Beach in a bottle.

 

 

This is a fun and easy craft to do after a trip to the beach.

Materials:

• 1 small plastic drink bottle with cap (PET bottle)
• sand
• small shells or beads
• funnel
• blue paint or food coloring (optional)

Directions:

1. Use a funnel to put some sand in the bottom of a cleaned out plastic bottle.
2. Fill the the bottle with water.
3. Drop in a few small shells or beads.
4. Put in a few drops of blue food coloring to look like the ocean. (optional)
5. Twist the cap on tightly.
6. Shake and watch the sand settle to the bottom.

 Prep and Maintenance

If you use real beach sand instead of craft sand, you should wash the sand first. There are two ways:

1. Wash all the and beforehand in a big bucket.-hard

2. Put some sand in the bottle. Fill with water about halfway. Secure lid and shake vigorously. Unscrew lid and pour out water. repeat 3 or 4 times.-easy

Don't put too much sand, just enough to cover the bottom. If  you put too much, you won't be able to see the shells when they settle, they'll sink. The beads are a little lighter.

 

 

 

Materials:

• 1 plastic drink bottle with screw on lid
• water
• cooking oil (the clearer the better)
• blue food coloring

Directions:

1. Fill the drink bottle about halfway with water and add a few drops of blue food coloring. Shake well.
2. Fill the rest of the bottle with cooking oil and screw on the lid tightly.

The oil is lighter than the water and the two liquids won't mix. Shake it up and watch them separate. Tip to the side and watch the ocean roll. As simple as this craft is, it never ceases to amaze and entertain. For added effect, you could put a little sand at the bottom of the bottle, too. You don't have to limit yourself to just blue. Make a red lava bottle instead. Have fun!

Picnic food ideas!

With the sun shininh outside and temperatures rising, day home providers enjoy time outdoors and trips to the park for play and picnics.

Check out these ideas for some easy to make and different picnic foods.

(1) Cheese on sticks - Cut up cubes of cheese (marble or cheddar work best) and skewer with a pretzel stick. No cocktail sticks to clear up afterwards and prevents little hands grabbing handfuls of cheese cubes!

(2)Cheese parcels -

• Puff pastry
• Grated cheese
• Fillings: grated carrot, courgette, chopped pepper, sweetcorn, ham etc 

Roll out the puff pastry, cut into squares and place some grated cheese with whatever else you want in the middle (I usually add some grated carrot or courgette to get a bit of veg in them, or a few strips of ham)
Fold up into triangles and press the edges together.
Put into the oven for 15 minutes at Gas 6 (200 C).

(3) Picnic roll ups - 

• Soft tortillas/wraps
• Fillings

Spread peanut butter, jam or honey on one side of a tortilla wrap.
Add mashed up or sliced banana and roll up tightly.
Of course you can include anything in your roll-ups as long as it's gooey enough to hold the roll up together. Here are some more ideas:

• Chocolate spread and banana
• Chocolate spread and strawberries
• Cheese and pickle
• Grated cheese, diced cucumber & mayonnaise
• Ham & coleslaw
• BLT
• Mozzarella, tomato & basil
• Greek salad & Greek yoghurt
• Humous & grated carrot
• Tuna mayonnaise

(4) Fruity kebobs -

1. Thread the strawberries, cantaloupe, banana and apple pieces alternately onto skewers, placing at least 2 pieces of fruit on each skewer. Arrange the fruit skewers decoratively on a serving platter.

Enjoyyour picnics in the sun!