Saturday, October 1, 2011

Free Honey Recipes



Download Printable Recipes and Cooking!
September was National Honey Month (Yes, we apologize for having missed this, but thanks to MamaCheaps reminder here are some free honey related recipes -- better for you and your students (or your own family) and honey tastes good too!  After all, who can argue with the wisdom of Winnie The Pooh? 
To get these great recipes go visit MamaCheaps and click to download the info.  Thanks Mama!
Oh and just to remind you, Pooh has a new movie coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray on October 25, 2011. 




Yields 10–12 bars

Yields 2 snacks



On Blu-ray

Combo Pack, DVD and Movie Download

October 25

Monday, September 26, 2011

It's Take A Child Outside Week - What Can You Do Outdoors?



Every year Take a Child Outside Week is from September 24 to September 30.  Take a Child Outside Week was initiated to help children discover more about the world of nature.  Their web site gives anyone who works with children or has them great ways to help your children discover the outdoor world. They also provide other great resources to find other ideas.

Remember when communing with nature was the 'in' thing? Take A Child Outside Week wants to reinforce the idea that we need to take our students or children outside. When we take them outside you let them go back and learn to appreciate nature.  So take the time to share the wonders of the outdoor world with children. 



The goals of Take A Child Outside Week are to help children develop a better understanding and appreciation of their environment as well as develop an interest in exploring it.

Other things going outside does that help children:
  • it helps them feel connected to the natural world
  • it helps kids focus in school
  • it reduces chances of obesity
One great idea you can put to use this week or any week is to take a Shape Walk.  When you go on a walk, have children look for shapes outside.  Have children point out squares, circles, rectangles and other shapes they see in nature as they walk along. 

This helps hone their observation skills and reinforce shape learning. It also enhances gross motor skills and observation skills.  Best of all taking a Shape Walk is FREE! No cost to parents or nursery schools--what more could you want? Free lessons, fresh air, sunshine, exercise, and it's HEALTHY! What could be better.

Healthy Snack For Preschoolers -- Or Growing Things and Eating Them Too


It's always a challenge to find healthy snacks for preschoolers.  So when you can incorporate making a healthy snack into your lesson plan it's a real bonus. This project from Taste and Tell does just that. 

To try planting this carrot patch you need: 

small terra cotta pots
hummus (you can sub whipped cream cheese mixed with ranch salad dressing dry mix instead, it's not as healthy but the kids might like it better)
baby carrots
curly parsley
small paper or plastic cups 3oz size
toothpicks
spoons

Directions:

Open hummus and spoon it into small cups that will fit inside your flower pots (acting as your 'dirt'.)

Spoon hummus into small cups that will fit inside the pots.
Use a toothpick to push a small hole in the larger end of the carrots and insert a small piece of parsley to represent carrot tops.  Use three or four carrots per pot. (Depending the the dexterity of your group, you may want to poke the hole during your prep time)
Children can then plant their carrots in their pots by pushing them down into the hummus.
 
An added bonuses? If you want to expand the lesson, plant some carrot seeds in the pots after the snack has been eaten and start your own class carrot garden or the kids can take home their pot and seed to plant at home.

Why do I love this lesson?  It starts with students making their own healthy snack and doesn't need any cooking, so it's great for classrooms without kitchens. Students then move onto planting the seeds to make their own carrot garden--a whole new lesson.  And they can feed what they grow to their classroom guinea pig or make a whole new snack from their garden.  It can lead to a lesson on food groups and nutrition or a discussion about growing your own food.  This is a lesson that keeps on giving!

Recipe originally from Family Fun.