The Perfect Snow Day Craft for Littles

Hi friends, It's been a while!  We've just been over here raising and growing babies and savoring these last few months together as a family of four!  I knew this pregnancy would fly by with the holidays dominating the final months.  And just like that... Christmas is just ONE WEEK away. 

This weekend we got our first big Denver snowstorm.  Our little family hunkered down with lots of yummy food + Christmas movies + cozy jammies.  One of my favorite winter movies is Snow Day starring Chevy Chase. I was thrilled to find this movie on Netflix and introduce it to the kids! 

If your babes are like mine though, movies aren't enough to keep them busy.  I try to keep play dough, baking supplies and crafts up my sleeve to keep them busy for impromptu snow days.  One of my favorite things to do is make Salt Dough Ornaments!  What's best -- This recipe takes only three ingredients and I can almost bet that you already have them on hand. 

Guys, these are SO easy and they can keep the kids busy for more than a half hour at a time.  Which is a HUGE win in my book.  Mack & Levi are tough because of their four year age difference so I am ALWAYS thrilled to find something that both of them love to do and will keep them equally entertained. 

The recipe for the salt dough is as follows:

1 Cup of Flour + 1 Cup of Salt + 1/2 a cup of water

Add more water if you need to make the dough the right rolling consistency. 

Throw some extra flour down on the table so that the dough won't stick. 

Please excuse the messy bedhead hair.... Hey, that's real life, right?

My kids loved rolling out their dough and then using cookie cutters to make their ornaments.  Once cut out, we used the bottom of a mixing stick to press holes into the ornaments to be used later to string our twine through.   

 Place the cut out dough on a cookie sheet and put into the oven on 200 degrees for 2.5 to 3 hours. 

Next comes the painting!  We spread this entire project out over a two day period to get double the entertainment!  Plus, momma needed a break from all the mess ;)

If you are in need of a last minute crafty gift for your kiddos, IKEA has these fantastic paint sets & roll out paper that we LOVE to pull out on rainy and snowy days. 

Lastly, wait until the ornaments dry and then string some twine or ribbon through the cut out hole.  Deliver a few to friends along with some homemade holiday cookies!  It's the perfect simple kid approved Christmas gift!