Seasonal Recipe Challenge: Oatmeal Packet

This is meant to be an open-ended activity. No recipe is given, but suggestions and tips are offered. It is strongly recommended that you record what you do in some way:

Video, writing, drawing, etc..

Tweak your recipe as needed, and when you come up with something you like, write it down in a homemade recipe book or on an index cards.

You will need: A packet or two of instant oatmeal

Tips

· Quick oats may also be used for this activity, but a little more liquid may be needed for a recipe to work.

· The average oatmeal packet requires between 1/2 to 2/3c of water to make oatmeal. Try using about the same amount of liquid (eggs, milk, water, cream, etc.) when making your recipe.

· Think about how you will cook your creation before you begin: Bake, frying, a fun new flavored oatmeal

· Consider making a dough or batter.

· Use small pans for oven baked goods.

Ingredients to try:

Honey Maple Sugar Brown Sugar Cinnamon Nutmeg

Flour Raisins Eggs Banana Baking Powder Baking Soda

Chocolate Chips Salt Vanilla Sugar Butter Nuts Fruit

Milk Peanut Butter (any type) Pumpkin Yogurt Coconut

Dried Apples/fruit Beef/Meat Vegetables Cheese Chocolate 

Nutritional Yeast Jelly/Jam Something of your own choice

What to make:

Small Muffins Mini Pancakes Cookie Bread Granola Raisin

Oatmeal Cookie Burger Crepe Dog Biscuit Pizza A Fun New Oatmeal flavor

Something Fun To Do Index

Fun Pages Index

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Apple Fun Page

How many words can you make from the words:

APPLE ORCHARDS

Note: Add some fun twists and turns to your game with the info in this post.

Apple Word Search

Apple Related Activities

Make Up Your Own Apple Jokes & Riddles

Start out by making a list of 25 apple related words. You are welcome to use the words offered in the word search above to jump start your list, or add 25 more to it. Use the list of words to inspire jokes and riddles about apples. Be as clever and creative as possible. Have a friend or family member play along with you.

Here are a few to get you started:

Q: What is Darth Vader’s favorite fruit?
A: Empire apples.

Q: When is an apple grouchy?
A: When it’s a crab apple.

Q: Why did the Granny Smith apple cry?
A: It’s peelings were hurt.

If you would like to read more jokes and riddles like the ones above:

https://funkidsjokes.com/apple-jokes/

Online Activities

Online Puzzle: An Apple A Day– How long will it take you to do this online puzzle?

Coloring Pages: ApplesChoose from a variety of pages to print.

Apple Dip Recipe

8 oz whipped cream cheese at room temperature

1-3T Raw honey (add the honey until you get the sweetness you like)

Cinnamon (optional)

Mix ingredients together and enjoy with apple slices and other fruits.

Videos

Related Posts

The following topics can be found on FranW.com

Apple Research Project

Apple Resources

Fun Pages

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The 3 Sisters: Squash – Pumpkins

Did you know…

Native Americans called pumpkins, “isqoutm squash”

Recipe: Original Pumpkin Pie (with a modern twist) and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

One of the first pumpkin pies were baked right in the pumpkin shell! A delicious custard was prepared and poured into a cleaned out pumpkin and the whole thing was baked until the pumpkin flesh was tender and the filling completely cooked.
Would you like to make this uniquely interesting desert?
Here is what you will need:
1 5-8 lb Pumpkin
6 Eggs
3/4 c Brown sugar
1/4 c Raw sugar
2T Molasses
2 1/2 c Heavy whipping cream
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Vanilla
3 T Butter
Aluminum foil covered cookie sheet
Aluminum foil
Preparing the pumpkin:

Cut the top of the pumpkin off and reserve, this will become your lid. Remove the stringy fibers and seeds – save seeds for roasting. Once the inside is clean, scrape out 4 cups of the inner flesh and reserve.
If your pumpkin has a stem, leave it on.
Preparing the filling:
Place eggs, sugars, molasses and spices in a blender and mix together. Next add the 4 cups of reserved pumpkin flesh, butter and the heavy cream – blend until smooth.
Filling the pumpkin: 
Place pumpkin on a foil cookie sheet and pour filling into the pumpkin. Do not overfill, leave about an inch of space to allow the custard filling to expand. Put the lid on the pumpkin and cover the top and sides with aluminum foil. Place the cookie sheet in a 350 oven for 2 hours or until custard in done – a metal tester will come out clean.
Allow to cool in oven to prevent splitting. When cool, place pumpkin in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight. Pie can also be served warm.
Serving the pie:
Pumpkin pie slice with whipped cream
This unique pie can be served two ways and will feed 6-12 people depending on the size of the pumpkin and the portion taken.
1. Remove the lid (or cut it off) insert a spoon and have everyone serve themselves by taking a spoonful of custard and cooked pumpkin flesh.

