For this recipe you’ll need:

• Vanilla and chocolate cupcakes
• Chocolate and vanilla frosting
• Vanilla wafer cookies
• Assorted candies for ears and bows
• Food coloring
• A pint sized glass
• A knife
• A spoon
• Spatula
• Scissors
• Gallon and sandwich sized bag

Eep the Mouse cupcake:

Add one teaspoon of blue food coloring to store-bought vanilla frosting and whisk, or add to homemade butter cream frosting.

Make a piping bag. Put one corner of a gallon sized plastic bag down in the bottom of your cup and fold the bag open over the edges. Scoop in your blue frosting until the bag is full. Lift your bag out, squeeze out the air and zip the bag shut.

Squeeze the frosting down to the bottom corner of the bag, and then snip off the end.

Starting from the edge of the cupcake, frost gently in a spiral motion until you reach the cupcake’s center.

To make the face, prepare two piping bags: one with black frosting, and one with white.

Using black frosting, draw little eyebrows, eyes, a nose and a mouth on your vanilla wafer cookie. Use white frosting to add a little sparkle to his eye.

Place your cookie in the center of your cupcake.

To make the ears, cut a chocolate circle in half and place them.

Trace over the chocolate with blue frosting, and finish with two blue candies.

Mother Goose Club’s Teddy Bear cupcake:

Use a chocolate cupcake.

Make a piping bag with chocolate frosting, frost starting at the edge and work your way to the center.

Place the cookie face and chocolate circle ears. Trace over the ears with chocolate frosting.

For Teddy’s special bow, add two blue candy-covered chocolates.

Baa Baa Sheep cupcake:

Use a vanilla cupcake. Add eight drops of red, and two drops of blue to vanilla frosting to get the right color. Make a piping bag.

Make a series of dots with pink frosting around the edge of the cupcake.

Using your spoon, smear each dot towards the center of the cupcake.

Make a second circle of dots, just like the first in the center.

Add the cookie face and two purple chocolate-covered candies for ears.

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If your child is learning her ABC’s, making the alphabet out of Play-Doh or modeling clay is a fun hands-on activity to help them practice!
For this activity you’ll need:

• Play-Doh
• Tools (for rolling, cutting, etc.)
• A smooth surface

Objects from around the house can make interesting textures or shapes. Get creative!

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Being a parent, you may notice that your children often are not simply watching videos of their favorite songs and rhymes. They love to sing along, sometimes even dance to the words and the music. Today’s crafting idea builds creativity, enhances future singalongs, and may even help develop hand eye coordination. To top it all off, you will be recycling items that were likely headed.

Materials:

Most of the materials can be found around your home. You can substitute the beans and glitter with any similar items as long as they make noise while looking pretty.

● Empty 8 oz. water bottle, with cap (make sure it’s dry)
● Toilet paper tube, or paper towel tube cut in half
● Scissors
● Electrical tape (best with multiple colors)
● Funnel (if you can’t find one, you can make a funnel by rolling up a piece of paper)
● Dry beans
● Glitter

Step 1 – Fill bottle

Place the funnel over the empty bottle, then fill it about ⅓ of the way with beans and glitter (or your fillings of choice).

Step 2 – Put on lid

Place the cap on the filled bottle, making sure that it is on securely.

Step 3 – Cut the tube

Use the scissors to cut in a straight line down the side of the tube.

Step 4 – Wrap tube

Take the tube that was cut and wrap it around the mouth of the water bottle. Hold the tube tightly and use the electrical tape to secure the tube along the length of the cut.

Step 5 – Tape tube to bottle

Use the tape to fasten the bottom of the tube to the plastic of the bottle. Make sure to go completely around the tube. Use two or three layers of tape and make sure that the tube is not loose afterwards.

Step 6 – Decorate

Use different colors of tape to really make your shaker stand out. Combine your favorite colors, and try using the scissors to cut out small shapes from the tape that you can place on the handle or bottle.

Share With Us!
Try this craft with your kids at home! Show us pictures or short video clips of your family shaking along with your favorite Mother Goose Club songs by posting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Cardboard boxes can be extremely helpful in the development of a child’s creativity. The versatility alone of a large object children can sit inside or hide inside of lead to endless possibilities for playing together with others. Motor skills can also be developed by decorating the box or cutting openings into the sides. Here are some great crafting ideas that are easy to make and will provide hours of fun for your little ones.

Materials:

You can often find suitable cardboard boxes around your home, but if you don’t have any there are some other places you can obtain some for free. Try searching on Craigslist or ask your local shop owner if they have any spare cardboard boxes. Convenience stores, beverage stores and coffee shops are great places to ask for boxes.

• Large cardboard box (ideally at least 30 inches wide, large enough for a child to crawl into)
• Small cardboard boxes, useful for building a house or making a robot
• School glue
• Crayons
• Scissors

Idea 1 – Cardboard car

The box used for a car shouldn’t be much larger than 30 inches by 30 inches, as it will be harder to push around. Simply tape up the bottom of the box to prevent the flaps from catching, provide a frisbee or a paper plate as a steering wheel for the driver, and you are ready to go! As a fun side activity, use crayons to draw headlights on the front and some tires on the sides.

Idea 2 – Cardboard house

For a cardboard house, a larger box might work better if you have more than one child. Place the box on its side so that the open flaps on top swing outward like doors. Use scissors to cut windows onto one of the ‘doors’ as well as the sides. Smaller boxes can be placed inside the large box to be used as a table. Having an open flap on the opposite side of the box as a backdoor can also add to the fun. This is also a great way to tell stories involving a house such as The Three Little Pigs.

Idea 3 – The boat

Similar to the cardboard car, a boat ride can stimulate a child’s sense of discovery. Being on the open seas your kids will encounter rolling waves, secret messages in bottles, and may even run into a whale or a dolphin. Incorporate stuffed animals or bath toys to make the journey even more fun. Simply provide a steering wheel for the captain, cut portholes into the sides, and decorate your cardboard vessel with a name.

Idea 4 – The robot

The cardboard robot will require a box that is large enough to fit on a child but small enough that isn’t burdensome. Simply cut  a large enough hole on the bottom of the box for the head and holes on the sides of the box for the arms. Use crayons to draw colorful lights and wires on the chest. If you have a smaller box for a helmet, cut two small hoes to see out of and your robot suit is ready to go! 

Share With Us!

Let us know how your cardboard box creations turned out! Show us how much fun your children had with their imaginations by posting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

This Valentine’s Day, try this fun-filled craft with your children. Create your very own holiday heart with your favorite colors and may even include a special message to the recipient. These simple creations are great for giving to classmates, teachers, and family members. 

Materials:

You might find most of these items already in your home, but you should be able to find the rest at a craft store. Either cardboard toilet paper tubes or paper towel tubes cut in pieces can be used for making the heart prints.

• Construction paper (varying colors)
• Paper plates (substitute anything else that can hold small amounts of paint)
• Cardboard toilet paper tubes
• Paint (varying colors)
• Pencil
• Scissors

Step 1 – Fold paper

Fold a sheet of construction paper with the longer side facing you. Make sure the corners are matched up so that the halves are equal.

Step 2 – Draw heart

Starting from the side where the fold is, draw half of a heart shape. Use a pencil in case you need to erase and redraw the shape.

Step 3 – Cut out the heart shape

Use the scissors to cut out the heart shape, then unfold your paper and lay it flat on the table.

Similar to the cardboard car, a boat ride can stimulate a child’s sense of discovery. Being on the open seas your kids will encounter rolling waves, secret messages in bottles, and may even run into a whale or a dolphin. Incorporate stuffed animals or bath toys to make the journey even more fun. Simply provide a steering wheel for the captain, cut portholes into the sides, and decorate your cardboard vessel with a name.

