Book of the Week

This week, our book of the week is:

 

Little Quack

 

By: Lauren Thompson

 

This book of the week this week is one of the cutest books I think I have ever read to these kids.  It is about a Mama duck deciding that it's time for her ducklings to take to water and as she speaks so sweetly and encouragingly to her babies as they respond with fear then bravery.  I was really able to change my voice from the Mama voice to the duckling voice pretty easily so it made for an easy and fun book for me too. 

The kids have asked for this one for a couple of days in a row now which gives it a boost for the rating.

 

Again, Again Rating: 10

 

 

 

 

 

Cute Little Flowers

I actually saw a picture of a flower like this on the internet somewhere but did not mark it at the time, so I cannot claim this idea as my own because it's not.   They even made something similar on Calliou today.  But, I am a big flower child and always love to have flowers indoors.  This is a quick and easy way to have pretty blooms in the house when there aren't many outside and it takes a minimal amount of supplies. 

 

You will need:  Cupcake liners, buttons and pipe cleaners, which I don't think are actually called pipe cleaners anymore in craft stores.  You simply punch a pipe cleaner up through the bottom of a cupcake liner, thread it through a button, push it back down through another hole in the liner that you make with the pipe cleaner and twist it on to the remaining longer piece of pipe cleaner.  WaaLaa... paper flowers!  I also criss-crossed scotch tape over a mason jar to make holes so the stems would stand up better.  And as you can see you can get as frilly as you want with the centers and stems as pipe cleaners are very bendy friendly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting Seeds

We have a plethora of seeds started for our garden here at the DC.  Not all of them will actually be in the garden that we will grow here.  Mainly because I have more windows that have wonderful sunlight, more so than at home since three sides of our home are porch covered.  So some of them will go to our home garden. 

The kids love to talk about our garden and making plans.  We talk during lunch time about which foods grow in the garden and it is funny because they will say things like hot dogs and popsicles grow in the garden which would I guess in a much more perfect world.  But talks like this lead to discussions of where other foods do come from and which foods are made from vegetables grown in the garden and they always know which vegetables came from our garden.

 

I wanted to involve the kids more this year in the garden from seed to table.  So we began by the children helping me make newspaper pots to begin some seeds in.  We actually started out with Roma tomato and Marigold seeds.  The most of our vegetables we will sow the seeds directly into the garden.  But our new window seed shelf is currently home to four trays of seedlings and soon-to-be seedlings. 

 

I also ran into a temporary problem at the beginning of our process, which I seem to run into often, of finding I left something at home that we need.  In this case it was the plastic wrap to go over the trays to use as makeshift greenhouses.  I looked around the rooms and was lucky to find two zip up plastic carrying cases that I had saved when I bought two sets of toys at the thrift store.  These are working like magic and are quickly turning into two of my favorite mini greenhouses.  They are like the zip ups that sheets or comforters come in.  It is a fantastic use for them. 

 

So here are a few pictures of our seed process that lets you see the kids spooning dirt into our pots.  It has become a daily event of checking to see which seeds have sprouted.  Especially for me... the one who waters the most.  If you have any questions on starting seeds for your own garden please shoot me an email!

Book of the Week

Our book of the week is called:

 

"Sitting in My Box"

 

By: Dee Lillegard

 

 

This is a book that I checked out last Fall, from the library, that remains one of our favorites.  The children listening intently as I read about a little boy who gathered up a book and got inside his cardboard box to be along and read.  To his surprise the box quickly filled.  The book ends with the boy saying "sitting in my box, just me."  This line hit one of the three year old boys here.  I have watched him many times take a book from our book shelf and sit down alone in the playroom somewhere to read.    I have even heard him say "just me."  It makes me smile when a book impacts a child in some way.

 

Again, Again Rating: 10

 

 

A New Shelf

There are two windows on the back side of the day care that are facing West, just so that they get all the afternoon sun they can stand.  One of the windows is above our eating area and the other is in the main playroom.  Since it is almost time for us to begin sprouting seeds for our garden I felt we needed a good shelf in a sunny spot.  The playroom window seemed like the perfect window for plant life.  So I asked Shaun if he could cut us a piece of wood and I found a couple of brackets that I had left over from setting up the day care last Spring. 

 

In just a jiff we had a new shelf installed!  We put the brackets on each side of the window, screwed them to the wall and to the wooden shelf.  It is perfect.  It is high enough to keep little hands out of the pots but in the area where we can get them down for viewing anytime. And it is still low enough so they will clearly be able to see the plants grow (and low enough for me to whack my head!). 

 

I love, love, love this shelf! 

Biscuit Pizzas

This recipe is easy and one of my most favorite lunches to make because it lets the children get involved.  We have so much fun making these pizzas and they are not bad to eat!

