10 FREE ideas + recipes to entertain your kids
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Many of us are stuck at home at the moment and as a parent that means a LOT of entertaining to be done!
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To help you out, I've put together some recipes and some ideas for FREE activities that the kids can enjoy whilst at home.
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I hope this helps!
1. Decorating cookies
āThis is a great store cupboard activity using things you (probably) already have in the kitchen:
First, you need to find the following:
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Cookies (whatever you have at home, I had chocolate havermout cookies)
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Some sweets/ marshmallows/ sprinkles/ chocolates/ hagelslag/ nuts/ seeds, anything yummy you can find to decorate the cookies
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Icing sugar (poeder suiker)
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A cup of warm water
To make a yummy and super simple icing for the biscuits:
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Place about 2 tablespoons of icing sugar (poedersuiker) into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of warm water (it doesn't need to be accurate) then mix the sugar and water together until you have a thick not too runny paste. Add a bit more sugar or water if needed.
If you are feeling fancy, you can use juice from a lemon or an orange instead of water for an extra yummy icing.
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Now take a spoon of icing and spread it across your cookie then decorate with all the sweets and chocolate treats that you have found. If you have lots of will power, leave the cookie for 30 minutes to set. If you are like me, that's never going to happen so eat one now and make another for later.
2.Make a blanket den
You'll need:
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A big blanket / plaid / throw / sheet
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Some cushions
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A table or a sofa
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A lively imagination
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The best way to make a den if (mum + dad allow this), is to push a comfy chair up against the sofa. Now throw a big blanket over the top of both so its nice and cosy inside and fill it with cushions.
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This is your den and no adults are allowed inside unless you say so.
3. Colouring in
You'll need:
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A printer
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Some crayons or felt-tips (stiften)
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A den to sit in... ok you don't, but you could!
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Download this cupcake drawing that I've drawn for you, print it out and get colouring!
Finished your drawing?
Take a photo and send it to me at info@kmcakes.nl
or post it to Facebook / Instagram and tag me @KMcakesEindhoven
4. Bake some forkies
You'll need:
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100g soft butter
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50g caster sugar (fijne kristalsuiker)
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150g self-raising flour (zelfrijzend bakmeel)
1. Wash your hands
2. Pre-heat you oven to 180ºC/Fan 160ºC.
3. Place a piece of parchment paper (bakpapier) on a baking tray.
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4. Place the butter in a bowl and beat to soften. Gradually add the sugar then the flour.
5. Take a small amount of the mixture and roll into 16 balls.
6. Place each ball and place well apart from each other on the baking tray.
7. Dip a fork in water and press the back of the fork into the top of the cookie to flattern it down a little
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8. Bake for 15-20 minutes untill pale golden in colour.
9. Remove from oven and leave to cool on a wire rack
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To make chocolate forkies, substitute 1 tablespoon (15g) flour for cacao.
For Lemon forkies, grate the rind of a lemon into the mixture after the sugar
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5. Indoor pool
You'll need:
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A paddling pool
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Some cushions
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Pump up your garden pool and place it in the middle of the living room, fill it with cushions and toys and let the chaos commence
6. Have a home spa day
You'll need:
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A cucumber
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nail varnish
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A comfy chair
Take it in turns to paint each others nails then cut some slices of cucumber, place over your eyes and relax in a chair. (Mums,it might buy you 5 minutes, worth a try?)
7. Make a cardboard house
You'll need:
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A large cardboard box
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scissors
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glue
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coloured paper
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Printed photos of the family (optional)
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Make a play house from a cardboard box. but don't stop there, get creative:
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cut a letter box in the door
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make some cardboard letters to post
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add some windows
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Use your coloured paper to make picture frames to display photos inside your house
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chop some triangles and decorate the outside of your house with bunting (slingers)
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wrap a nespresso tube in gift wrap for a window ledge
8. Write a letter
You'll need:
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Paper
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A pen
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A stamp (postzegel)
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An envelope
How excited will your friends, grandparents, aunts and uncles be to get a real letter through the post?! and they might even write one back to you!!
