Volume 2, 2018
Kids Night In
#KIDSNIGHTINBOX
CAMP
Kids Ni g h t I n
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Kids Night In Box • Camp Kids Night In
Welcome to your Kids Night In Hello there Kids Night In Camp Counselors & Campers! Growing up in Chicago, I looked forward to summer and it’s warm days as a welcomed change from the city’s brisk winters. I can remember playing outside, late into the evenings long after the sun had set. I also have fond memor ies of spending summers as a preteen at sleepaway camp. My hope for this box is that you and your special little camper will enjoy some good old-fashioned summer fun. This box has quickly become a staff favorite, and we would LOVE for you to snap some pictures with it and to share your camp spirit with us using the hashtags #KIDSNIGHTINBOX and #CAMPKNI. One lucky family who submits a photo will win a free box next month! As a new company, we have been blown away at the response to our boxes, and we want to take a quick minute to thank you for allowing us into your homes each month to assist in making memories. If you have enjoyed your time with Kids Night In this month, please feel free to share your experiences with your friends and family, as it helps us to grow! Until next month, Megan Pruitt Founder, Kids Night In
Camp Kids Night In • Kids Night In Box
O P T I O N A L R E C I P ES F O R CAMP KIDS NIGHT IN
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READ YOUR INCLUDED BOOK, T I N Y G O ES C A M P I N G
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M A K E Y O U R S O LA R O V E N
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CRAF T YOUR HARMONICA AND P LA Y Y O U R H E A R T O U T !
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C O O K Y O U R S O LA R S ' M O R E S , W I T H OPTIONS FOR INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
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B U I L D Y O U R C A M P B I N O C U LA R S
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ENJOY A SCAVENGER HUNT
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E N J O Y Y O U R S U N C O O K E D S ' M O R ES
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Kids Night In Box • Camp Kids Night In
Optional Kids Night In Recipes P igs in a B lanket ( m a k e s 3 s e r vi n g s ) I ngredients » » 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry (or gluten-free hotdog buns for a gluten-free option)
» » 3 hotdogs (or a veggie hotdog for a vegetarian option)
» » 4-5 slices of American cheese » » 3-4 tablespoons of coarse Dijon mustard
» » 1 tablespoon of honey Directions
Step 1 : Thaw the puff pastry by letting it sit for 40 to 60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Step 2:
Cut the puff pastry into thirds and roll each piece around a hotdog. Place the pastry-wrapped hotdogs onto a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown.
Step 3:
While the hotdogs are baking, assemble the dipping sauces. Place the cheese slices in a microwave-safe bowl and mic rowave for 10 seconds at a time, stirring frequently, until the cheese is melted. To make the other dipping sauce, combine the mustard and honey.
Step 4:
Once hotdogs are cooked, let them cool for a few minutes before placing them on a plate and serving with the dipping sauces.
K itchen tools » » Baking sheet » » Little bowls for the dipping sauces for pigs in a blanket
» » Non-serrated knife » » Baking pan for the brownies (if enhancing the s’mores)
» » Cups for the lemonade » » Pitcher for mixing the lemonade » » Large spoon for mixing the lemonade T ips While the oven is preheating, place the frozen puff pastry on top of the stove. The heat from the oven will help thaw the puff pastry more quickly.
Camp Kids Night In • Kids Night In Box
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"You're off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is H omemade L emonade ( m a k e s 2 s e r vi n g s )
Ingredients
Ingredients
» » Boxed brownie mix
» » 2 cups of water » » 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
» » 1 cup of lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons)
» » 3 – 4 Mint leaves
(plus the added ingredients listed on the box)
» » S’more’s Ingredients
Included In Your Box
Directions
D irections Using a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves (2-3 minutes). Set the mixture aside in the refrigerator until it cools com pletely. Once it has cooled, combine it with the lemon juice and mint leaves and use a spoon to stir. Fill a glass with ice and pour the lemonade into the glass; garnish with additional mint leaves.
S ' mores E nhancement
Follow the directions listed on the box to make the brownie mix. Let the brownies cool before adding them to the s’mores. To assemble a s’more, take a slice of brownie that is a little smaller than the size of your graham crackers and place it on top of one cracker. Then, place the marshmallow and chocolate on top of the brownie. Finally, gently press the graham crackers together and take a big bite!
Hello, adventurers! I’m Marina from marinamakesblog. com, and I’m so glad that you’ll be enjoying this month’s activities. I put together this month’s menu to help you get into the spirit of adventuring. I hope you enjoy this fun twist on pigs in a blanket!
waiting, so... get on your way! -Dr. Seuss
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Kids Night In Box • Camp Kids Night In
Read your Included Book!