2. Cut around the stem of the pumpkin with a knife and serve by cutting slices of the pumpkin. Do not eat the skin.
Add a modern twist to one of George Washington’s favorite deserts!
This pie is not overly sweet and for some, may not be sweet enough, if you find this to be the case, feel free to use any of the following suggestions:
  • Before adding whipped cream, drizzle with maple syrup
  • Top with sweetened whipped cream
  • Serve with vanilla ice cream
  • Drizzle with a warm caramel sauce and top with sweetened whipped cream
  • Top with honey roasted pecans.
  • Serve with spiced whipped cream by adding a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to the whipping cream
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
You will need:
Raw pumpkin seeds
Sea salt
Aluminum foil covered cookie sheet
What to do:
Place seeds in a colander and wash in cool water. Shake off excess water before spreading seeds on an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet, and lightly salt seeds before placing in a 425 degree oven for 10 -12 minutes or until golden brown. Watch them carefully around the 10 minute mark so they don’t burn. When cool enough to touch, enjoy.
Question of the day:
Pumpkins are one variety of squash, how many other types of squash are there?
Learn more:
Information about how to grow.
Pumpkins, pumpkin facts, pumpkin education and more.
Activities that can be done with young children.
List of Gourds and Squashes
Pumpkins are a gourd-like squash, find out who their cousins are.

The Many Colors of Pumpkins

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Thanksgiving Jokes, Riddles, & Fun Comics

Want a fun and inexpensive Thanksgiving activity the whole family can enjoy?
Add some jokes, riddles, and fun comics to your Thanksgiving Day Fun Things To Do list!
If you plan to make the project in the Thanksgiving Turkey Games and Activities post, you can easily use jokes and riddles for your feathers.
The jokes and riddles on the sites provided below can be used or you can brainstorm your own.
Consider making place mats or place cards with jokes, riddles, and/or comics to share before dinner is served.

Enchanted Learning: Thanksgiving Jokes and Riddles – This site offers a less overwhelming amount of jokes and riddles. Consider turning some of the suggestions into comics.

Boy’s Life: 45 Funny Thanksgiving Day Jokes and Comics – This site offers A LOT of jokes, riddles, and comics to choose from. The unique thing about this page, is that every so many jokes and riddles, there is a fun comic to enjoy.

Squigly’s Jokes & Riddles: Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids – This site offers a few riddles, knock, knock jokes, and a story joke.

Scary Mommy: 35+ Side-Splitting Thanksgiving Jokes You’ll Gobble Up More Than Turkey – This site offers simple jokes and riddles.

Many of these jokes and riddles overlap…I hope they’ll be able to inspire your own.


Tips For Making Your Own Jokes, Riddles, & Comics

Make a list of popular Thanksgiving icons and foods to use to inspire jokes, riddles, and comics of your own.

Use graphics, stickers, stencils, stamps, or draw your own comics. Design them on a computer or your phone. Print them out or share them electronically.

Print out a page with two or more Thanksgiving icons, such as a turkey and a pumpkin, with thought or conversation bubbles for people to fill-in in a fun way.

Work on your delivery before hand. Jokes and riddles are more fun when they are delivered in an entertaining way.

Test a few of your jokes on a family member or friend. Ask them for tips that’ll help make your delivery better, or the joke/riddle/comic more entertaining.

Consider winging it. Sit around and throw jokes and riddles out informally. Make up your own and have fun being silly with it. Encourage others to join in.

Consider putting Thanksgiving words or pictures on paper for players to choose from, and ask them to come up with a joke or a riddle about that topic, or tell one they know.

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Thanksgiving Giveaway!

I’ve put a special Thanksgiving Giveaway together for you to download that includes instructions for a lantern made from a recycled milk or juice carton and simple craft supplies that can be used as a centerpiece for your holiday table. I hope this fun craft helps to make your Thanksgiving a little more special.

In addition to a fun craft, I’ve included two words within words games that can be printed out and left around for people to add to throughout the day or week.

