Chocolate Birds' Nests

We have so many left over jelly beans in our house, it's crazy. I have to find things to do with them so I STOP eating them. They were the perfect Easter treat for M1 since they do not contain dairy like the majority of the Easter candy does. (She is allergic to all dairy.) I'm working to find a way to get rid of them & this was our first project, Chocolate Birds' Nests. Unfortunately, it involves eating them which is what I'm trying NOT to do!! They were so easy for M1 & M2 to make & fun since we've finally been seeing and talking about all the birds outside again now that Spring has arrived.  Give them a try but don't throw away your other left-over beans just yet... I've got other activites coming up the week of April 22nd. Check back & see!

Supplies: *Jelly Beans, *Chow Mein Noodles, *Chocolate Chips, *Wax Paper, *Spoon, *Microwaveable Bowl

1. Melt 1/2 bag of chocolate chips in a glass or microwaveable bowl in 30 second increments until melted, about a minute & a half. The bowl does get a bit warm so hold off on letting the little ones help with this step.

2. Now the little ones can join in. Have your child add a heaping amount of the Chow Mein noodles & stir until they are completely coated with chocolate.

 

3. Tear a large piece of wax paper & set it on the counter where you'll be working.

4. Using a large spoon, help your child scoop out a fairly large amount of the noodle mixture & place the clump onto the wax paper.

5. Again using the spoon, make a small divot in the top of the "nest" where the eggs will soon be placed.

6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 until the chocolate/noodle mixture is gone.

7. Once all the nests are created & on the wax paper, allow your child to begin placing 3-4 jelly bean "eggs" on top of each nest.
8. Refridgerate for an hour to allow time for the chocolate to set.

Don't forget to check back in a little over a week for some other fun ways to utilize all the extra jelly beans!

Enjoy! s.b.