by Nicholas Walker, Brand Ambassador for kathy ireland Designs – Jardin

In the depths of winter the garden is a sleepy place and for kids who are wide awake and full of energy this can be a challenge; yet, there is always a way to bring the outdoors indoors and get little hands working.  Working with seeds is always a thrill for children, the idea that something so tiny can grow into something big is a revelation. But instead of growing something in the earth why not let their imaginations grow and use the seeds to make art instead.  It is an easy, fun and inspiring way for little gardeners to get busy, using both their minds and their hands; the tactile element is always a big plus with kids.

So here’s how to grow some art:

1.  Gather some seeds.  The fun part is selecting many different shapes and sizes of seeds,  even bird seed or sesame seeds are a great choice for your art project.

2.  Use sturdy construction paper, bright color always makes a wonderful background and the thicker the paper the better.

3.  Take a glue stick or any craft glue and use them like a crayon, making shapes and designs on the paper for your seed art.

4.  Sprinkle the seeds on top of the glue and shake off the excess and hey presto you have a  an outdoor work of art that is an indoor success. When the glue has thoroughly dried you could paint over the seeds for a more colorful effect, or sprinkle glitter over it to add some sparkle to the project.

5.  Another good way make art from seeds is to take each different seed and glue or tape it to the paper and then get your little Picasso to draw the plant or flower that the seed would become if it took root and grew.  Your little gardeners’ will love growing their very  own garden on paper.

Plant a seed in kid’s imaginations and grow some art and some big fun in the great indoors.         

Get the Inside Scoop on Miniature Gardens

It is December and in the Northern hemisphere most gardens are sleeping but a child’s dream of being outside is still very much awake.  So how can you make tiny gardeners dreams come true? Simple, bring the outdoors indoors.  Keeping little hands busy and keeping their minds active is easy when you put them to work on their own indoor garden projects.

1.  Making a miniature garden that kids can tend is as simple as purchasing a few small pots of indoor plants and flowers and clustering them together in one area, African violets, cyclamen, hibiscus and orchids are great choices and have color and yummy aromas which kids love.   Choose a container and fill it with succulents, add pebbles and rocks for a southwestern feel that will definitely bring some sunshine into a winter home. Avoid prickly cacti or little hands could get hurt when looking after their garden, stick to aloe plants  and smooth leafed desert cacti;  the great news about succulents is that they are hardy, low maintenance and look interesting, a triple whammy of miniature cool.

2.  Growing a garden from a seed is always a winner with kids and can be a magical experience; it opens up a wonderful opportunity to teach kids all about where food comes from and the importance of looking after our planet. Make a sign with their name on their mini vegetable patch and you could put a miniature scarecrow on it to add to the fun.  As the plants grow, so will the joy that kids get from tending to their indoor plot. An indoor herb garden is a great idea as well and all you need is a window ledge and some light and you are in the miniature gardening business, which means big fun for kids.

3.   Fast growing plants are a fun choice for kids as they love to watch things unfold before their eyes, so plant some fern and ivy and see some big happenings in their mini indoor plot.

4.  Growing a mini tropical garden is as easy as picking a coconut. Plant some miniature bamboo, miniature palm trees and aromatic orchids to make a tropical jungle garden; add some toy monkeys and parrots to make your jungle come to life.  What better way to cheer up a cold, winter day for a kid than visiting their own tropical paradise.

Miniature gardens mean giant fun for kids and winter will seem a little warmer as you watch joy grow.

Even now Halloween is still one of my favorite holidays; I guess I’m just a kid at heart. Although I’m no longer the kid that could sit down and eat half  my Halloween booty in one night, I’m  still known to raid my kids bag to find my childhood favorites. But now-a-days I go for the healthier treats to eat and to give out.

In this day in age where our first concerns are about safety and childhood obesity, I like to offer options of treats that are more along the lines of low-calorie and low-fat. Besides the fact that many of these treats kids love, they also make great snacks for their lunch boxes.

Treats to Give

Here are some ideas of health conscience treats to get you started:

• Cheese and cracker packages (look for low-sodium)
• Sugar-free gum
• Juice box packages (100%)
• Small packages of nuts or raisins
• Package of instant cocoa mix
• Peanuts in the shell
• Snack size microwave popcorn (low-sodium)
• Goldfish crackers snack packages
• Cereal bars
• Pretzel packages

You could also consider giving some non-food treats, such as stickers, crayons, pencils, colored chalk, erasers, small games, baseball cards, ponytail holders, rubber insects or worms. A few times when I ran out of treats I even gave out money (change) but with today’s economy a little won’t go a long way and you might need that money for gas.

Trick-or-Treating

To help fight the temptation of  digging into their goodie bag before they get home, you want to make sure children eat a meal or snack before going  trick-or-treating.

When children return home, check the treats and keep only treats which are unopened.

Be sure to inspect fruits and homemade goods for anything suspicious. (Unfortunately, I usually throw these treats away unless I know who they came from)

It’s better to eat trick-or-treat candy over several weeks as a substitute for dessert or a few pieces along with a healthy snack.

Halloween Party

If you’ve opted for a Halloween party instead of, or before trick-or-treating this can be a lot of fun. Reduce safety concerns and be nutritious as well.

I know for any event with kids Pizza is always a favorite, it’s easy, it serves many and the kids love it. For Halloween why not put a spin on it and let the kids help make their own. Mini Pizzas; Let kids arrange sliced olives, green peppers, red peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, and other things on English muffins or bagels brushed with tomato sauce. Top with grated cheese and heat in the microwave or oven until the cheese melts. They can even make pizza faces and use the cheese for hair.

Treats for your party could include colored popcorn, apples with peanut butter, frozen grapes, carrot and celery sticks with fun dips with names like witches brew and goblins goo, spider crackers; two Ritz crackers, with peanut butter, small pretzel sticks as spider legs, and two raisins with a little peanut butter to stick to the cracker as eyes, banana or apple chips, string cheese, low-fat or non-fat ice cream with chocolate syrup and scary worms on top.

The key to a healthy Halloween Party or any kids’ party is to watch portion sizes and adjusting the focus from foods to activities.

Have fun and don’t forget the scary music!