14 EASY Recipes Your Kids will LOVE! (2024)

14 EASY Recipes Your Kids will LOVE!

Here are a bunch of easy kids recipes for snacks and things for the kids to do this summer! Save money while you keep them busy “not” being bored this summer!

Here is an easy homemade play dough recipe that your kids are sure to love! It’s easy to make with ingredients you already have in your kitchen and it’s a great way to save money over the cost of store bought play dough!

Homemade Play Dough

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 tsp. cream of tartar
2 Tbsp. oil
2 cups water
food coloring

Mix all ingredients together except food coloring in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture gathers on the spoon and forms dough (about 6 minutes). Dump onto waxed paper until cool enough to handle and knead until pliable. Store in a covered container or plastic bag. Add food coloring for different colors. Makes about 2 pounds.

Homemade Bubbles

1/4 cup liquid dishwashing detergent (Non-ultra Dawn works best)
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp. sugar

Put the dishwashing detergent in the water. Carefully stir in sugar trying to avoid suds. Take a regular drinking straw and cut into 4 pieces. Then dip into the solution and blow your bubbles. Tie a rope loop up to a foot in diameter on the end of a stick and make a gallon of bubbles. Dip the rope in the bubbles and run with them. This will give you giant bubbles.

Tip: A friend who made bubbles professionally (The Bubble Man) told us on many occasions that Non-Ultra Dawn liquid soap makes the best bubbles.

Homemade Slime

1/2 cup white glue
6 Tbsp. water food coloring
1-4 tsp. Borax
1-4 Tbsp. water

Mix the glue, 6 tablespoons water and food coloring until it is dissolved. In a separate bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon borax into 1 tablespoon water. Add to the glue solution. You will get a very thick clump of slime when the two mix. Pull the clump of slime out of the glue mixture and put it in a separate bowl. Mix another batch of the borax solution and add it to the remaining glue mixture. Repeat until all the glue mixture is used (about 3-4 times).

With clean hands, knead the slime to mix. This will take about 10 minutes and is not very difficult as the slime easily separates between your fingers. If a looser, more slimy texture is desired, knead in a bit more water. The more water you add, the slimier it gets. The slime doesn’t leave a residue and doesn’t get stuck on anything. This is great for Halloween entertaining. Store in an airtight container. This can easily be doubled, tripled or quadrupled.

This easy bake oven cake mix recipe would make a nice jar mix to put in jars or bags to give along with an Easy Bake Oven at Christmas. It costs about $1.25 to make a batch for 11 cakes compared to Easy Bake Oven Mixes from Walmart at $6.97 for 2 cakes. (Can you say “I don’t think so!!!”) This was always the way we went when my kids had an Easy Bake Oven and it’s so quick and easy to mix that you will kick yourself for every buying pre-made mixes before!

Easy Bake Oven Chocolate Cake Mix

1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1/3 cup vegetable shortening

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt. Stir until blended. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles corn meal. Store in an airtight container. Use within 12 weeks. Makes 11 cakes.

To Use:

1/3 cup Easy Bake cake mix
5-6 tsp. water

Mix together until smooth. Pour mixture into greased and floured 4 inch round baking pan. Follow directions for child’s oven. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Invert onto a small plate and remove pan. When cool, frost with Children’s Chocolate Frosting. Makes 1 cake.

Easy Bake Oven Chocolate or White Frosting Recipe

2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. dry milk
½ cup cocoa*
6 Tbsp. solid vegetable shortening

In a bowl, combine powdered sugar, dry milk and cocoa. Cut in shortening. Store in an airtight container. Use within 12 weeks.

*For white frosting, omit cocoa.

To Use:

1 cup Chocolate Frosting mix
2-2½ tsp. water

Frozen Banana Treats

bananas
skewers (optional)

Cut the bananas in half crosswise. Insert a skewer in the thicker end. Place the bananas on a tray and place in the freezer. When frozen, move to a plastic bag and keep frozen until ready to use.

Toppings

yogurt nuts, finely chopped
peanut butter applesauce
melted chocolate coconut
wheat germ

Allow the bananas to thaw slightly. Put the toppings in small bowls. Dip the banana before each bite. Eat plain or roll or dip into any of the toppings. Use the wet topping first so the others will stick.

Easy Homemade Popsicle Ideas And Recipes

Making your own homemade popsicles can give great variety and keep your kids cool this summer!

