We can learn a family while having fun. This is the philosophy in our kids club smilecatch. Activities to be able to develop with your children in the family.

2. Food comes in all kinds of neat shapes, sizes and colors. That
makes it perfect to create art projects! One of the easiest and
most fun art projects you can do is to make a collage with food.
Warn younger kids to not eat the food used in this
project. It will get dirty and covered with glue and some of it is a
choking hazard when it’s not cooked.
Gather your materials. Clear off a counter or a flat space that’s
easy to wipe clean once the project is done.
You might have to leave the artwork to dry for a bit once it’s done,
so don’t, for example, create your artwork on the dining room
table right before you’re going to eat a meal.

3. • Kosher salt: a great substitute for glitter. Coarse sugar or other
coarsely ground salts work equally well. Fancier salts come in a
variety of colors like pink, red, black, brown, and gray, which
make them nice for art projects. You can also dye your “glitter”
with a few drops of food coloring.
• Pasta in different shapes: noodles with flatter sides are easier
to glue onto the paper.
• Dried legumes: they come in neat shapes and colors, too. Try
red lentils, green split peas, white navy beans, black beans,
speckled pinto beans and more.
• Bowls: You can use a separate bowl for each food item or mix
several types of the same food together – whatever makes you
happiest.
• Construction paper: heavy paper will hold the weight of the
pasta best. You can also use card stock or poster board. Keep
in mind that if you use a large canvas, you’ll need a bigger
space to display it. (You know your kids will want to hang their
artwork for everyone to see!)
• Markers: crayons or colored pencils work just fine, but I prefer
markers because of the vibrant colors.
• Glue: glue sticks are convenient, but liquid glue is stronger. If
your kids have the patience to wait for liquid glue to dry we
recommend using that.
We have listed some foods below, but feel free to use your imagination as to what foods could work for your collage. Just make sure they’re
dry foods. Foods with a lot of moisture can cause the paper to rip. They may also make your artwork smell funny and eventually rot.

4. 1. Give your kids a theme…
– make a picture of our familya
– create your ideal vacation land
– …
2. To make the collages
– Draw a picture on the paper and give it color, texture
and shape by gluing on food.
3. Let the glue dry
– If you forget this step, the food will slip off of the
paper.
4. Have an art show
– Hang your artwork. Admire your wonderful creations.
You can even invite friends or family members to
come view your masterpieces – and maybe make
some food art of their own!

5. • It will give them something fun to do. They are a great
way for you to get more involved with your kids and learn
about their interests.
• Treasure hunts are fun, interactive and creative and you
can tailor them for kids of various ages.
• You can have a treasure hunt right at home, in your yard
or just about anywhere. And the different themes and
styles to choose from are endless.
• Treasure hunts are inexpensive. You don’t have to buy
anything at all for a treasure hunt—all you really need are
some slips of paper and something to search for.
• If you want to make things a little more fun or play with
the theme you choose, you can buy your treasures.
• You can also use old Halloween costumes and other items
from around the house for themed treasure hunts.
.

6. • Some prizes for your “treasure”
• Computer and printer or paper and pencil
• Costumes (optional for a themed treasure hunt)
• Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
• Activity time: 15-30 minutes (longer if you add more clues)
• Location: your backyard, house, apartment or local
park/playground
It is optional. You don’t need one to do a treasure hunt, but it does add
a role-playing element that makes the activity a bit more fun.
Use the interests of your kids to help choose your theme. Some good
ideas are:
• Archeology/Indiana Jones
• African/jungle
• Carnival
• If you have a large group, plan your treasure hunt outdoors
where there’s plenty of space for them to run between
locations and stand around reading the clue.
• Help younger kids read the clues out loud.
• Go along to cheer and encourage them and to help if they
get stuck.
• Encourage kids to work together and help their
teammates so everyone will have fun.
• If they need help with a clue, give them small hints until
they figure it out. You can also play “Hot and cold” if your
kids are struggling to find a clue.
• Resist the urge to point to the clues, solve the riddles or tell
the children where to go.
• Let them the challenge of figuring it out themselves.

7. They will guide your players from one spot to the next, building anticipation for the big treasure they’ll find at the end.
Use them based on the ages and abilities of the children who will be playing.
Use more difficult clues for older kids and simple for for younger children.
If you have very young children, you can use picture clues instead of written clues.
Want to sneak something educational into their fun? Ask the kids to say the clues out loud to help develop their reading skills.
Go somewhere private and prepare a surprise treasure for your players to find at the end of their quest: chocolate, toys, books,…
You can use any type of box or chest that you already have. You can also use plastic bins and decorate them for your theme. You could even use
a cardboard box and construction paper to decorate. If you design your own box, I suggest that you let the kids help decorate it but then fill the
box when they are not looking so the treasure will be a surprise.
Alternatively, you can skip the box idea altogether and use goody bags for individual “treasures.”

8. Once the treasure is ready, it’s time to place your clues, but make sure the kids can’t see.
If your kids are in school, place the clues just before they get home for an after-school hunt.
For younger kids, you can place all of your clues without any prying eyes sneaking a peek (you know how curious kids can be).
Always keep the age of the kids in mind when placing your clues. Some of the locations more challenging so the hunt takes longer, but not so
hard they cannot figure it out on their own.
You should also try to plant clues far apart and in places that are not too similarto ensure they don’t accidentally find the wrong clue.
When the clues are in place, it’s time to gather the children, get them in their costumes
(if necessary) and explain the rules and boundaries.
Treasure hunts work best with five or fewer kids.
Have fun!