In the spirit of our Creative Family Fun Nights, I’m going to start sharing some ideas for creative play dates. These are designed for as few as 1 or 2 kids or to as many as you want. Many of these would also be fun ideas for family nights. And, to kick off our first play date idea, I’ve also got a giveaway at the end. Let’s get started making some candy at our candy making play date!
Disclosure: I receive a free copies of the book from the publisher for review and to giveaway. This post also contains Amazon Affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for more details.
When I first saw the book, Candy Making for Kids by Courtney Dial Whitmore, I knew it would be the perfect way to spend an afternoon with the girls. Courtney is the blogger behind Pizzazzarie, a fun entertaining and party blog.
The projects in the book are so much fun and all are kid-friendly. You can choose from such things as Rudolph the Reindeer Pops, S’Mores Truffles, or Candy Pizza. We chose to make Coconut Snowballs and Peppermint Patties.
Both of the recipes are no-cook recipes, so we brought everything over to the kitchen table.
The girls helped me measure, pour, and stir.
They were able to participate in every step of the way. There was also plenty of opportunity for getting their hands messy.
The directions in the book were easy to follow and the candy turned out to be delicious!
Many of the recipes are also easily adapted for groups of kids. You could have small groups around the table each working on different types of candy or you could choose a project, like the candy pizzas, where the kids can work on decorating individually.
Tips for having a successful candy making play date:
Make sure to have one adult for every 3-4 kids
Pre-measure the ingredients if making candy with younger kids
Make sure you know the recipe well before you get started. You won’t have much opportunity for consulting your recipe!
Have take-home containers available. The kids will want to share all of their yummy candy.
Don’t be afraid of a mess! Have aprons or smocks for the kids and work on a easy-to-clean surface.
And don’t forget to have fun! The candy doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s the experience the kids will remember the most.
We had so much fun making candy (and eating it too)! I’m certain we’ll be using this book again and again and again.