Rudolph Day!

December 2nd is Rudolph day!  We celebrated it a day early at the library today.  The craft we did was a simple brown square of paper folded accordian style and stapled at one end.  We then had the kids trace their hands on a black sheet of paper, and cut them out.  These were the antlers.  Add googly eyes, and a red circle nose and you have a cute little reindeer!  We also made some reindeer food for the kids to sprinkle on the lawn on Christmas Eve.  Last year we used baby food jars, but this year we did plastic baggies.  Just layer oats, white granulated sugar, green sanding sugar, red sanding sugar, and I add some Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal.  Add a decorative ribbon, and this cute little poem. 

Sprinkle on the lawn at night

The moon will make it sparkle bright

As Santa's reindeer fly and roam

This will guide them to your home.

I also made Make-Your-Own reindeer sandwiches.  Make a peanut butter sandwich and cut into triangles.  Put large pretzels in the top for antlers, and I used raisins for eyes, and dried cranberries for the nose.  There weren't any left!  I think they were a hit!!

Snowflakes

Today is December 1, and we were lucky enough to get a nice blanket of snow!  The kids were so excited to look out the window and see that.  They insisted on digging out the good old snow boots!  So after naps today I figured we would do a science experiment.  I got out 3 sheets of black paper.  And then I asked the kids "What do you think the snowflakes look like?" STARS!!! and "Do you think they all look the same?" YESSSS!!!!  So we all bundled back up and headed out front.  I showed the kids how to hold the paper to collect the most amount of flakes.  So I asked them the questions again, and they said the same thing.  I showed them that all the snowflakes looked different.  There was a big one that had tons of lines, and then another big one that had very few.  They loved it! 

So we headed back inside and got out computer paper that had been used on one side.  Folded them up and showed the kids how to cut.  It was a great way to work on their cutting skills.  D didn't really get the whole concept and barely cut anything off hers.  L really got into it!  L did ask if we could decorate them with glitter.  Sure, no problem!  I went into the craft supplies, grabbed the Elmer's glue, glitter, paint brushes, and some egg carton cups.  I mixed up a few teaspoons of glue with a sprinkling of glitter and mixed.  I sat the kids down at the table and gave them a paintbrush.  They had a great time.  Do put a layer of newspaper down under the crafts before hand.  It wasn't too bad to clean up, I sprayed it down right away and it cleaned right up. 

The pictures don't do these justice!

sunflower craft

Last year and this year, we have tried to host a sunflower day, but we always seem to have it a bit too late in the season.  Well, we know for next year.  Last year I was able to get a large sunflower head and let the kids dig the seeds out.  This year I had a craft.  I had the shapes already cut out for the kids.  We had them all glue the pieces to a white sheet of paper.  We then drizzled some Elmer's glue over the yellow circle and had the kids smear it with their fingers (make sure to have wet wipes on hand for easy, quick clean up!).  The kids were each given a handful of dry black beans to then sprinkle over the glue.  They thought that was the best part!

The two stories we read were:

Big Yellow Sunflower by Frances Barry

and

Sunflower House by Eve Bunting

Turkey Day!

Okay, so I know that I'm a little behind, but cut me some slack alright ;-)  This year the kids were really into Thanksgiving, and everything that goes with it.  I thought it would be fun to make hand print toilet paper tube turkeys.  I helped the kids trace their hands on different colors of construction paper, and cut them out for them.  I had the beaks, feet, body, and gobbler cut out and ready for them.  (That's what I do during naps)  I had the kids glue them together.  They loved it and asked what else we could do that day.  Just an FYI, in the drive over to my dad's the night before Thanksgiving, it was apparently too cold for glue stick to stay stuck because by the time we got there all the eyes fell off.  Oh well, you live and learn!

I also hosted a turkey day for the moms group.  I had an image of a roasted turkey printed off (from The Mailbox).  The kids colored them, and then using glue sticks, we sprinkled thyme all over them.  We talked about how they both start with the letter T, and that some people using thyme while roasting their turkeys.  We also had a turkey print out to color and paste.  I had all the pieces cut out and in snack baggies along with all the crayons and glue sticks they would need to complete all the projects.  I find that this is an easy way to help pass out supplies to a big group of kids.

I also helped the kids paint their hands to make the Mayflower.  You paint the whole hand brown, and put down on a piece of blue paper.  Have the kids add a mast, and sail.  I let me kids use crayons to add more fun.  L thought they needed a sea monster and shark.  Who knew!  D added in a vague anchor. 

While at my dad's for Thanksgiving, Adam had created print outs of Pilgrims for the kids to color.  We colored and cut them out.  They formed a cone shape.  He then went through an old newspaper and cut out faces.  Found a sheet of black paper and cut out hats.  We then glued the whole thing to toothpicks, and stuck them in the top of the "body" cone.  Adam did make a really neat Mayflower out of a grocery paper bag.  It was amazing, but I forgot to take a picture!  Bummer!