Entice Kids With Exciting Summertime Activities (NAPSA)—Along with the delights of longer days and school breaks, kids will soon be looking for ideas to keep them busy this summer. Makeit easy and spark their imagination with odds and ends from around the house. That bag of noodles in the kitchen cupboard or the sachet of flower seeds in the shed are good starters. Also, you can help them cook up a yummytreat the whole family can enjoy. Use these simple ideas to get started. Out with the Boredom and in with the Fun * Got a green thumb? Designate an area of the garden for kids to plant and raise their own flowers, berries or vegetables. Give the little ones a summer journal for drawing or writing. They'll enjoy looking at it years from now. For great childhood keepsakes, let them become photographers using disposable cameras. Help them design their own photo albums with the developed pictures. Away from the TV and into the Kitchen Using glue, let kids stick uncooked beans, dried noodles and lentils to construction paper, creating colorful mosaic designs. Let their little fingers get sticky making cookie pops. Before putting rolled balls of cookie dough in the oven, help the kids push woodencraft sticks into each cookie, then bake as usual. Have a “Jr. Chef” night. Start by creating a paper chef hatto fit your child’s head. Then help them plan the menu and prepare a meal from start to finish. Don’t forget dessert! Whether you’re eating indoors or outside around the campfire, this recipe for S’mores That Photo courtesy Nestl USA Crunch! from Nestl USA is fun and easy to make with kids, and is a wonderful sweet treat the whole family can enjoy. For more information about these and other playful ideas, including educational activities for indoors and VeryBestKids.com. out, visit S’mores That Crunch! Makes 4 servings 4 large marshmallows 8 graham cracker squares 2 Nestl Crunch candy bars (1.55 oz. each), broken into halves For Outdoor S’mores: Thread marshmallows onto skewers. Toast over flame, turningfrequently, until golden. Place one marshmallow on each of 4 graham cracker squares. Top each marshmallow with 1 Crunch square and remaining graham cracker square. For Indoor S’mores: Place 4 graham cracker squares on microwave-safe plate. Top each square with 1 marshmallow. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 10 to 15 secondsor until marshmallows expand. Top each marshmallow with 1 Crunch square and remaining graham cracker square.