For non-traditional homemade popsicles:

• Freeze applesauce in popsicle molds.
• Mix fruit or jam into yogurt. Freeze in small, snack sized Ziploc bags for frozen yogurt on the go. Cut a hole in the end of the bag for easy access/eating.
• Mix gelatin and freeze. Add gummie fish or worms before freezing for added fun.
• Freeze syrup from canned fruit.
• Add food coloring or sprinkles to yogurt or softened ice cream for added pizzazz. Then freeze in popsicle molds.
• When you have leftover jam or jelly, put 1/4 cup of hot water in the jar and shake well. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
• If jelly or jam doesn’t set up well, use for popsicles or add more water, boil and make syrup.
• Make a batch of pudding. Add coconut, nuts, marshmallows, crushed cookies or sprinkles if desired. Pour into molds. Freeze several hours until firm.
• Stick a toothpick in the center of blackberries, strawberries, raspberries or sliced bananas. Dip in chocolate if desired. Freeze on a tray. Once frozen, store in freezer bags.
• For easy snow cones, freeze orange juice (or any other flavored juice) in ice cube trays. Store frozen juice cubes in a plastic bag. Blend 5 cubes in the blender until they have a shaved ice consistency. The shaved ice will keep its consistency if kept frozen in a container.
• For watermelon homemade popsicles, blend one cup each watermelon chunks (seeds removed), orange juice and water. Blend well. Then pour and freeze into molds.
• For strawberry homemade popsicles, blend 2 cups strawberries, 1 cup vanilla ice cream or yogurt, 4 cups orange juice and 2 tablespoons sugar. Blend smooth. Pour into molds and freeze.
• For banana homemade popsicles, dissolve one 3 oz. package strawberry gelatin with one cup boiling water. In a blender, mix gelatin, 1 banana and 1 cup yogurt or ice cream. Blend well and pour into molds.

Orange Popsicles

1 package (3 oz.) orange gelatin
1 envelope (.15oz) unsweetened orange soft drink mix
1 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water

In a bowl, mix first 4 ingredients until dissolved. Stir in cold water. Pour in molds or paper cups and insert Popsicle stick. Freeze.

*You could use strawberry gelatin and strawberry drink mix or you could try other flavors. Don’t forget lemon or lime. Mix and match to see what interesting new taste you can come up with.

Lemonade Popsicles

Mix your favorite batch of lemonade, whether fresh squeezed or made from a mix. Then freeze.

Lemonade is refreshing itself but to have it in the form of a frozen treat can put you over the top.

Rocky Road Fudgesicles

1 package (3 oz.) cook and serve chocolate pudding
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup marshmallow creme
12 paper cups (3 oz. each)
12 Popsicle sticks

Cook pudding and milk until slightly thickened and bubbly. Let cool for 20 minutes, stirring a few times. Divide chocolate chips and peanuts between cups. Stir marshmallow creme into pudding. Pour into cups. Insert Popsicle sticks and freeze.

Growing Crystals

• bluing
• ammonia
• salt
• liquid food coloring
• water

Day #1: Place damp sponge pieces in a shallow glass or plastic bowl. Pour 2 Tbsp. each of bluing, salt, water and ammonia over the sponge pieces.

Day #2: Add 2 Tbsp. salt.

Day #3: Add 2 Tbsp. each bluing, salt, water and ammonia. Avoid pouring on the crystal growth because the crystals can be easily damaged. Repeat Day #3 as needed to keep the crystals growing. For color, add drops of your choice of food coloring.

*Bluing can be purchased in the laundry section at the store.

Try this easy homemade finger paint recipe from our Dining On A Dime Cookbook and see if your kids love it as much as mine do!

Homemade Finger Paint Recipe

1 pkg. unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
liquid dish detergent
food coloring

Dissolve gelatin in 1/2 cup water. Set aside. In a saucepan, add cornstarch. Then slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups water over medium heat until well blended. Cook until it boils, becomes smooth, thickens and turns clear. Add gelatin mixture and stir well. Pour into containers and add a drop of liquid dish detergent. Add food coloring until you get the desired shade. Store covered in the refrigerator 4 – 6 weeks.

Edible Play Dough Recipe

1/3 cup margarine
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract or flavorings
1 lb. powdered sugar
food coloring (optional)

Mix first 4 ingredients together. Add powdered sugar. Knead it. Divide and add food coloring. Keep the homemade play dough refrigerated to keep from spoiling when not in use. You can replace vanilla with flavored extracts to give flavor other than just plain sweetness.

Easy Homemade Pudding Pops

1 pkg. pudding (not instant*)
3 cups milk
fruit (any kind, optional)

Combine and mix the ingredients only enough to blend well. Quickly pour into popsicle molds and freeze. Chocolate and vanilla pudding may be layered for a fun treat or you can layer fruit with vanilla pudding. Makes 8-10 popsicles.

*Regular homemade pudding may be used instead of store-bought pudding mix.

For lots more easy kids recipes and a lot more, check out our cookbook: