Celebrate National Lollipop Day

It’s always fun to celebrate holidays with your grandkids.

And, it’s always fun to celebrate unusual and unique holidays.

Well! Have I got the unusual holiday for you!

National Lollipop Day!

National Lollipop Day is July 20. As in the day after tomorrow!

I have two fun — and edible — crafts that you can do with your grandkids to celebrate this sweet day.

When I was in grade school, I LOVED the brown Tootsie Roll suckers. I LOVED the chewy Tootsie Roll center. (I also loved eating Tootsie Rolls!)

I think that is why I was thrilled to find out the July 20 is National Lollipop Day. It gives me an excuse to eat Tootsie Roll suckers! (Like, I really need a reason to eat one??)

Have you ever wonder how suckers came to be?

Well, the history is a tad fuzzy.  Some people think that they were invented during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Others claim that lollipops were around in the early 1800s.

However, George Smith gets most of the credit for inventing the modern lollipop in 1908. He thought that if you put candy on a stick it would be easier to eat it. (While he’s right, little kids sure get sticky when eating them!)

He trademarked the lollipop name in 1931 after the name of his favorite racing horse, Lolly Pops.

So, in celebration of this yummy day, I have two fun and super easy crafts to make – a super hero and a flower.

Here are the supplies that you will need:

• Suckers
• Printed capes
• Printed masks
• Daisy pattern
• Scrapbook paper
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Xacto knife
• Tape

To make the super hero suckers, print and cut out the capes and the masks.

Punch a hole in the cape. Be really careful not to punch it too close to the edge. As you push the cape up the sucker stick, you’ll be pushing it over some of the wrapper. The thickness of the wrapper could be too big for the hole and make it tear.

Push a sucker through the hole.

Tape the mask around the sucker and voilá! Your super hero sucker is finished! See. Isn’t that a cinch to make?

Next is the sucker flower.

Print out the daisy pattern. Use it to cut daisies out of the scrapbook paper. Cut out the same number of large daisies as you do small sized ones.

Place a small daisy on top of the large daisy. Use an Xacto knife to punch a hole in the middle. (I drew these flowers too big for a hole punch to reach to the center. That’s why you have to use an Xacto knife.)

Slip a sucker through the hole.

Voilá. That’a it for these sweet flowers!

You can make a whole bunch of super heroes and sucker daisies to give to your grandchildren.

Or if your grandchildren live far away, you can send them the patterns and some suckers so they can make them at home.

I hope you have a tastefully happy National Lollipop Day!