Hooray! Hooray! Spring has sprung,

Let’s all celebrate, Summer is next to come!

This is one of my favourite times of the year.  Everybody is starting to come outside and breathe in the fresh spring air.  Thinking about the upcoming warm and sunny days brings with it feelings of optimism and delight.  As we put away our hats, coats and gloves for next year… we bring out the sunscreen, swimsuits and towels! Going to the park, water play, playing hockey on the driveway, frequenting one of the neighbourhood’s ice cream (or frozen yogurt) parlours, these are some of my family’s favourite activities.

Below you will find a super fun spring-inspired craft that you can make with your kids and their friends.  You will also uncover the recipe for my daughter Sabrina’s “Summer is here� breakfast parfait.

Paper Plate Flower Craft

The directions to make this paper plate flower are easy to follow and the result is a colourful flower representing the joys of both spring and summer.  This creative project comes from one of my favourite arts and crafts websites http://www.enchantedlearning.com

You will need:

A pencil

Colorful construction paper

Scissors (depending on the young artist’s age, an adult’s help may be needed for the cutting steps)

A stapler

Glue

A paper plate

Pipe cleaner (one per flower)

Directions: 

1.       Using your pencil, trace a child’s hand on colorful construction paper, at least 18-20 times.

2.       Cut out the hand tracings.

3.       Staple a circle of handprint tracings (fingers pointing outwards) around the outside of the plate - the fingers are the flower’s petals.

4.       Staple a second circle of handprint tracings (fingers pointing outwards) just inside the first circle.

5.       Staple a third circle of handprint tracings at the center of the plate. 

6.       Cut out a small paper circle from the leftover construction paper (2� in diameter) and glue in the center of the flower.

7.       Take a pipe cleaner and staple to the bottom of the flower – now you have a stem!

“Summer Is Here� breakfast parfait

Along with the beautiful weather comes the bountiful supply of fresh and exotic fruits that are often not available in the colder months.  My daughter Sabrina loves her breakfast and this is the recipe for her favourite summer breakfast.  She loves to mix up a variety of colourful fruits, with a few dollops of yogurt (sometimes more than one flavour) and then she tops it off with the crunchiest cereals she can find.

Ingredients:

1-2 cups fruit - blueberries, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, mango , kiwi, raspberries and blackberries

¼ - ½ cup yoghurt - vanilla, strawberry and/or blueberry.

3-4 Tbsp. cereal - any of your families favourite cereals will do…granola is a favourite of Sabrina’s

1-2 Tbsp. topping - dried apricots (cut in slivers with a pair of scissors), ground cinnamon, raisins and/or dried cranberries.

*Quantities vary, depending upon how hungry you are and which ingredients you favour.

How to make it:

1.       Wash and dry the fruit you will be using. Cut the fruit up into bite-sized pieces.

2.       Place the fruit at the bottom of a bowl and drizzle the yogurt of your choice over the fruit.

3.       Cover the yoghurt with the cereal and toppings you are most partial to.

4.       Grab a spoon and enjoy!

Sabrina enjoys taking her breakfast parfait out onto our deck and eating in the sunlight!

Take the time to head outdoors, breathe in the fresh spring-summer air

and spend some good old-fashioned quality time with your family

Shelley Sefton is a chef, recipe developer & creator of “Yummy in my Tummy� - classes for kids that  offers them the opportunity to  experience exciting adventures in the kitchen – combining education, art,  food and most important of all FUN! Contact: (905) 597-0672 or sdsefton@rogers.com.  

(c) Shelley Sefton 2012

Tags: activities, breakfast parfait recipe, children, craft, family, kids, paper plate flower, Shelley Sefton, Spring, Summer