing a Valentine's Day game
Hands On As We Grow

Want to put the kiddo’s knowledge to the test? See if they know their ABCs by heart with a colorful set of letters. Find out where Jamie of Hands On As We Grow grabbed her game set, or try your hand at making your very own.

7. Heart Hopscotch

a picture of a girl playing heart hopscotch, a fun Valentine's Day game
Toddler Approved

It’s hopscotch, Valentine’s style. Use cardstock (what else?) in red, pink, and white, add numbers or letters, grab something heavy(ish) to throw, and start hopping! You’ll be crushing on how much your kids are learning, from letter or number skills to physical coordination. Get more details on this simple Valentine's Day game by visiting Toddler Approved.

8. Valentine's Day Treasure Hunt

Thriving Home Blog

The clever clues and hand-written love notes in this simple but brilliant treasure hunt we found too sweet not to share. Cut out large hearts for hints and attach treats to each for added sweetness! The treasures at the end can be anything from simple toys to gift cards. Get great tips for making clues by visiting Thriving Home.

9. Valentine’s Day Bingo

Use candy hearts as place markers in this Valentine’s Day game that every kid loves to play. Get the printable from XOmisso.

with additional reporting by Taylor Clifton

 

Jennifer Tyler Lee, Bay Area mom and author of The 52 New Foods Challenge, shared with us one of her favorite healthy lunch ideas: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. She tells us, “My kids love a hot lunch, and this recipe is an easy way for me to send a cozy meal that I know they’ll enjoy.” Her pro tip? When packing soup, only fill the thermos part way to the top with liquid to avoid spills.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients for homemade chicken noodle soup:

1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry pasta (macaroni or rotini work best)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together 3 tablespoons of olive oil, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Toss the chicken in the mixture until well coated. Spread out on the lined baking sheet as flat as possible and roast 23-25 minutes, until cooked through. When done, remove from the oven and let rest for 2 minutes. Then chop into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Reserve any cooking juices.

Tip: If you’re in a pinch, use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and skip to Step 3. Heat a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and then the onions and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots and celery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, or until the vegetables begin to soften.

4. Add the broth, 1 cup water, and the bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8 minutes, or until the pasta is almost cooked.

5. Add the chicken to the pot and simmer for 2 minutes more.

6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

Reprinted from THE 52 NEW FOODS CHALLENGE: A Family Cooking Adventure for Each Week of the Year, with 150 recipes. Reprinted by arrangement with Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2014 by Jennifer Tyler Lee.

Featured image: iStock 

This savory snack is perfect for the holiday season or anytime, really

If you’re looking for an appetizer or a snack-worthy finger food, try this recipe for ham and cheese puff pastry. Courtesy of The Clever Carrot, whipping this dish up is like making a sandwich, but filled with melted cheese and ham. The pre-made puff pastry dough makes the process quick and simple.

Makes 12-16 squares

Ingredients for Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry:

1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted*
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ pound black forest ham, thinly sliced
½ pound Gruyère cheese, grated
1 egg
flour for dusting

*Defrost overnight in the fridge before you begin.
**Puff pastry sheets are available in the frozen section of most grocery stores. If you cannot find them, you can use a whole block of dough instead. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough and cut it into two sheets measuring approximately 10 x 12 inches (use a ruler if necessary). Transfer to a piece of parchment paper and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 F.

2. To make the egg wash, lightly beat an egg with 1 tbsp. of water. Set aside.

3. Place a piece of parchment paper onto your work surface and dust lightly with flour. Lay one sheet of puff pastry on top of the paper. Using the back of a teaspoon, brush the dough with mustard leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Use a ruler if necessary.

4. Staying within the border, add the sliced ham in overlapping layers. Add the cheese. Brush the border with some of the egg wash to create a seal.

5. Place the second sheet of puff pastry on top of the filled pastry lining up the edges.
Using a sharp knife, trim the dough so that the edges line up and the square is even. It’s just like cutting the crust off of a sandwich. Make sure to cut the dough in a swift downward motion (think paper slicer). If you drag your knife, it will not rise properly. Press down lightly.

6. Brush the top with more egg wash and cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Transfer the dough to a baking sheet by lifting up the parchment paper.

7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes and cut into squares (about 12-16 depending how large you want them). Serve hot.

