Coming up with ideas that get kids away from their devices and involved in more “hands-on” activities can be a challenge. Well, I’ve come up with a way to get kids reading AND baking at the same time!
Book-related activities are fun, but sometimes a book can create interesting discussions and fuel young minds. My award-winning picture book, Dragons Are Real, is one such book.
I know I’ve witnessed some lively conversations inspired by the vibrant, slightly true tale of the “other side” of dragon lore.
As an award-winning author, I am proud that this vibrant book shares a “fairly true” story based on my childhood friendship with a REAL live Dragon. This soft-cover picture book for ages 4-8 is perfect to encourage reading time while also getting imaginations percolating!
So now that I have you thinking about Dragons, let’s start eating dragons, playing with Dragons, creating with Dragons, reading with Dragons and learning about Dragons. Did you know that Dragons are indeed real?
I’ll bet you didn’t know they love jokes, poetry riddles, dancing, and singing dragon-y songs around a campfire. They also love sweet treats like ice cream and appreciate carbs as much as their human friends.
With that in mind, let’s gather your brood in the kitchen and make some yummy Dragon Bread!
What You’ll Need
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
3 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup warm water
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
Mix together the yeast and warm water. Let it rest. In another bowl, mix eggs, oil, salt, and sugar.
Add flour.
Add yeast and water mixture and mix until blended. Knead the dough on a floured surface until its firm and smooth, then round it into a bowl coated in a bit of oil. Turn the ball over once to coat both sides of the dough with oil.
Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. Now place your dough on a greased cookie sheet or use parchment paper and shape it into a dragon.
Step 1-Make your dough into a long rectangle.
Step 2-Make your dough into a long rectangle. Take a little section off of the right-hand end of the dough for the mouth, and feet.
Step 3-Pull the end of the right-hand side of the dough to make a tail.
Step 4-Attach the head. Place a ball of dough under the head for the mouth. Feel free to add almond slivers for the teeth. Place the feet under the dragon’s body.
Step 5-To decorate your dragon, you can use dried fruit, and almond slivers as spikes or do as we have and use your scissors to make dragon scales. Cut down the middle of the body first and then another row on down on each side of the dragon’s body. Add Craisins for eyes–give your dragon some personality!
Step 6-Bake.
Some people cover and let their dragon bread rise again for about 30 minutes. We do not since my kids like the shape of their dragon to remain the same. Bake at 350 degrees until done, about 25 minutes. Enjoy!
Dragons Are Real is available in the Audrey Press Bookstore HERE and on Amazon.
This book-inspired activity is just one of many in my downloadable ebook, The ABCs Of Book Jumping: The Best of Jump Into a Book.
About The eBook
Making reading an adventure and not a “task/ chore/requirement” during the summer months is a great way to help them increase their desire to learn and keep them interested. Setting aside time as a family and selecting a summer reading list is a great way to not only make the idea of reading more exciting but also to involve kids in voicing their thoughts and options on what it is that they would like to read.
Well…we’ve added a whole new level of “learning is FUN” layer to summer reading with our new kidlit book-inspired activity ebook!
The ABC’s of BookJumping: The Best of Jump Into a Book by Valarie Budayr and Rebecca Flansburg allows frustrated parents of reluctant readers to enjoy hand-picked book reviews and unique companion activities that will reignite your child’s love of reading and encourage screen-free family time.
What if you could “live” inside the pages of the children’s books your family reads? What if you could enjoy the same adventures as the characters?
Bookjumping is taking the solitary act of reading a book and transforming it into an event that can be shared with others. It’s the process of pulling books off shelves and stories off pages. It’s making kids’ books come ALIVE by “jumping” inside the pages. Readers of this ebook will enjoy hand-picked book reviews and unique companion activities that will reignite your child’s love of reading and encourage screen-free family time.
“This fun picture-book-based e-book contains over 150 hand-picked book reviews, unique book-inspired activities, and recipes. Just in time for #summer reading!” Amazon reviewer
We purposely made this book an ebook for the “portability factor” and affordable to fit every budget and family need.
Go here for more details on what you can expect from with awesome ebook and learn more about the authors.
