Today I have a great recipe for you to use for your party, and some cookie decorating party tips to share from the author of a new cooking with kids book Cindy Mushet. Her new book is called Baking Kids Love.

Send out the invitations a couple weeks ahead of time, letting the children and their parents know what to expect. You can make the dough ahead of time and have it ready for the party.

Don’t forget to pick up some cute little decorative boxes or tins to let the kids carry their cookies home in (if there are any left).

First up I have a great sugar cookie recipe for your cookie decorating party.

Be Creative Sugar Cookies
—From Baking Kids Love by Sur La Table with Cindy Mushet/Andrews McMeel Publishing

Makes 25 to 30 Fun Shapes

Ingredients
Cookies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Icing:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup meringue powder
• ½ cup water
• Food coloring, in various colors to decorate
• Sprinkles, sugar pearls, large crystal sugar, dragées, and/or candies

Cookie Making Tools:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• 2 baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• 2 large, 2 medium, and 2 to 4 small bowls
• Electric mixer
• Silicone spatula
• Whisk
• Plastic wrap
• Rolling pin
• 3-inch cookie cutters
• Oven mitts
• Cooling rack
• Sieve
• 1 or more small offset spatulas or small spoons
• Small disposable piping bags or other piping tools (optional)

Before you begin

• Position 1 oven rack in the top ¹⁄³ of the oven and 1 oven rack in the bottom ¹⁄³ of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the baking sheets with the parchment paper (see page 4).

Mix the dough

• Put the butter and sugar in 1 of the large bowls. Using the mixer, beat on low speed for 1 minute. Turn up the speed to medium and beat for another minute. The mixture should be blended and smooth. Turn off the mixer. Using the silicone spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until well blended. Turn off the mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Put the flour and salt into 1 of the medium bowls and whisk until blended. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat on low speed just until the ingredients are blended and no patches of flour are visible. The mixture will have the texture of gravel and pebbles. Scrape down the bowl one last time, and make sure no clumps of flour are hiding in the bottom. Dump the clumps of dough onto your work surface, and squeeze them together until they form a cohesive dough. Flatten the dough into a 9-inch circle, wrap in plastic or parchment, and chill for 30 minutes before continuing.

Roll the dough

• Place a large sheet of parchment paper on your work surface, about the size of a baking sheet. Have a second parchment sheet the same size ready. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it in the center of the first parchment sheet. Top with the second parchment sheet, and flatten the dough slightly. Using the rolling pin, and starting from the edge closest to you, roll gently but firmly to the edge opposite you and then back again twice. Be careful not to roll the pin off the edge of the dough, or the dough will stick to the paper. Turn the dough, between the parchment paper, a quarter turn and roll up and back again twice. Repeat rolling up and back and turning until the dough is ¼ inch thick.
• If the paper creases into the dough, gently peel back the paper, straighten it out, and smooth it back on top of the dough. You’ll need to do this several times during the rolling process. If the dough gets too soft and squishy while you are rolling, transfer it to a baking sheet (still between the parchment paper) and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes, until cool but flexible.

Cut out the shapes

• Peel off the top sheet of parchment. If the dough is soft and sticky, refrigerate for 15 minutes. Using the cookie cutters, press down firmly to cut out shapes (see photos). Cut them as close together as possible. Using a small offset spatula, lift the shapes off the parchment paper and transfer to the prepared pans, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Press all the dough scraps together, roll the dough out, and cut out more shapes.

Bake the cookies

• Place 1 baking sheet on each oven rack. Bake for 8 minutes, then, using the oven mitts, switch the pans between the oven racks. Bake for another 5 to 9 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and lightly golden in the center. Using the oven mitts, transfer the pans to the cooling racks and let the cookies cool completely before decorating. You may need to reuse the pans to finish baking all the cookies. Let the pans cool before you put more dough on them for baking.

