I know I am supposed to be writing about indoor activities for kids! I promise I have a few coming up! However, I haven't posted much from our life recently so I thought it might be a nice change to share a special experience the boys and I had recently.
We made S'mores! For the first time! Now, I know that some of you are rolling your eyes, but remember my boys are city kids. This was a big deal for them. Huge! We don't have a barbeque (or a yard) so the opportunities to smush ooey-gooey goodness between two graham crackers are few and far between.
Earlier this month we spent a glorious week at my father's home in rural Oregon. He and his wife have a menagerie of animals, pastures of wildflowers and a small pond full of tadpoles. Needless to say, it was the perfect backdrop for an open fire and burning roasting marshmallows on a stick.
Those of you who would like me to loosen up on the food front will be pleased to know I willingly bought s'mores supplies chock full of chemicals and scary food dyes. No organic, kosher, dye-free marshmallows from our crunchy food co-op, here! I was a little nervous, but I forged ahead!
The boys had a great time turning their marshmallows black. ("I can't hear you!" I said to the voices in my head warning me about carcinogens.) New Kid had eaten a good portion of the graham crackers before we even started. He probably knew it might be another 4 years before I ever bought them again and he'd better shove them in his face while he had the chance. The chocolate didn't melt very well. Perhaps it was too thick, but no one seemed to mind. I may have made (and even eaten!) a few s'mores myself.
When was the first time you made s'mores with your kids? How did it go?
maryanne @ mama smiles says
We haven't made s'mores yet - but I did let them roast the GIGANTIC marshmallows Mike brought home from the grocery store Monday - even roasted and ate one myself. SO much sugar!!!
E.S. Ivy says
We've made them so many times that I don't even remember the first time we made them. Bonfire at my parents, bonfire at my in-laws, in our home fireplace and even...
in the microwave!
So it won't have the nice toasted flavor (I like that better than burned) but there's not risk of those black carcinogens. (Wait, I take that back. I did turn a piece of apple pie into a lump of coal when I put the microwave on the wrong time and got distracted, but anyway.) Marshmallows are great fun to watch puff up in the microwave! And if you put the chocolate in too it will get warm and gooey. Usually when you make s'mores at a campfire the chocolate stays solid because it's so cold before you stick the marshmallow on it, but I like them that way.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Unfortunately we live in the dark ages and don't have a microwave!
Jen Robinson says
We haven't done either smores or marshmallows with our daughter yet. But she's only 3. I do look forward to it one day! Glad you had fun.
Erica MomandKiddo says
I bet she will love it when she makes them for the first time.
Renee C. says
Oh, that sounds like fun! We do smores maybe once a year. We have a backyard fire pit (portable) and we do the odd marshmallow roast. It's just fun to do it, but I agree - that's a lot of sugar! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Erica MomandKiddo says
I think if we had our own fire pit I would be tempted to do it more often!
Anna - the Measured Mom says
Way to relax and just let the kids have fun 🙂 That's hard for me too. We have smores about once a year because they're just so awful for you. But I think it's important to let kids have some fun even with junk food -- as long as healthy eating and tastes are part of our every day - and junk food is the exception 🙂
Erica MomandKiddo says
Very true, Anna!
PragmaticMom says
Making S'Mores is such a rite of passage that every child should experience. We sometimes made them in our fireplace and the kids love trying to get the marshmallows just right. We haven't tried it over a campfire -- I think they get to do that at sleepaway camp but my husband hates camping so a fireplace in our house is the only family S'More experience they will have!
Erica MomandKiddo says
We don't go camping, either, I'm afraid and with no fireplace we have limited opportunities to make them so this was so fun for us!