KidFit Online

A dash of inspiration and some simple pantry staples transform plain-old pancake batter into canvases for creative spirits. Warm up the griddle and get inspired with these fun ideas for flapjacks.

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups (300 mL) whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) baking soda
• 1-1/4 cups (300 mL) buttermilk (or 1 cup yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup milk)
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• Vegetable oil for griddle
• Maple syrup or fresh fruit

Cooking Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, stir together the buttermilk (or alternative), oil and egg. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Be careful not to overbeat the batter (it will deflate). Fill a squeeze bottle (like an empty ketchup bottle or similar) with batter.
2. Brush a griddle or large skillet with vegetable oil and place over medium heat. When a drop of water sizzles and evaporates instantly, you are ready to begin creating your pancake masterpieces. See below for ideas.
3. When one side of the pancake is golden brown and bubbles appear on the top side of the pancake, flip over carefully and bake the other side until browned. Serve with syrup or fruit.
4. Creating your pancake masterpieces: Using the squeeze bottle, squirt out circles and squiggles and shapes onto the griddle. Work quickly because they will cook and solidify in seconds. Also, you can create designs by adding batter at different times. For instance, squeeze out your initials onto the pan (backwards, of course), then cover completely with batter (use a spoon for large amounts). The initials will show up darker than the background pancake.

Here are some more ideas for designs:

1. Happy face: Squeeze out two little eyes and a smiling mouth. Let bake for just a few seconds, then cover completely with batter.
2. Teddy bear: One round spot for a nose, two spots for eyes and a smiling mouth. Let bake for just a moment, then cover completely with batter to make the face and add two round ears at the top.
3. Mouse: Similar to the teddy bear (above), only add whiskers when you do the nose.
4. Flower: Squeeze out round middle, let bake for a moment then surround with round petals. Add a stem if you’re brave.
5. Secret message: Write something (backwards!) on the griddle. Cover with batter. Give it to your brother. Be nice.
6. Jackson Pollock pancake: Make random squiggles and splotches with batter. Let bake, then spoon batter over it to cover. Fabulous! You’re a genius.

Recipe from: Kaboose

Let it snow! Bundle up and head outside to play with the children in your life.

Ice cube scavenger hunt
Using food coloring, freeze ice cubes of one color or of several different colors. Hide cubes in the snow in a designated area and let the children try to find them.

Footprint tag
Play tag, stepping only in others’ footprints.

Light a fire in the snow
Using dry firewood and perhaps some barbeque starter, start a fire in an open area. If done in deep snow, children will be fascinated to see how the fire gradually sinks deeper and deeper.

Lighted snow angel
Materials needed:

• heavy-duty flashlight with 12-volt batteries, preferably waterproof
• 10 thin wooden stakes/sticks about two feet long
• aluminum or steel window screen about two feet square
• spray bottle filled with water

Dig a hole one foot wide and one foot deep in the snow. Place lighted flashlight, face up, in hole. Lay stakes across hole and place screen on top of this. Secure screen by packing snow around edges. Roll snowballs five inches in diameter and tightly pack in ring around edge of hole. Spray with water to freeze and solidify. Repeat process using less snowballs in each round until the tower is cone-shaped. Roll larger snowball for the head. Very spectacular when dark outside.

Catching snowflakes
Place a black sheet of paper into a freezer until cold. Take outdoors and use a magnifying glass to view snowflakes that land on the paper.

Saving snowflakes
Materials:

• clean microscope slide or small piece of thin Plexiglas
• clean, empty plastic container
• spray can of clear lacquer
• magnifying glass or microscope

Allow slide, container and lacquer to cool outside so snowflakes won’t melt when landing on the slide. Spray thin coat of lacquer on slide and tilt so any extra spray runs off. Allow lacquer to set for a few minutes. Catch several snowflakes on slide and then set back into container and cover with lid. Leave slide outside to harden for three to four hours. View with magnifying glass or microscope.

Snow insulation
Make some Jell-O following the directions on the box. Divide evenly into two plastic containers with lids. Place one on top of the snow and bury the other under the snow. Which one freezes first? Try activity again, wrapping containers with insulating materials like a scarf. Does it take longer for the Jell-O to freeze now?

Snowball thermometer
On a mild day, make snowballs of the same size and place them on different surfaces outside, e.g. rock, patch of grass, sidewalk, parked car. Check to see which one melts first.

Snow melting rate
On a mild day, place sheets of different colored paper (including a sheet of black and one of white) on the snow in full sunlight for two-three hours. Use stones to hold them down. Then observe which one sank the deepest into the snow.

Winter wildlife detectives
After a fresh snowfall, look for animal tracks and try to figure out which animal made the tracks.

Read More: Fun Things to Do in the Snow