Make the icing

• Sift the powdered sugar into the other medium bowl (see page 11). Put the meringue powder and water in the other large bowl. Make sure the bowl and your mixer beaters are very clean so the icing will whip up nicely. Beat the meringue on medium speed for about 1 minute, then turn the mixer to high and continue to whip until the mixture looks like whipped cream and has formed soft peaks (see page 17).
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the sifted sugar, about ¼ cup at a time, shaking it gently over the bowl and letting it blend in slowly. Once all the sugar has been added, turn the mixer to high speed and continue to beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is very fluffy and shiny and forms firm peaks. Turn off the mixer and check the peaks again. At this point, the slope should be nearly vertical.
• Divide the icing among the small bowls—the number depends on how many different colors of icing you want. Color each bowl of icing a different color by stirring in a few drops of food coloring. You can even make you own “custom” colors by combining food colorings. Cover each bowl with a damp, wrung-out paper towel and top with a piece of plastic wrap until you are ready to decorate, or a hard skin will form on top.

Decorate the cookies

• Using the small offset spatula, spread the icing over the cookies, wiping the spatula clean each time you switch to a different colored icing. You can also pipe icing: Spoon some icing into a small disposable piping bag, cut a tiny hole in the bottom, and squeeze the bag gently to create patterns and shapes on your cookies. Or fill another icing tool, such as a squeeze bottle, and frost the cookies. While the icing is wet, add sprinkles or other decorations as desired. Let the icing dry for 1 to 2 hours. It will harden. Once it is hard, you can stack the cookies in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

Baking Kids Love is loaded with 30 kid-tastic recipes for cooking with your child. The recipes have step by step instructions and photographs to help little bakers know what to do next.

The book was just released in October, so it would make a wonderful Christmas book for a child who loves to help out in the kitchen. Pair it with a chefs hat and apron to encourage your little baker in the kitchen. You can find Baking Kids Love at major book retailers, the Sir La Table website and Amazon.com.

Images: Baking Kids Love

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Image L Gerlach

They have a couple friends with laser tag guns and invited them over to play on teams of three or four. The kids had a great time hiding behind trees, the house, and the barns to sneak up on each other.

The laser tag guns they used are made by Hasbro, they come two guns to a set and retail for around $70-90. The guns can be set to play as individual players, or as part of a team. The gun vibrates when you’re hit, and if you get hit too many times you’re out of the game and your gun won’t work anymore until you reset it.

When they were done with laser tag they had a water balloon fight, then jumped in the pool!

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Here are a few water obstacle ideas for your course:

• Water balance beam~ Have the kids walk across a low narrow board with a pail, or jug of water in each hand. If they fall off the beam they have to go back to the start of the beam, refill their pail and try again.
• Set up a slip and slide. You can purchase a slip and slide, or make your own with a tarp and a hose. Set it up on a small incline or hill if you have one available, and have the kids slide down it for one of their challenges.
• Water balloon toss~ Have the kids toss a certain number of water balloons into a large bucket, or into the center of a hula hoop. Set up a certain number that have to make it into the bucket or hoop before they can move on to the next task.
• Have them fill a container with water from a small pool carried by soaking a towel then running down and wringing as much water as they can into the container. They can move to the next task when the water fills to a certain level.
• Have them sit in a small pool and get themselves completely wet before moving on to the next task.
• Have the kids run through a sprinkler, or series of sprinklers.
• Have them walk 5 or 6 steps while balancing a small water balloon on their head, if the balloon falls off they have to start the task again.

There are many more ideas you can use to set up your water obstacle course. Just use your imagination and a little water and many regular obstacle course events can be made “wet.”

Make sure you have plenty of adults to man your obstacle course stations, and to help any children who struggle.

Have Fun!

Water obstacle course images (c) Linette Gerlach

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Image (c) L Gerlach

Have the children sit in a circle like they would if they were playing Duck Duck Goose. Give the person who is it a water balloon, or a cup of water. Have them walk around saying duck, duck, duck, and either tapping the person on their head or splashing a little water on their head.

Image (c) L Gerlach

When they get to the person they want to tag they yell SPLASH! Then dump the rest of their water on that persons head, or drop their water balloon. Then the person chases them around the outside of the circle to see if they can beat them back to their spot.

Image (c) L Gerlach

If they catch them, the person has to go again, and pick a new victim. If they don’t catch them, then the new person is it and starts the process all over again.

Duck Duck Splash is a fun way for the kids to get a little wet, and cool off at the same time. It’s a great game for summer birthdays, or backyard family gatherings.

Have fun!

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The ultimate birthday Nickelodeon Universe party, valued at more than $12,000, will include exclusive ride time, special character appearances, birthday cake and more, for one lucky winner. The lucky winner will have fun memories that will last a lifetime.