Step 4 – Make stamp

Press the cardboard tube flat, then make a fold on one side of it so that when looking through the tube you see a heart shape. Dip each end in a different color paint and make your prints on the heart made of construction paper. Take another tube and simple press it flat, then dip it in paint and use it to make the petals of a flower.

Share With Us!

Let your child experiment by trying different shapes with their tubes. Show us your unique Valentine’s Day hearts by posting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

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Play dough has a special place in the hearts of kids of all ages. Did you know that play dough is not only tons of fun, but it also encourages creativity, helps hand-eye coordination, and develops fine motor skills. Play dough is also great for building social interaction skills with other children. Using the food coloring of your child’s choosing will provide them with hours of fun with their friends!

Materials:

You may need to find a nearby craft store for the watercolor kit and a small paintbrush. You’ll want to have a good variety of crayon colors around but will need a white one for the outlined letters. Watercolor paper is ideal, but regular paper will also work.

● Small sauce pan
● Wooden spoon
● Measuring cups and spoons
● Dinner plate
● Flour
● Water
● Salt
● Vegetable oil
● Cream of tartar
● Food coloring
● Glitter (optional)

Step 1 – Mix
Combine the following into the saucepan:

1 cup of flour
1 cup of water
¼ cup of salt
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of cream tartar
5-10 drops of food coloring

Stir everything together with the wooden spoon until the lumps are gone.

Step 2 – Heat

The adult should take over at this point while the kids watch from a safe distance. Place the smooth mixture on the stove over medium heat. Continue stirring until it forms into one large, lumpy mass.

Step 3 – Be cool

Turn off the stove and place dough onto a plate. Let it cool for a few minutes.

Step 4 – Knead

Once cool, press and knead the dough until it is well mixed. Children can join you in this step. If you have any glitter, you can now mix some into the dough while you are kneading. You are now ready to play!

Share With Us!

What kind of colorful, glittery, play dough did your family come up with? Share your masterpiece with the world by posting images on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Getting kids to wash their hands regularly can be a challenge. With the recent spread of Covid-19, it is especially important to reinforce washing as more schools reopen and play activities return to normal. Making your own soap at home can motivate your child to wash more often, and you can even have them assist by choosing their favorite colors. It might also be helpful to sing a hand washing song while they use the soaps you have made. Click here to sing along! 

Materials:

Most of the supplies needed can be found at either your local grocery store or nearest craft store. Make sure to only use a silicone soap mold as you will be pouring hot soap base into it and plastic molds may melt.

• 1 lb of soap base
• Microwave safe measuring cup
• Silicone soap mold (small enough for kids)
• Lemon essential oil
• Food coloring
• Wooden stirring stick

Safety gear:

Oven mitt, apron, safety glasses

Step 1. Start by cutting the soap base into small 1 inch cubes and place 5 of them into the microwave safe measuring cup. Heat in microwave for 20-30 seconds until melted.

Step 2. Be careful when removing cup with soap base from microwave as it may be hot, add in 4-5 drops of essential oil and 3-4 drops of any food coloring. Stir well and pour into mold.

Step 3. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with any other color of choice.

Step 4. Let soap cool at room temperature for about 2 hours until firm.

I hope you and your child will enjoy making and using these soaps as much as we did!

Your child may not have been able to have as much crafting time as they would have liked this year, but we have the perfect solution! This craft can be made with many of the items found around the house, and will also help set the festive mood of thanksgiving we are all used to at this time of year. This is a great activity for making together with your child, so let’s gather all the ingredients and cook up a whole lot of fun!

Materials:

You should be able to find most ingredients around the home, but if you are missing seeds or beans, you can always substitute something else for the tail feathers. You may have to visit a craft store for the popsicle sticks and googly eyes.

• An empty egg carton
• Elmer’s glue, or any school glue
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Two googly eyes
• One piece of orange pipe cleaner
• Sunflower seeds
• White beans (dry)
• Red beans (dry)
• Corn kernels
• Pumpkin seeds
• Popsicle sticks (you can substitute with strips of cardboard)
• Round piece of scrap wood (you can substitute with a thick, round piece of cardboard)
• Glue gun (if not available, use the school glue but allow 30 minutes to dry)

Approximate crafting time: 45-60 minutes (including drying time)

Step 1 – Draw

Use the pencil to draw five leaf shapes on the bottom of the egg carton. If you don’t have a piece of wood for the turkey’s face, you can also use the rest of the egg carton bottom to cut out a circle for the face.

Step 2 – Cut leaves

Carefully cut out each of the five leaf shapes from the bottom of the egg carton.

Step 3 – Cut turkey body and glue

Use the scissors to cut out two halves of the molded side of the egg carton. Try to cut them so that there is a uniform height all around the top openings of the halves. Put some glue around the edges of the wide openings at the top, then fold together so that they form a shell with the flat sides on both top and bottom. Put aside and let dry.

Step 4 – Glue turkey feathers

On each leaf, put some glue on just one side and then put just one kind of food item on each of the leaves. You should end up with five leaves with something different on each one. Be careful not to put too many seeds or beans on the leaf as the feather may not stay upright if it is too heavy. Glue a popsicle stick to the back of each turkey feather.

Step 5 – Put it all together

Glue the piece of wood to the egg carton body and let dry. Then glue each of the five tail feathers to the back of the body. Glue each of the googly eyes onto the wood piece. Fold a 3” piece of pipe cleaner in half, then glue to face to make the turkey’s mouth.

Share With Us!

Get creative! We can’t wait to see how your turkey turned out, did you use anything different to decorate your turkey tail feathers? Show everyone your best turkey creation by posting them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub. Gobble gobble!

This year’s Halloween presents all of us with some unique challenges. You may be conflicted, wondering if it’s safe to answer the door when all those costumed trick or treaters come knocking.

When in doubt, the obvious answer is always crafting! This Haunted House is simple to make, and can be taped to your front door or even a cardboard box in your front yard. It will hold between 10 – 15 self-serve treats and helps you to social distance while distributing them to your visitors.

Most materials can be found around the house or at a local store. If you are not able to find clothespins, you can use large paper clips as substitutes.

Materials:

• Colored paper (black, white, orange, 2 sheets of purple, gray)
• Large piece of cardboard (approximately 20” x 20”)
• Scissors
• Gluestick
• Tape
• Yarn
• Clothespins
• Black Sharpie

Approximate crafting time: 30 minutes

Step 1 – Cut

Cut the purple paper in half and form the roof of the haunted house according to the picture.

Cut out ghost shapes from the white paper, use sharpie to draw faces.

Cut out the windows from the black paper.

Cut the gray paper into strips to form the panes for the windows.

Cut out window shutters and frames from the orange paper.

Step 2 – Glue

Glue the purple roof on top of the cardboard house. Next, glue the window pieces in this order: black window, ghost figure, gray strips, orange shutters. Use leftover pieces of purple to make the door and cover the tops of some windows. Don’t worry if some pieces are not completely straight, it is a spooky old haunted house after all.

Step 3 – Tape Yarn

Securely tape the ends of the yarn to the back of the cardboard. Repeat with another piece of yarn but no more than 3 total, make sure there is at least 4 inches of space between each. Clip about 4 clothespins to each piece of yarn.

Now you are ready to hang your treat dispenser on your front door, a table, or a stand alone cardboard box! Be sure to have items that will clip easily to the clothespins such as bags of M&Ms or small candy bars. I would also recommend adding a small sign that says “Please take one” and check on it frequently so that it be refilled. You can decorate your own haunted house treat dispenser anyway you like, but be sure to share it with us!

Post your own haunted house on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Have a safe and treat-filled Halloween!

Whether you are toning down your Halloween activities or skipping the tricking and the treating altogether this year, chances are we all will have more time on our hands. Why not spend that time crafting with your loved ones to create a spookier atmosphere both inside and outside your home? With just a few simple items, you can enhance the scare factor of your home instantly!