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So snuggle up in your den, grab some paper and a pen and tell them all about the cookies you decorated about how you baked some forkies and you could even send them your monster or unicorn colouring sheet to stick on their fridge.
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If you don't have anyone to write to, send it to me! I'd love to put your drawing on my fridge!
Beukenlaan 2, 5581HG, Waalre
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9. Put on a fashion show
You'll need:
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Some of mum's pretty clothes
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Some of mum's great shoes
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Fab accessories to style your outfit: think about hats, belts, bags, jewellery, scarves, earrings.
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Space to walk up and down
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Stage your own fashion show with mum's amazing clothes (and her permisson of course) put on some music and strut your stuff in your spring/summer 2020 couture combo. 'you look amazing darling'
10. Make cheery bunting (slingers)
Let's make the house pretty
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You'll need:
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Coloured paper
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Scissors
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Glue
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String
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Chop lots of different coloured paper into small squares (about 10cm x 10cm)
Fold each square in half so it becomes a triangle.
Glue the triangles along the length of a piece of string
Hang your bunting on the wall to make the house look cheery
11. Go on a 'mini-beast' hunt
While we're all still allowed out, lets make the most of the sunshine.
In the garden or in the woods, lets go on a mini-beast hunt.
What can you find?
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12. Make a pie
Lets make dinner together. Here is a really easy recipe for vegetable pie. (Make a vegan or chicken version if you prefer)
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For the pastry you'll need:
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200g Flour
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100g Butter (or margarine if your are vegan)
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Water
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We start with the pastry. Take the above ammounts and place in a bowl, using your finger tips, gently rub the fat into the flour. It will eventually become like fine bread crumbs. If you have a food processor, it makes this a lot easier, just whizz together untill you get fine crumbs. Then mix in about 3-4 tablespoons of water (45 - 60 ml) one at a time untill the whole comes together into a lump.
Give the lump a little knead to mix together then wrap in a piece of plastic wrap and pop in the fridge while we prepare the rest.
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For the white sauce you'll need:
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500ml milk (can be real or almond/soya etc)
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50g butter (or margarine if your are vegan)
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50g flour
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a stock cube (veg or chicken)
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dessert spoon Dijon mustard for flavour (optional)
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To make the white sauce, place flour and butter in a sauce pan, turn the heat on low and add a little of the milk. use a balloon whisk to mix together whilst the butter is melting. When the butter has melted, slowly add the rest of the milk stirring constantly and the stock cube. Now cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes stirring constantly. As the flour cooks, the sauce will thicken. Taste it, if it tastes of flour, then it needs a bit longer. the flour taste will go when its cooked. Fially stir the mustard through.
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At this point, turn your oven on to 200ºC/Fan 180ºC.
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For the filling you'll need:
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Lots of chopped vegetables: carrot, parsnip, brocolli, courgette, cauliflour, green beans, red pepper: anything you have in the house. Enough to feed about 4 people.
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Can of chick peas.
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Chop the vegetables up small and place them in a frying pan with the chickpeas and cook through. If you are not vegetarian, you can add pieces of cooked chicken instead of chickpeas.
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Now pour the white sauce over teh veg and mix them through, pout your pie mix into a large oven proof dish.
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Sprinkle a little flour on your work top and use a rolling pin (or glass bottle, if you don't have a rolling pin) to roll out the pastry to about 2 mm thick. Lay the pastry over the vegtables and press the sides so they are sealed to the edge of the baking dish. Now take a knife and poke a few holes in teh pastry to let the steam out. Brush the pastry with a little milk and place in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. When the pastry looks golden, serve.
Did you try these activities?
Take a photo and tag me @KMcakesEindhoven on Instagram or Facebook
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I'd love to see your wonderful creations!!
14. Coming soon.....
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