M a k e Yo u r S o la r O v e n ! step 1:
L i ne the i nte ri o r bottom, sides, and to p f l ap o f the box w ith th e i nc l ude d al umi num foil (sh in y side o ut) , and tape the foil in place.
Find a snuggly spot to read the book Tiny Goes Camping, which is included in your box. Let your imagination run wild while reading about what happens when Tiny and his friends go camping! They venture into the great outdoors to set up camp and play games. They also sing songs, chase frogs, and capture fireflies. After you are done reading, take a few minutes to discuss the book with your camper(s)!
step 2:
He ad o utsi de f o r a min u te an d sc o ut a sunny spo t w h ere y ou r so l ar o ve n c an “ preh eat.”
step 3:
Gi ve yo ur o ve n a c h an ce to w arm up be f o re c o o ki ng y ou r s’mores usi ng the i nc l ude d in stru ction s. Re mi nde r: Pl e ase be su re th at yo ur l i ttl e o ne s are carefu l w h en to uc hi ng the i r so l ar oven s!
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Note to adults: W e ho p e t ha t y o u a r e e nj o yi ng yo ur bo x o n a warm and sunny day. If not, w e su ggest th at you p r ete n d to c o o k t he s ’ m o r e s i n t he o v e n. Yo u wi l l sti l l c o nstruc t the so l ar o ve n, but yo u w ill h ave to cook actu al s’ m o r e s a l i t t l e b i t l a t e r ! P l e ase e xe rc i se C AUT ION, as yo ur so l ar o ve n wi l l ge t very w arm!
S o la r Po w e r f o r Little Camper(s)
S o la r Po w e r f o r Older Camper(s)
W h en yo u p lay o u tsi d e , t he S un i s wha t m a k e s yo u f e e l ho t! T he S un is str ong an d p o w er f ul , a nd i t he l p s p l a nt s g r o w!
Our so l ar syste m i s c o mposed of 8 plan ets ( that we kno w o f so f ar) an d a big “all-star”: the S un! D i d yo u kno w th e Su n h as been pro duc i ng e ne rgy f o r billion s of y ears?
T h e Su n can al so h el p us c o o k , he a t b ui l d i ng s and gen er ate e lectr i city . T od ay, y o u ar e go i n g t o m a k e a s o l a r o v e n, a n d the S un i s go i ng to help m e lt th e mar shm a l l o ws a nd y um m y c ho co l ate f o r yo ur s’ mo re s.
Fun Facts »»
Th e w o r d “so l a r ” c o m e s f r o m t he L a t i n wo rd “ so l i s” f o r th e Su n .
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Th e amo u n t o f s unl i g ht t ha t s hi ne s o n the Earth i n j ust 1 h o u r co u l d m e e t t he wo r l d ’ s e ne r g y d emands f o r an e nti re year .
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F ami lies i n anc i e nt G r e e c e b ui l t t he i r h o me s so the y c o ul d ge t th e mo st s unl i g ht p o s s i b l e d ur i ng the c o l d wi nte r mo nths.
»» »»
O n e mi llio n E a r t hs wo ul d f i t i ns i d e t he S un! I t tak es millio ns o f y e a r s f o r e ne r g y f r om the c e nte r o f the Su n to r e ach i t s s ur f a c e , b ut i t t a k e s j ust e i ght mi nute s f o r th at e n e r gy t o t r a v e l t he 9 3 m i l l i o n m i l e s to Earth.
S o l ar e ne rgy i s the e ne rgy from th e Su n ’s po we rf ul rays. Pl ants use su n ligh t to pro duc e the i r o wn f o o d th rou gh a process c al l e d pho to synthe si s. Solar en ergy h elps pl ants transf o rm wate r an d carbon dioxide i nto f ue l so the y c an grow . Th e plan ts even bre athe o ut o xyge n i n th e process! Humans have be e n usi ng solar en ergy for a l o ng ti me to c o o k, he at bu ildin gs, dry food, he at wate r and ge ne rate electricity ! Th e Su n has so muc h to o f f e r. Yo u wi l l use the so l ar o ven th at y ou ju st c re ate d to harne ss the pow er of th e S un’ s rays to me l t yo ur ch ocolate an d marshmal l o ws so that y ou can en joy a de l i c i o us tre at!
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Kids Night In Box • Camp Kids Night In
C ra f t Yo u r Ha r m o n i c a
A S S E M B LY
Your b ox contains enough materials to create two harmonicas! Materials Needed: Four popsicle sticks, two large rubber bands, four smaller rubber bands, one straw and scissors.
Step 1: Stretch the wide rubber band lengthwise over one of the craft sticks.