 

Biscuit Pizzas

 

1 - 10 count can of refrigerator biscuits

1 jar pizza sauce

mozzarella cheese

mini pepperoni

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees or whatever temperature the can of biscuits calls for.  Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet.  For 10 pizzas I use two trays holding five biscuits each to give them enough space to rise while cooking.  This is where the kid part comes in.  Let the children smash down the dough with their hands.  Next, I usually do this part, put one tablespoon of sauce on each pizza and spread out almost to the edge of each pizza.  Then let the kids put on the cheese and whatever toppings you have put out for them to use.  Bake the pizzas for 8-10 minutes or however long the biscuit package says.  Watch them closely for the last minute or two so the bottoms don't burn then watch them be devoured on the lunch table!

 

I cut the little pizzas with a pizza cutter into wedges just like regular sized pizzas. 

Use whatever toppings you wish.  I have pre-browned sausage and used two kinds of cheeses before. 

The kids love that they get to help make lunch and are proud of what they have made!

 

 

 

 

 

Ok it looks like that time I did not cut them into wedges, but that's ok.

 

Book of the Week

This week's book is by one of my favorite children's books authors, Kevin Henkes.

The name of the book this week is:

 

"Kitten's First Full Moon"

 

By: Kevin Henkes

 

 

Children seem very curious about night and dark.  This book holds a sweet story of Kitten's First Full Moon and what she thinks the moon is. 

 

After we read this book we pulled out some black construction paper and traced circles with white chalk on the paper.  The kids enjoyed making a full moon and even made marks for stars.

(sadly, I did not take pictures of the activity part)

 

 

Again, Again Rating: 8

 

Mainly because we started the activity after the second reading.

 

 

Here are a few more books by Kevin Henkes to enjoy.



Kid Kazoos

Here is a fun idea for when you feel like a lot of noise in the house!  If you don't find youself feeling this way... get yourself some earplugs! 

 

Material List

 

empty cardboard toilet paper rolls

waxed paper

rubber bands

 

 

Begin by cutting the waxed paper into a four inch circle.  Place the piece of waxed paper on one end of the tube.  Gently pull the paper down the sides of the tube and secure with a rubber band.  Your job is done.  Hand it over and hold your ears.  Or if you are anything like me... make one of your own and join right in!

 

The kazoos can be decorated before hand with glue and glitter, paint or markers by the kids.

 

 

Kiddo Cinnamon Toast

Here at the DC, food has to happen, and sometimes it has to happen quick.  Especially when it's something that sounds so good at the time that I have trouble resisting the urge to make.  Like cinnamon toast.  Easy plus very few ingredients equals big smiles... and that's what I like.  For an easy breakfast try cinnamon toast and cut up fruit.  Very friendly.

 

Cinnamon Toast

 

4 slices of bread

4 Tbsp butter at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp sugar

a few shakes of cinnamon

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Place the bread on to a cookie sheet and spread butter mixture on the top side of the bread only.  Place in preheated oven and bake for seven minutes.  After seven minutes, turn the oven off and the broil on low.  Broil for two minutes.  Watch toast closely while the broiler is on so as not to burn the tops. 

Cut bread into strips for kids to easily pick up.  Serve with fruit or eggs or whatever you wish!

 

I have been wanting to try this recipe with honey instead of sugar. 

If you do this before I do please report the results.  Thanks. 

 

Love, Laurie 

 

 

Book of the Week

This week  I am happy to say that our book of the week is:

 

"Tap Tap Bang Bang"

 

By: Emma Garcia

 

 

I have to tell you that we read this book over and over until the library almost demanded it back!  The part I like about reading a book like this is the looks on the faces of the children as they are looking at the pages listening to my book voice razzle-dazzle up the words. 

 

This book shows lots of tools, which the boys are very in to, what they do and the sounds they make.  Then the ending shows what they made with all the tools. 

Fantastic. 

 

 

Again, Again Rating: 10

 

 

I much enjoyed "Toot Toot Beep Beep" also by Emma Garcia.  Enough to where I checked with the library to see how many other books they had by her and made my requests. 

 

 



April Showers Bring May Flowers

Hooray!  Spring is almost here!  April showers may seem far off, this being early March, but it's really not.  I started out today wanting to have white, daisy like flowers on the wall around March on our wall.  I wound up with a few clovers around the month and making flowers and raindrops for the mirror in our eating area. 

I made a PDF template to share with you of simple flowers that I made from circles in three colors.  You can print them on white paper or card stock and simply cut them out.  I also used left over bits of green construction paper for the stems and folded a light blue piece and cut out rain drops. 

You can find the template for the flowers by clicking HERE.  Please let me know if you have trouble and I can email it to you. 

HAPPY SPRING!  It may still be cold but we are definately on the down hill slide from Winter!

Pay no attention to the girl behind the mirror!