I hope you enjoy these items and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Fran W.

Thank you for stopping by!

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DIY Harvest 9 Tile (Scramble Square) Puzzle

Have you ever done a Scramble Square puzzle? If you have not, it is a 9 piece tile puzzle that looks easy enough, but can take a good long while to solve it.

You can do a quick search using the term: Scramble Square Puzzle and look at the images that come up.

I hope the images inspired you to make your own.

Here are some suggestions if you would like to make one.

You will need a grid with 9 equal squares. You can print the follow image or make your own. Print on thick paper or make it from cardboard. You can right mouse button click to save the gird and print it out.

You will also need to draw, use similar stickers, stamps, or stencils for your images and whatever craft supplies you think you’ll need. Once you have your puzzle the way you want it, cut it out, try it out, and store it in a zip-top bag. Give it to someone to try too.

Consider making another one, more difficult to solve.

Wrapping paper may also be used to make an interesting or themed puzzle.

You can also use a computer with a drawing or publishing program to make this puzzle. Start with a 3×3 table.

Pixabay – Offers free graphics you can download to make your puzzle. (Caution is advised when downloading from the internet.)

If you would like to use a harvest theme, think of some seasonal items, and write them down.

This particular puzzle is challenging because of its sameness and false matches. Being able to use the same items, colors, and picture combinations over and over makes the puzzle more interesting.

Here’s an example of one I made using a publishing program and graphics I found on Pixabay*. You can print it out and give it try if you like. Right mouse button click to save. If you print this out on plain copy paper, consider using stick glue to adhere it to piece of cardboard or cardstock. Allow it to dry before cutting it.

I hope you find it fun to do.

*I have no affiliation to Pixabay or any other product or company.

Scramble Square is a trade marked name. Here is the product site: Scramble Squares if you would like to learn more about the product that inspired this post.

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Holiday Foods

Daily Jigsaw Puzzles:  Colorful Pumpkins And Wicker Basket
How long will it take you to solve this online puzzle?

pumpkins-veggies puzzle

How many words can you make from the words:

Fun Holiday Foods

How quickly can you find the 10 words in this Holiday Foods word search?

Holiday Foods Word Search

Coloring Pages

Get Coloring Pages: Cornucopia –  Choose from a variety of cornucopias to print.

Super Coloring: Cornucopia – Choose from a variety of cornucopias to print or color online.

Seasonal Foods To Learn About

All of the following topics can be found on FranW.com

Popcorn Project

The Three Sisters: Introductions

Cranberry Resource Page

Wild Turkey

Chocolate Activities

History of the Candy Cane

Chestnuts

Ginger Bread Activities

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On EtsyFunschooling Press

Note: If this, or any other post on FranW.com, has inspired you in a positive way, or you have featured it in a blog post, please comment and link back to where it can be found! Thank you!
Holiday Foods fw

Chestnuts

Information

South Mountain Creamery: All About…Chestnuts – What is the difference between a sweet chestnut and a horse chestnut? Read this short article to find out! This site includes a variety of ways to cook chestnuts and offers some links for chestnut recipes.Chestnuts cooked

The Spruce Eats: How to Roast Chestnuts at Home – Gives tips for picking and storing chestnuts, how to cook and peel, and some ways to eat them.

David Ludwig: The Secret to Roasted Chestnuts – This site offers another way to prepare chestnuts, it requires a little extra work, but claims the extra step is worth it because it creates a creamy texture.

GH: 4 Surprising Health Benefits of Chestnuts – Article offers nutrition facts, health benefits, and some ways to enjoy them.

Activity Suggestion: Purchase a pound of chestnuts and experiment with a few different ways of cooking them. Compare methods. Try them in a recipe too!

Videos

The Return of the Chestnut

How to Roast Chestnuts

Harvesting Chestnuts Harvesting Chinese Chestnuts

The Amazing Thing About Chestnut Seedlings

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Chestnuts FW

Thanksgiving Giveaway

Thanksgiving Giveaway Info

I’ve put a special Thanksgiving Giveaway together for you to download that includes instructions for a lantern made from a recycled milk or juice carton and simple craft supplies that can be used as a centerpiece for your holiday table. I hope this fun craft helps to make your Thanksgiving a little more special.

In addition to a fun craft, I’ve included two words within words games that can be printed out and left around for people to add to throughout the day or week.