 

Recipe and photo courtesy of The Clever Carrot. For more great family recipe ideas, head on over to the blog by clicking here.

This three-ingredient crock pot sweet pork recipe is so simple you can make it with your eyes closed. At least, that’s what Erin at Table for 7 claims she loves most about this dish. Depending on how much spiciness your tastebuds like (or don’t like), you can switch up your salsa choices to best suit what your picky eaters enjoy most. Serve this pork on top of a bed of rice and dig in.

Ingredients for Crock Pot Sweet Pork: 

2 lbs boneless pork
2 c salsa
1 c brown sugar

Method:

1. Spray crock pot or line with crock pot liners/parchment paper. Add pork into crock pot.

2. In a separate bowl, mix salsa and brown sugar well. Pour over pork.

3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4 hours.

4. Shred/cut pork before serving.

recipe and photo courtesy of Erin at Table for 7

Keeping a chronicle of her cooking exploits on her site Table for 7, Erin says her site is all about her cooking and baking experiences; the good and the not so good. Erin’s not a professional baker, cook, or photographer but honest about what she prepares at home. Along with her plain-eating husband, her family consists of a couple of picky eaters (and one very picky eater). She creates recipes that aren’t fancy, flashy, or cost you a small fortune to make.

For more easy crock pot dinner recipes click HERE

It’s the cutest boo bark around

Looking for a festive treat to welcome the spooky season? This Halloween bark recipe uses just five store-bought ingredients, requires no oven and whips up faster than you can say “boo!” Nut-free and perfectly customizable, it also makes for a great teacher gift. It’s also a great afternoon activity that you can do with the kids that results in one tasty dessert.

Related: 31 Ghoulishly Good Halloween Dinners That Kids Will Love

Ingredients

-One pound of chocolate (Look for bars, not chocolate chips)

-Pretzels

-White chocolate chips

-OREO cookies with festive-colored creme

–M&M's in a fun color

 

Other supplies:

-Cookie sheet

-Parchment paper

-Microwave Safe Bowl

-Spatula

Step One

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then start snapping pretzels into small pieces. Try not to pulverize them! Then take 8-10 OREO cookies and cut into quarters. Don't worry if they don't cut cleanly, it's ok if they crumble! Just be sure to evenly scatter both the pretzels and the cookies on the baking sheet.

 

Step Two

Break chocolate into smallish pieces and place in microwave-safe bowl.

Step Three

Microwave for 45 seconds, then remove and stir. Continue microwaving in 30 second intervals, and stirring until the chocolate is completely smooth.

Related: Scary Sweet: Totally Boos-Free Halloween Crafts

Step Four

Pour chocolate over pretzel and OREO pieces, coating in an even layer so everything is smothered in delicious chocolate.

Step Five

This is the fun part! Grab the kids and start sprinkling the chocolate with M&M's and white chocolate chips.

Related: Trader Joe’s Haunted House Cookie Kit Is Back for the Season

Step Six

Place your baking sheet in the refrigerator for about an hour, or until the chocolate has cooled and hardened. 

Step Seven

Once your bark is completely solidified, carefully cut into smaller pieces with a sharp knife. Keep portioned bark in the fridge until you're read to enjoy!

 

 

Morgan-Hass_Lemon-Macaroon-Chicks_s4x3.jpg.rend.sni18col

Your Easter basket usually consists of chocolate eggs, Peeps and candy galore. This year make a new sweet tradition with these Lemon Macaroon Chicks courtesy of FoodNetwork.com. The easy recipe requires only six ingredients and will be a hit with all your little chicks on Easter Sunday.

Total Time: 55 min
Prep: 30 min
Inactive: 5 min
Cook: 20 min
Yield: about 30 chicks
Level: Easy

Ingredients:
One 14-ounce bag sweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup prepared lemon curd
4 large egg whites
Pinch fine salt
15 small orange and/or yellow jelly beans
60 mini chocolate chips (about 2 tablespoons)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine the coconut, lemon curd, egg whites and salt with a spatula in a medium bowl until a uniform consistency.

3. Roll generous tablespoons of the mixture into egg shapes, setting them big-side down onto the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the rest of the mix. Bake until the bottom and a few of the coconut frays turn deep golden brown, about 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cut the jelly beans in half lengthwise and set aside.

5. Remove the macaroons from the oven and let them cool enough to handle, but are still warm, about 5 minutes.

6. Take one of the jelly bean halves and pinch an end to make a pointed beak. Hold the point, shiny-side up, and push the rounded end into the side of a macaroon. Push 2 mini chocolate chips, peak-side in, into the macaroon on either side of the beak for eyes. Repeat with the rest of the macaroons and serve.

Courtesy of Morgan Hass for FoodNetwork.com.

Food-Network-Logo
FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers’ best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring, empowering and entertaining through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 100 million U.S. households and up to 35 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine’s rate base has grown tenfold and is now the second largest monthly magazine on the newsstand, with over 11.6 million readers.  

 

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Photo: Weelicious

Soft, chewy and perfect for snacktime or your kid’s lunchbox, this recipe for fruit and oat crumble bars checks all the boxes. Created by Catherine McCord of Weelicious, we love that there’s no processed sugar and that it’s packed with goodness from wheat germ to old fashioned oats. Read on for the recipe!

Makes 18 bars
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)
1/4 cup honey
2 cups apple butter or preserves

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place all the ingredients except the apple butter or preserves in a food processor. 3. Pulse until the ingredients are combined and oats and nuts are in small pieces. 4. Press all but 1 cup of the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 x 9 inch pan lined with parchment paper.  5. Cover the oat mixture with apple butter or preserves. 6. Crumble the remaining 1 cup of oat mixture over the apple butter or preserves. 7. Bake for 30- 35 minutes. 8. Cool, use parchment paper to move bars to a cutting board and cut into bars.*

*For perfectly cut bars, refrigerate for an hour before cutting into squares.

This post originally appeared on Weelicious.

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Catherine McCord is the co-founder of One Potato and the founder of the popular Weelicious brand, a trusted content resource synonymous with family and food. She has written three cookbooks including her latest Smoothie Project. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children.

With so many people staying at home, now is a great time to bake with your kids. Add a tasty baking craft to your everyday in-door routine with some sticky sweet one-on-one time. Not only is it a fun activity, you also get to eat something yummy when it’s done!

Best of all, what’s better than a DIY twist on the classic candy bars? Take a closer look at two of the top favorite treats from my collection of recipes that are absolute family favorites.

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Balls 

Are you low on flour? Coconut balls will save the day. They are soft and chewy, and when you dip them in chocolate they are irresistible. You can call these whatever you want but these yummy treats remind me of a Mounds candy bar, only with a citrus zing! I swapped out the honey/maple syrup for 4 Tbsp. of my tangerine marmalade to this recipe I found @pinchofyum.

Ingredients

2 cups dried coconut (I only had the big flaked coconut on hand so pulsed in a food processor until coarse but not too fine)

4 Tbsp Marmalade

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 Tbsp. Coconut oil

Directions:

1. In a medium-size bowl, mix the ingredients until thoroughly combined.

2. Squeeze into small balls and place on a cookie sheet and put in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes.

3. While the little treats are chilling, slowly melt 4 oz dark chocolate in a bowl over hot water. I used chopsticks to roll the balls in the chocolate and lay them on parchment paper. Place them in the refrigerator to chill or just eat them up.

Raspberry Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips or bar broken in pieces

1/2 c. heavy cream

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 c. Just Jan’s Seedless Raspberry Spread

Pinch of salt

Unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted) to coat truffles

Directions:

1. Place chocolate pieces in a bowl.

2. Heat cream and butter together in a heavy bottom saucepan until it comes to a boil.

3. Pour cream and butter over the chocolate and let stand for a minute or so.

4. Stir vigorously until smooth.

5. Add Just Jan’s Seedless Raspberry Spread and pinch of salt.

6. Stir until well combined.

7. Put plastic wrap on top of the chocolate in the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hrs. (may leave it overnight).

8. Sit on counter to warm up a bit before forming the truffles.

9. Using a teaspoon, scoop chocolate mixture into your hand and roll between your hands until you have a ball. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Roll in sifted cocoa powder on a plate.

Ruthi Davis is a the Founder of Ruth Davis Consulting LLC with over two decades of success in advertising/marketing, media/publicity, business development, client relations, and organizational optimization for a variety of clients. Ruthi is a proud mom and influencer in the parenting and family market as founder of the Superfly Supermom brand.

