Day: September 6, 2016

Yogurt-Cup Cake

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This hands-on recipe for kids doesn’t just contain the yogurt of your choice (we used coconut milk from So Delicious); the yogurt container itself becomes a foolproof measuring cup!

First, let your child spoon 1 (5.3-ounce) container of plain non-dairy yogurt into a large mixing bowl.  Clean out the yogurt cup and dry completely.

Next, your child can add the following: 2 “yogurt cups” of all-purpose flour, 1 “yogurt cup” of canola oil, and 1 and 1/2 “yogurt cups” of sugar. This recipe is very forgiving, so your child’s measurements don’t need to be precise, just ballpark.

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Travis was extremely proud to be in charge of the yogurt cup, and continued to play with it even after the baking was done!

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If baking with a toddler, adults can add the following ingredients: 2 vegan eggs (prepared from Ener-G egg replacer or flaxseed), 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Preschoolers will be able to help with these smaller ingredients, too! Now let your child mix it all together.

Pour the batter into a greased 10-inch round cake pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes – the top of the cake should be golden and a pick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Let cool before serving.

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Yarn Sculpture and Squiggles

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Yarn is a great 3-D medium for toddlers’ art, lending itself to a variety of projects. To wit, Travis and I had fun with these two activities on a recent morning.

To make a yarn sculpture, give your child a shallow dish of glue and pieces of brightly colored yarn. Drag the yarn through the glue and arrange any which way on waxed paper. Travis wanted to use a paintbrush to apply some of the glue as well, and was very excited when his “sculpture” momentarily adhered to the brush.

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Let the glue dry completely before removing the yarn from the waxed paper. The resulting creation could make a great mobile or decoration in your child’s room!

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Less permanent but equally fun is setting up a yarn “easel”. Glue sandpaper to a sturdy piece of construction paper and let dry, then give your child short pieces of string to arrange as artwork on the surface – the sandpaper will grip the yarn to help it stay in place.

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It took a few demonstrations before Travis got excited about the idea, but then he returned to his sandpaper “easel” a few times throughout the afternoon.

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His favorite was telling me that he’d made an ant!

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What other yarn projects have you and your child made? Please share in the comments!