SUMMER ACTIVITIES

​SUMMER IS HERE  … but it feels a little like fall.  Here is a fun way to start out the cool weather week we will have as we officially start summer.
 
When my sons were younger, and I was doing home day care with 6 other little boys, I would start Mondays by baking bread or making a fresh batch of playdough.  This week looks like it will be a great week to make a loaf of banana bread and try out this recipe I found in a book by Asia Citro that my daughter-in-law, Danielle, gave me.  150+ Screen Free Activities for Kids.  
​I will be using this book all summer to share ideas you can use with your children.
 
Baking with your child promotes interest in what they are eating, math skills, fine motor skills, sensory experiences and scientific investigation.  The smell of fresh bread (or anything you bake) will bring back memories of this activity when they are older.  A cool, cloudy Seattle day is a great day to fill your home with the aroma of something baking in the oven.  I suggested banana bead because the same ripened bananas are part of the edible play dough recipe I am including in this note to you.
 
 
 
EDIBLE BANANA PLAYDOUGH
½ cup ripe or overripe banana, mashed
½ cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
2 ¼ cups flour
¾ cup cornstarch

1. In a bowl, combine the banana, water and vegetable oil.  Mix well.
2. In another bowl mis the flour and cornstarch.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  Knead the mixture until you can no longer feel bits of banana.  You can use a mixer with a dough hook if you would like.  My sons loved making the mixer “go”.

If needed: add more water if too dry or more flour if too wet

ENJOY playing with this edible dough.

​This dough is perishable so store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.  Discard in a few days or when it shows signs of spoiling --  if it smells ‘foul’, discolors or has mold.
 
 
This is a fun dough to add kitchen tools to when playing with it.  Muffin pans, rolling pins, cupcake holders, birthday candles, colored macaroni noodles to poke into the dough, etc.