I hope you enjoy these items and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Fran W.

Thank you for stopping by!
Connect with FranW.com

25 Fun Activities You Can Do Inside, When It’s COLD Outside!

When the temperature drops, and it gets toooo cold to play outside for long, here are some fun things you can do inside!
Below, you will find drawing activities, brain games, dice games, science experiments, paper folding projects, and other fun things that can be found on FranW.com. 


1. Learn about Fractals –  There’s a good chance that you’ll find frost on a window or a snowflake or two to look at for this activity! After you observe them, draw/make a few of your own.

2. Make your own Geometrical Designs – Draw a variety of shapes, add some lines, and grab your coloring supplies for this fun activity!

3. Try Zentangles! – If you enjoy drawing while you’re chilling out, you may find this activity de-stressing.

4. Observe Spirals – Spirals are fun to draw and there are a few different types. Find out more by visiting this page…but before you do, make a list of something of the things you can think of that are naturally shaped as a spiral…fruits, animals, plants….

5. Ten Fun Projects You Can Do With Symmetry – Make one half of a picture and give it to someone to finish off in the same way! Draw it, use building toys, Tangram pieces, or something else.

6. Play with Circles – Grab your craft supplies and find out how many cool things you can make from a simple circle.

7. Tangrams – Can you believe that over 5900 puzzles can be made with the 7 shapes offered in this puzzle-game! How many can you make? Find out with the resources on this page. Turn those puzzle pieces into a work of art too.

8. Make Folded Hand Puppet – Create a few puppets, decorate them, and make a puppet show with them.

9. Paper Airplanes – Learn how to fold some simple planes and cool stunt planes, check out the plane that won a world record, and get helpful flying tips.

10. Rainbow Code – Grab a friend and play a game where colors reveal the code.

11. Yatch – Dice Game – There are so many cool dice games out there and this is definitely one of them. Play with a friend, on your own, or on line.

12.  Make your own: Bottle Cap Stamps – Take a minute to raid the recycling bin and take all the bottle caps you can find, big and small, then put on foam sticker on it and get ready to have some fun. Stamp a story or play the brain game offered in this post.

13. Holiday and Winter Origami – Fold a sled, snowman, pine tree, penguin, or a snowflake and make a wintery scene with them.

14. Magic Square Puzzles – In the mood for a brain teaser? Try the Magic Square puzzles in this post, then make some of your own to share.


15. Roman Numerals – Spend some time learning how to add, subtract, and multiply in a fun new way.

16. Hangman/House – Use a whiteboard and colored whiteboard markers to play this old favorite…with a fun twist of course.

17. Solitaire Challenge #1 Peg Solitaire – Whether you decide make your own game board or print one out, have fun trying to finish this puzzling game with one last piece in the middle.

18. Make Your Own What’s Missing Picture – You can use stamps, stickers, or draw something out to play this tricky observation game.

19. Petals Around The Rose – Play this brain game on line or with a set of dice. If you figure out the pattern, don’t tell anyone, give them a set of dice and let them figure it out for themselves.

20. Snowflake Activities & Resources Learn about snowflakes in fun new ways, make some of your own, and look at some cool photographs of these elusive little wonders!

21. Mini Marble Run This mini marble run is great for older kids who want to do something different. How long can you keep your BB from getting to the end of the run?

22. Make Your Own Tic-Tac-Toe Game Board Did you know that Tic-Tac-Toe is a strategy game? Grab your craft supplies and make your own board to play on with a friend over and over again.

23. Inspiring People Cardstacker – Make sure you have a few decks of cards ready to use after watching what this man can do! Amazing!

24. Bubblegum Find out who invented bubblegum then how big of a bubble can you make with the activity offered in this post. There’s an experiment you can do with chewing gum as well.

25. Shadow Puppets – Create your shadow puppets during the day and tell your story while you show them off at night. Perhaps a story about cold wintery night!

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October Special Days Volume 1 Resource Page

The following resources have been provided to help with the ideas and suggestions in the:
 
To purchase this 16 page ebook filled with 120+ great ideas that companion the days listed below, for $5, please contact me directly.

The following links will take you to a post on FranW.com, Still Learning Something New, or to another site. Each is noted.
 