The American Heart Association recommends that children consume less than 25 grams of added sugar per day. That’s exactly six teaspoons. But kids love sweets, and there’s no need to eliminate them entirely. It’s all about minding the portions.

How can you help your kids be mindful and enjoy sugar in moderation?

One great way is to swap out packaged sweets for home-baked treats and to do the baking together with your kids. Many store-bought foods are overloaded with sugar. But if you bake some of the very same treats with your kids instead, you can control how much—or how little—sugar you use.

Bonus: you get to spend time together. Spending time with your children, especially when baking, is a great way to teach the importance of healthy eating or being mindful of the foods they are placing into your bodies. And it’s fun!

Here are two of my favorite ways to control the sugar in home-baked treats:

1. Measure out smaller amounts of sugar than a recipe calls for.

2. Use ingredients that are naturally lower in sugar: Fruits like raspberries and strawberries, for example, and 80% dark chocolate or above.

Ready to try? These three easy recipes are always a big hit to bake, and to eat:

Fruit with Chocolate Shavings: 

  1. 1 cup of fruit. Fruits that are lower in sugar are raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, kiwi, grapefruit, watermelon, oranges, peaches, cantaloupe.
  2. Add shavings of 80% dark chocolate which contains many health benefits. Dark chocolate is rich in minerals including iron, magnesium, and zinc. The cocoa in dark chocolate also contains antioxidants called flavonoids.
  3. You can even add cool whip for a little fun! On average, 2 tablespoons of cool whip contains only 2 grams of sugar.

Ricotta Cheese Cookies:
Makes 30-40 cookies

1 ricotta (whole)
Two eggs
½ cup of sugar
1 cup of butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon of vanilla
4 teaspoons of baking powder
3.5 cups of flour

Directions:

1. Combine butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Beat with mixer until fluffy. Add ricotta and mix together. Add one tablespoon at a time of flour; mix in baking powder and continue to mix batter with beater. Once the mixture has all the added ingredients, use a tablespoon to gather the mixture onto your hands and make a ball. A tip? Add a little water to your hands then work with the batter to form a ball (the batter won’t stick to your hands). Once completed, cover a tray with parchment paper and place the ricotta cookies on the tray. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes.

Apple cake

6 eggs
1 cup of sugar
8 ounces of oil
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
4 medium-size apples- peeled and sliced

Directions:
Beat eggs and sugar together until fluffy and then add the rest of the ingredients. Using a glass tray covered with parchment paper, add half of the mixture. Place the sliced apples into the mixture and add the remaining mixture to cover the sliced apples. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place tray in the oven for 40 minutes. Check with a toothpick to see if the cake is baked through. If the toothpick is dry then the cake is done.

 

Maria Sofia’s life mission—inspired by her personal struggles with weight loss —is to educate parents and teachers on the importance of teaching nutrition to young children. Maria is a certified Health, Life and Trauma Coach. She is currently working toward her PhD in holistic health and lives in Toronto.

 

These “boo” friendly Candy Corn Marshmallows are one of the easiest treats you can make and only require a few ingredients. They make a super fun treat for any candy-seeking trick-or-treaters and your kids are guaranteed to love them, too.

Makes: 12 Candy Corn Marshmallows

Ingredients:
½ cup orange chocolate candy melts
12 marshmallows
½ cup yellow chocolate candy melts
½ cup brown chocolate candy melts

Method:
1. Melt your orange chocolate candy melts in a candy melting electric pot according to the package instructions, or in the microwave at 30-second increments.

2. Dip the bottom half of the marshmallow into the orange chocolate candy melts.

3. Place marshmallows in refrigerator until chocolate hardens, approximately 5 minutes.

4. Melt your yellow and brown chocolates as in Step 1. Dip the bottom of your orange-covered marshmallow in the yellow chocolate halfway to create a candy corn look. Place in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened, approximately 2–3 minutes.

5. Using a toothpick or the bottom end of a cake-decorating paintbrush and your brown chocolate candy melts, dot two eyes on your candy corn. Place marshmallows on a Silpat or parchment paper and place in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened, approximately 2–3 minutes.

Excerpted from Kids’ Treats: 50 Easy, Extra-Special Snacks to Make with Your Little Ones Copyright © 2015 by Katie Wyllie and published by F+W Media, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Photos courtesy of Katie Wyllie.

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