Hi :)

Whether it be the Holidays or a regular day, doing activities together with our little ones is always something to remember. While you are at it why not choose an adorable romper and have a mini photoshoot, nothing crazy like using a professional camera; but your phone. They say memories fade, but photos don’t. I hope you all have fun making these easy activities that can be incorporated into a Holiday treat together. I know the Holidays may be difficult for some but take some time create your own new traditions, in your own way, with your own people and enjoy time with your Family.

Tamales

Yes, you read that right! Tamales are a classic comforting and nostalgic dish in Latin American households, especially during the Holidays and while at first you might not think making tamales will be a kid friendly recipe, it can! Let’s leave the seasoning and preparation of the meats to us adults, we do have more experience after all. Instead let’s have our children help with the masa, which is known as dough in English. Kids love playing with different types of textures and while they won’t knock out 10 tamales in 3 minutes like our Abuela, or any tamales at all, they sure will have a blast being included and touching the same things you are! I believe this activity is suitable for young children who can sit up unassisted and toddlers.

I would like to mention that the CDC does not recommend children to play with or eat raw dough. We all know how fast children can be when it comes to tasting things. In order to make the masa safe you will need to cook/heat the flour, this process will kill the bacteria making the flour taste safe. This is a fast and easy process where you can cook your flour in a pan, heat it in the microwave until the internal temperature of the flour reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit or bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees oven in under 5 minutes. I will choose the easiest way for me which is the microwave, once you have finished this step we can move forward.

There are two ways I would like to suggest this activity. One way is by placing an already mixed piece of masa on the baby’s highchair and letting them go at it. You can also add the masa inside a plate if you choose to. This way seems more suitable for younger children. The second way is by adding the ingredients to a bowl together and letting your child take control of the kneading process. This way seems like a better fit for older children.

This part of the activity is meant for your child to be included in your tamale making party so you most likely will not be using this masa for the delicious tamales. It is important to let our children experience things with us and while we do our best to guide them, they will make this activity and life their own.

Chocolate Bark

Chocolate bark is just a classic Holiday thing, super easy and mostly mess free! Children love to put toppings on everything so I know they will love this activity, let’s get started.

• Choose and have your toppings ready (sprinkles, nuts, dry fruit, crushed candy and even edible glitter)
• Melt chocolate of your choice in the microwave or using the double boiler method
• Spread the melted chocolate on a sheet pan evenly with a piece of parchment paper for easy removal
• As soon as your chocolate pan is done get ready to decorate with anything you and your kids are into since chocolate tends to cool quickly.