Image: Newscom

Here’s the scoop from Mall of America:

To celebrate its first birthday, Nickelodeon Universe(R) at Mall of America(R) invites kids to enter to win the Ultimate Birthday Party. From now until Aug. 31, kids ages 6 to 18 are invited to submit an essay, 250 words or less on why they deserve to the Ultimate Birthday Party. The winner will be selected by Oct. 1, 2009. To apply online visit Nickelodeon Universe. To apply by mail, download the PDF essay submission form and mail to Ultimate Birthday Party, Nickelodeon Universe Park Marketing, 5000 Center Court, Bloomington, MN 55425.

“Birthdays are a day where the focus is on you – a day to have fun and enjoy yourself,” said Jennifer Lauerman, marketing director of Nickelodeon Universe. “We want kids to have a fabulous time while helping us celebrate Nickelodeon Universe’s first birthday – a special milestone.”

For more information visit the Nickelodeon Universe or Mall of America.

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Image (c) L Gerlach

My son loves building and creating, so I think he’ll have a blast with these (before he eats them).

I think they’d make wonderful party favors or cake and cupcake toppers for a kid’s Lego party.

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You can create your own bubble blowing memories this summer, and kick it up a notch with a handcrafted wand.

I love handmade toys, and toys that get kids outside and let them use their imagination. I found some special bubble wands that let your kids do all of the above. Larry and Jane of Shull’s Metal Fab create beautifully crafted bubble wands from copper. Each wand is individually hand created.

These wands would be wonderful for a summer birthday party, blowing bubbles at the bride and groom at a Spring wedding, or creating your own memories with your children on the front porch.

Because of they’re made of copper, the color of the wands will age over time. This is truly part of the beauty of copper art items, making them a keepsake you can cherish for a long time.

When your children are too old to blow bubbles (Are you ever too old to blow bubbles?) these wands are elegant enough to hang on the wall, or add style to a table arrangement.

I think these beautiful wands would make wonderful Easter gifts, party favors, or birthday presents.

Images via Shull’s Metal Fab

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If your tradition is to include the children in your New Years Eve party plans, here are a couple games the children can play at your New Years Eve party:

• Diaper Baby New Year- If you have a couple doll babies gather them up, with a couple clean diapers, split your guests into teams. Have the guests get into a line for each team and take turns diapering, and un-diapering baby new year.  One player diapers the baby, the next player un-diapers. Until every player has had a turn. The first team to finish wins the game.
• New Years Resolution Charades- Have the children write down their New Years resolution (have an adult help the little ones). You should get some interesting results. Have the children break into teams and play a game of charades with the resolution.
• This isn’t a game, but it’s a fun year end activity. Let the children know ahead of time to bring a few of their favorite photos from the last year, have a few scrapbooking supplies on hand, and let them create a scrapbook page with their photos.
• Guess The New Years Resolution- Have the children write down their New Years resolution, and instead of playing the charades game above, give everyone a sheet of paper and have them number it. One number for each person who wrote a resolution. Read the resolutions out loud, and give them a number as you read them. Have the children write down who they think wrote each resolution. The child who guesses the most right wins a prize.
• Let them make party hats, and noisemakers for the new year.

What’s your favorite children’s New Years Eve party game?

Image via Stock.xchng

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Did you know there are karaoke CDs available for all the hottest Disney Channel tween stars?  I did a quick search on the Toys R Us website to find out which tween artists are featured on the Disney Karaoke Series CDs and found just about every Disney Channel star represented.

Check them out below.  There’s Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers, High School Musical and High School Musical 2, The Cheetah Girls, and a compilation CD called Disney Girlz Rock that includes songs by Aly & AJ, Everlife and Raven-Symone.

Each CD sells for under $10 and could be a lot of fun for tweens and Disney Channel fans!

What do you think?

Images: Toysrus.com

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We rented a bounce house for my triplets’ 3rd and 4th birthdays, and both times it was a huge hit!  Even our basset hound got in on the fun when she tried multiple times to climb in the bounce house with the kids!  Check out the pictures below of Winnie trying to climb in!  Luckily, her little legs were too small to let her jump all the way inside!

You can follow the link to view all the products available in the Little Tikes Dog Days of Summer Sale.

Images: Susan Gunelius

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