100 (Attempted) Ways to Entertain a Young Toddler, Day 42: Make Hot Cocoa

Oliver and I took a walk along the creek early this evening. It was chilly enough that he needed a jacket, although he was upset at having to wear one. When we got back, I thought it would be fun to make him a hot cocoa. The idea got even better when I decided he could make it (mostly) himself.

I got out the Ovaltine and let Oliver take off the lid. I told him we'd do three scoops. I gave him the spoon and let him scoop as I counted. Most of it went into his mug.

After scooping the Ovaltine, Oliver twisted off the lid to the milk. I helped support the heavy carton as Oliver poured. Again, most of it got into the mug!

Oliver wasn't too interested in stirring the cocoa, so I stirred it as he worked on getting the lid back on the milk. We quickly cleaned up, and then I put the mug in the microwave. I held Oliver up to the microwave and let him shut the door. I typed in 20 seconds, and Oliver hit start. Once it was done (Oliver announced, "It's DONE!"), I stirred it again to ensure even temperature and checked to make sure it wasn't too hot. I gave Oliver the mug, and...

...he drank it!

Oliver doesn't like milk, so the fact that he drank the whole mug was amazing! We're lucky if he gets six ounces of milk a week, and here he drank a full six ounces in under five minutes. Oliver and Mom were very happy.

While not a good idea to get your kid hooked on sugary drinks, I think this is a very fun, occasional activity. I look forward to doing this again after spending time outside on another chilly evening. I give this activity an A-. While so much fun, it made a bit of a sticky mess and isn't good to do all the time.