Step 2 :
Cut two small pieces of straw, each about 1 to 1 1⁄2 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) in length. Put one of the small straw pieces under the rubber band, about a third of the distance from one end of the stick. Put the other piece of straw on top of the rubber band, about a third of the distance from the other end of the stick.
Step 3 :
Take the second craft stick and place it on top of the first one.
Step 4 & 5:
Wrap one of the small rubber bands a few times around the end of the stick where you placed the second piece of straw (the one that went above the rubber band), about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) from the end. Make sure that the rubber band pinches the two sticks tightly together. Wrap the second small rubber band around the other end of the stick, about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) from the end. When you’re done, pinch both ends together. The pieces of straw should create a small space between the two craft sticks.
H o w t o Pla y t h e Harmonica Once this “sound sandwich” is complete, put your mouth in the middle as if you were playing a harmonica and blow! (Remember to blow between the sticks, not through the straws.) Notice that you can make different sounds by blowing through different parts of the instrument, by blowing harder or softer, or by moving the straws closer together or farther apart. Experiment to find out how many sounds you can make.
H o w D o e s Th i s Happen? When you blow into the harmonica, you make the large rubber band vibrate, and that vibration produces sound. Long, heavy objects vibrate slowly and produce low-pitched sounds; shorter, lighter objects vibrate quickly and produce high-pitched sounds. The tightness of a rubber band changes its pitc h: A tighter band leads to a higher pitch. When you move the straws closer together in your harmonica, you shorten the part of the rubber band that can vibrate, and the pitch becomes higher than the original sound. You may have also experienced this effect if you’ve ever stretched a blade of grass between your fingers and blown into it to make the grass vibrate and bu zz. Like the rubber band in the harmonica, your vocal cords vibrate when you speak or sing. When they are tighter, they vibrate faster and make higher sounds.
For some tunes that you can play on y o u r h a r m o nic a d u r in g C a mp K i d s N i g h t In, visit nightinboxes.com/music. C a mp C o u n s e l o r s a n d C a mp e r s , d o n ’ t forget to capture a video of your h a r m o nic a d u e t a n d p o s t t o F a c e b o o k o r I n s t a g r a m u s in g t h e h a s h t a g s # K I DS N I G H T I N BO X & # C A M P K N I .
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C o o k Yo u r S ' m o re s ! O ptions for I nside & O utside
If the sun is not out or if your Camper is too young t o e n j o y a s o la r oven: If you are not able to find the Sun but you still want to enjoy your s’mores, simply pop the bottom graham cracker, chocolate and marshmallow in the microwave for a few seconds until the marshmallow starts to swell up. After you stop the microwave and remove the marshmallow, place the top graham cracker on the stack, and enjoy!
If it is sunny:
Have your little camper(s) write out or color in (depending on their age) the instructions for how to cook a s’more!
how to make a s ' more F ir st :
Secon d:
I M P O RTA N T !
Please note, unlike mo st s’mores recipes, ours puts the marshmallow UNDER the chocolate. That’s because in a solar oven, marshmallow takes longer to melt than chocolate. If y ou are enjoying this adventure on a warm, sunny day, melting your marshmallows can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes.
Thir d:
Once a marshmallow is squishy, place a pie ce of chocolate on top and then allow the snack to cook for a bit longer. We have designed the next activity on page 10 to be completed in conjunction with the s’mores’ cook time to allow for some entertainment as you cook!
La st :
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Kids Night In Box • Camp Kids Night In
B u i l d Yo u r C a m p B i n o c u la r s &
F o l l o w i n g t h e d i re c t i o n s i n c l u d e d i n t h e b i n o c u la r k i t , h a v e y o u r l i t t le c a m p e r ( s ) a s s e m b le t h e b i n o c u la r s ! Yo u w i l l n e e d t h e m f o r t h e n e x t a c t i vi t y !
Camp Kids Night In • Kids Night In Box
En j o y A Scavenger Hunt Get ready to explore a campsite as part of a scavenger hunt! Remember to look high and low to see how many items you can find.
Can you find these items? □ □R o ck □ □Le af □ □Stick □ □Flo w er □ □F eath er □ □B ar k □ □See d □ □Nu t □ □Gr ass
Find something with each of these shapes: □ □Cir cle □ □Sq u ar e □ □Tr ian gl e
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Once your little camper(s) complete the scavenger hunt, give your camper(s) the included stickers a s a f u n re w a r d !
Do you see any of these? □ □B i rd □ □B utte rf l y □ □Ant □ □B ug □ □D uc k □ □Wate r
Find something with each of these colors: □ □Re d □ □Ye l l o w □ □B l ue
E N J O Y Y O U R S ' M O R ES
Volume 2, 2018
Kids Night In
#KIDSNIGHTINBOX
Until Next Month! -
T he N ight I n B o x es T eam