sister sister… DIY animal bread with the kiddos

jj hands

RDAB 1

I have to say I lucked out in the in-law department. This week my sister-in-law and nieces came into town and we all created some amazing memories. For starters, my sister is a teacher and a mama of 3 (two adults and one 17 year old). That means she is full of wisdom, fun projects and love. Awhile back she told stories of fun activities she did with her three when they were little, most from a book titled, “The Rainy Day Activity Book”.

So imagine my excitement when one day this book arrived in the mail. My sweet sweet sister sent this to me to start my own fun DIY memories with my kiddos. There are tons of activities to do with kids, most of which are completed using all natural ingredients.

The afternoon before their flight we all decided to give it a go and create some “Animal Bread”. It’s really baking bread but allowing your kids to shape the dough into whatever designs they desire before baking. We had a blast. JJ made a dinosaur and Kaila made Minnie Mouse (complete with bow). We also had a cross, initials, olof, hearts and flowers.

The excitement the kids had waiting for their bread to cook was priceless. One thing I have noticed is when you allow your kids to bake with you, they are more excited to finish their food. Win/Win in the mama department. Here is the recipe below and if you have a chance pick up the book for yourself. It has some really cool ways to substitute science for fun with pre-schoolers.

anim book

ingredients

bread

kneading

kneading 2

dino

bread 3

bread in oven

minnie

finsihed bread

Animal Bread

1 tablespoon (1 package) active dry yeast

1/4 cup lukewarm water

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 egg

4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over lukewarm water and let it ferment for 10 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients, except flour and mix well. Gradually add enough flour to make a medium-soft dough. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp towel and set it in a warm place to rise, until doubled in volume, approximately 45 minutes. After the dough has risen, punch it down, knead it briefly and shape as desired. Allow the shapes to rise a second time. Brush on egg wash and bake at 375F. For 20 minutes. 

 

Follow:
Share:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *