Recently, I attended a bake sale and I spied a plate of adorable Rice Krispie treat turkeys. I didn’t purchase them, but those little birds stuck in my head – I kept thinking they’d be such a fun project to do with kids, but I wondered whether my own little ones would have the patience to follow the turkey pattern (most likely: no.) And that’s when it hit me – Rice Krispie treat “dough” is just begging to be sculpted and molded and squished and sculpted again! It’s a lot like play dough, only better because you can devour your creation when it’s finished.

This activity would be perfect for a child’s birthday party – I envision a huge mound of Rice Krispie dough in the center of a table, surrounded by a gaggle of little party guests happily creating (and sampling!) together. If you add in some colorful candies (think gingerbread house decorations) and a few small bowls of frosting or peanut butter to attach the candies to their sculptures, I think the kiddos would be in heaven.

At the end of the party, you can either package up their creations and send them home with each child, or you could give them each a classic Rice Krispie treat bar as a party favor – adorned with a personalized tag or sticker from Big Dot of Happiness, of course!

I’ll share below the original recipe for Rice Krispie treats, but if you’re short on time, store-bought krispie treats will work just as well for sculpting and molding. The only rule: have FUN!

Basic Rice Krispie Treats

Classic Rice Krispie treat dough is perfect for sculpting as is, but if you’d like to go all out you can make a batch with Cocoa Krispies or add a couple drops of food coloring when you’re melting the butter and marshmallows together. Fresh, cooled treats are the easiest to work with, so mix up a batch just before the party, spread the whole mess out on a piece of waxed paper (do not press it down), and let it cool before the kids dig in. You can use a bit of butter or cooking spray on the children’s hands if sticking is a problem.

3 Tbsp butter

4 cups mini marshmallows

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated. If you’re planning to sculpt: Dump the mixture onto a piece of waxed paper or parchment lightly sprayed with cooking spray and let it cool. If you are making classic bars: Using a buttered spatula or wax paper, evenly press the mixture into a 13 x 9-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool, then cut into bars.

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla blogger