Oct. 1 Model T Ford introduced 1908
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Ford’s Model T
 
Oct. 2 Farm Animals Day
 
Oct. 3 SOS (distress code) established 1906
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: SOS
 
Oct. 4 Cinnamon Roll Day
Oct. 5 Physicist Robert Hutchings Goddard born 1882
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Robert Hutchings Goddard
 
Oct. 6 Mad Hatter Day
Alice In Wonderland: Mad Tea Party Ideas and Games
 
Oct. 7 Physicist Niels Bohrs born 1885
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Niels Bohrs
 
Oct. 8 Face Your Fears Day
How Stuff Works: Inside the Mind – How Fear Works
 
Oct. 9 Chess Day
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Chess
 
Oct. 10 Cake Decorating Day
 
Oct. 11 Apollo 7 Launched 1968
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Apollo 7
 
Oct. 12
Cookbook Launch Day
 
Oct. 13 US Navy Established 1775
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: US Navy
 
Oct. 14 President Dwight D. Eisenhower Born 1890
Still Learning Something New: Resources for Presidents
 
Oct. 15 I Love Lucy Premier 1951
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: I Love Lucy
 
Oct. 16
Noah Webster born 1758/Dictionary Day/Learn A Word Day
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Words Within Words
 
Oct. 17 Author Arthur Miller born 1915
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Arthur Miller
Still Learning Something New: Salem Witch Trials
 
Oct. 18 Alternative Fuel Day
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Experiments You Can Do With The Sun
National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Learning About Renewable Energy
 
Oct. 19 Author/Illustrator Ed Emberly born 1931
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Ed Emberly
 
Oct. 20 Monster Mash Day
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Monster Mash
Still Learning Something New: Monsters!
 
Autumn Leaves
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Fall Leaves
 
Oct. 21 Apple Day
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Apple Research Project
 
Oct. 22 Daniel Boone born 1734
Still Learning Something New: Daniel Boone
 
Oct. 23 Mole Day
ACS: Chemistry for Life: Mole Day
 
Oct. 24 Food Day
PBS: Videos – What Do Animals Eat?
Oct. 25 Magic Week begins
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Magic Tricks Resource Page
 
Oct. 26 Red Cross Founded 1836
 
Oct. 27 Tell A Story Day
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Tell A Story
 
Oct. 28 Statue of Liberty dedicated 1886
 
Oct. 29 Cat Day
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Domesticated Cats Resource Page
 
Oct. 30 Candy Corn Day
National Confectioners Association: Candy Corn History, How is Candy Corn Made, Fun Facts
 
Oct. 31 All Hollows Eve/Halloween
Funschooling & Recreational Learning: Halloween & Pumpkins

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Fall Activities

The following activities can be found on FranW.com for the fall season. You will find posts for many fall related activities, holidays, events, and foods that can be found on this blog.
Fall


Fall Holidays & Events


Fall leaves

Fall & Leaf Activities


Autumn/Fall


Fall Equinox

Fall Holidays and Events


Leaf Identification Activities

Leaf Prints & Stencils

Colorful Leaf Rubbings

Leaf People & Creatures

Experiment: Chromatograph of Leaves


Leaf Hunting Activities

Halloween Related Activities
 

Halloween Activities

Halloween Resources

Scavenger Hunt

Trick or Treating

Jack ‘O Lantern

Trick or Treat Bag

Create Spooky Sound Story

Grave Stones

Masquerade Masks

Haunted House

Pumpkin Luminary

Ghosts:
Ghost Pops 

Paper Bag Ghost 

Ghost in the Graveyard Game

Balloon Ghost 

Recycled Ghost

Super Easy Ghost

Animals

Bats

Bat Resource Page

Black cats

Frog Research Project

Lizard Resource Page

Owls

Spiders

Wild Turkeys

Wolf Resources

Thanksgiving Related Activities

Thanksgiving

Balloon twist turkey

An Introduction to the Three Sisters

Three Sisters: Corn

Three Sisters: Beans

Three Sisters: Pumpkin

A Brand New World

Fall Cut-Outs

Harvest/Thanksgiving Lantern

Turkey Game and Activities

History of Thanksgiving

The Mayflower

Cornucopias

Seasonal & Fun Foods


Apple Resources

Apple Research Project

Sweet Potatoes

Cabbage

Peanuts

Oranges

Corn

Beans

Bean Resources

Three Sisters: Pumpkin

Peas

Corn Dogs

Popcorn Project

Marshmallows

Chocolate

Halloween Themed Pizza

Trick or Treating – Soul Cakes

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