Materials:

Everything you need should be easy to find at a nearby grocery store or craft store. If you can find larger sheets of black construction paper, try making larger bats.

• Black construction paper 8.5” x 11”
• Scissors
• White colored pencil
• Tape
• String

Step 1 – Fold and Draw:

Fold your construction along the longer side so that you end with two 8.5” x 5.5” folded halves. Then draw an outline of a bat on the folded half with the white colored pencil. Pay special attention to the ears and the shape of the wing. You should be able to outline two bat halves on each sheet.

Step 2 – Cut

Carefully cut along the outline with your scissors and unfold the bat shape. Feel free to experiment with different sizes of bats.

Step 3 – Tape and Decorate!

Tape the bats to your wall or door, if there are white lines visible you can flip the bat over and tape the other side. If you have some extra string lying around, you can also hang some bats from the ceiling.

Share With Us!

We would love to see how your bat decorations turned out! Share some photos after you are finished on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Happy Halloween!

Teaching your children literacy can be a lot simpler (and much more fun) than it sounds. Sometimes, all it takes to get through to your kids is a creative, entertaining way to do it, and this Alphabet Bean Craft/Game is a perfect example. This activity is great for helping kids visualize the letters of the alphabet and interact with them in a hands-on way. Here’s how it works!

Materials:

You don’t need too much for this craft. Everything you need can be found in your own home, or in your local supermarket. The materials are…

• Dry butter beans
• Muffin liners
• Small alphabet stickers (small enough to fit on a bean)
• Muffin tray (optional)

(Note: If you don’t want to use stickers, or if you don’t have any available, you can use a sharpie marker instead)

Step 1 – The Muffin Liners

After you’ve assembled all your materials for this activity, the first step is to take your muffin liners and let your kids stick one letter of the alphabet at the bottom of each one. Do this 26 times until you have at least one muffin liner for every letter.

Step 2 – The Butter Beans

Next, take the rest of your stickers and put a letter on each bean until you have one bean for each letter of the alphabet as shown in the picture above.

Step 3 – Have Fun!

Now, let the games begin! Let your kids match each lettered bean with the accompanying muffin liner to get them familiar with their ABC’s. When they’re done with that, there are a host of other activities they can do with these beans and muffin liners as well. For example, you can call out a word and let your kids find the right beans to spell it out. Or, you can put several different letters in a muffin liner and challenge them to come up with as many different words as they can using only those letters.

Using nothing but beans, muffin liners and stickers, you can come up with dozens of different ways to teach your kids about letters, spelling, words, and phonetics—all of which are skills they’ll need their entire lives. What Alphabet Bean ideas can you come up with? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using #mothergooseclub.

Our children are going to need to use letters for their entire lives, so what better way to get them familiar with letters than by making them into toys? This alphabet craft can be completed in just thirty minutes, and can be used to teach letters, spelling, and phonetics for years. Here’s what to do:

Materials

This craft requires very few materials. You may have everything you need in your house already, but if you don’t, they can be easily be found in most general stores. All you need is:

• Playdough
• Glue
• Bottle caps (at least 36)
• Magnets (optional)

Step One

Once you’ve gathered all the materials, start by shaping the Playdough into the different letters of the alphabet. Make sure each letter is small enough to fit within the circumference of the bottle caps. Your kids can do this on their own, but you can give them a hand if they need it.

Step Two

Next, glue each Playdough letter onto the flat side of each bottle cap. Make sure you don’t use too much glue to keep the mess to a minimum. You don’t have to, but if you have some magnets, you can glue them to the other side of the bottle caps. That way you can stick them to the fridge!

Finally, have fun! Encourage your kids to make as many different words as they can with their bottle cap letters. Or, say a word and let your kids try and spell it out. What other fun and educational activities can you think of with these letters? Share your ideas with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using #mothergooseclub.