Christmas Food

So tomorrow we are having kids Christmas Party lunch, so nice stuff made. Cookie Christmas tree (Not too much icing, you'll find out why in a mo)

Cranberry sauce made and in jars (a little organised me thinks)

Not quite finished chocolate cake, but look at the icing a little too much made (hence why all icing sugar used, had to keep adding. After decanting a bit off and adding a whole bunch more icing sugar the correct consistency was got - left. Im calling the other one sauce)

So anyone any festive ideas for chocolate butter icing and or sauce?

Ps. Icing sugar for Americans is actually powdered sugar

Oreo Turkeys

Ok so being in England, we don't celebrate Thanksgiving! Now it seems we've acquired all your other holiday's and customs (halloween, fathers day etc.) I'm surprised we haven't stollen this one and made it our own! Obviously we couldn't celebrate the for the reasons you guys do, but certainly the essence of thankfulness is never wasted! Anyway we celebrate Thanksgiving (American in law) and this year made these cute turkey lollies inpiration obtained by googling "oreo turkeys" but I settled on these being the most easy to emulate in large numbers (we had fifty + for dinner). I obviously used white chocolate buttons for feathers because candy corn is too expensive in England (glued in with chocolate icing), liquorice laces for legs (pretzels too fat for my oreos) and half a smartie for beak (oh an a small piece of liquorice for that nose thing). I iced the eyes.

These were last year's turkeys, again inspired by bloggers via google, but using crispy cakes (English twist again) and pretzels for feathers- but these were way toooooo fragile to make a lot of!

Flower Ring

I created these Flower Rings to be used in Wedding themed play for flower girls! They were so quick to make and turned out really well. I purchased a silk flower lei from poundland, and cut the string to separate the flowers. I already had the rings (handles for bags I think?) I then simply stuck a length of double sided seleotape to ring, and stuck a selection of flowers on top. Hey Presto!

Independence Day

Well I'm not American, but I have a lot of friends! So here are cute cup cakes, in honour or should I say honor of the United States.

Chinese New Year Activities 2

A few more ideas for activities relating to Chinese New Year.

Transferring pom-poms with chop sticks, sorting two colours.

Oriental dolls and food for celebrating book which one of the children found on the bookshelf.

Pop up dragon game.

Ordering numbers relating to the order of the story of the Chinese new year.

Matching photos to symbols loto, animals of the Chinese New year story.

Oriental purses with money in to put in lucky envelopes, with New Year cards. I was going to add numbers in the envelopes for children to put the correct money into the envelope, but instead let them explore and discuss money. We verbally added up how much was in each envelope.

A small collection of Chinese artefacts, including a rabbit relating to the Year of the rabbit 2011

Transfering dry rice from chinese bowls with a spoon.

Rabbit shaped cards, decorated with a selection of collage materials.

Chinese New Year Activities

A dragon mask which will form the head of a dragon, with body made out of paper plates.

Telling the story of the Chinese new year.

Chop sticks are difficult for little inexperienced hands.
Determination, and practice certainly pays.

Spooning and transferring rice in the sensory tray.

A perfect played with mess!

Felt Chinese food

More felt chinese food made, now awaiting play!

Chinese fortune cookies and Wontons

Well it's Chinese New Year on Wednesday, so I've set to work making some felt chinese food. We do have a chinese food play set but as with all occasions it's always nice to add to it. The fortune cookies were made using these instructions on Youtube by lillybeanplayfood, except I hand sewed rather than using a machine. There are lots of now sew instructions if you google "felt fortune cookies".
For the felt I used felt cleaning cloth from a pack of 12 from poundland. For the stuffing I simply used the scraps from cutting the felt into the required shapes. These wontons were made using the same fabric, by simply cutting a circle (I used a roll of tape as my template). I then tied a piece of green floss about a cm from end, then sewed a running stitch approx 4 cm from the perimeter of the circle. Stuffed then pulled floss tight and tying working end to the knotted end, creating a tie imitating the seaweed used to tie wontons.

I'll probably make some more food tomorrow and may break habit and post results on a Sunday! I think I will start with dumplings from with instructions from Burnt Muffin

Ribbon Sticks

I have coveted these ribbon sticks called carnival sticks fromJabadao national centre for movement, learning and health, the most wonderful organisation dedicated to creative movement opportunities.

In a moment of creative inspiration with only a short time on my hands and a need for something extra for a gift for a baby I made a couple of similar sticks. All I used were a pair of old think stripy tights, craft ribbon/ braid (non fray) and pencils with the end blunted (I didn't have any dowel).

Having a bit more time that originally thought I made a little container to put them in, and to work on fine motor skills too. I think I'll be making a rather large set of these.

More Christmas Fine Motor activities

More Christmas fine motor activities, never have enough of these in the pre writing stage if you ask me.

Stamping with ink pad, was a popular activity to create christmas cards, but proved a little more difficult got little hands than I anticipated. I actually added a wooden coaster to the basket showing the children how they could place the stamp on paper, lay coaster on top and apply even pressure with both hands, this proved most successful.

Small bead threading with Christmas colours onto a pipe cleaner. Beads in a small tin to support fine finger muscle strength and manipulation. Initially created only as a fine motor activity but extended to creating patterns.

Father Christmas shaped tin with a large bell inside, initially designed as an infant activity for opening, getting bell out and replacing. But still accessed by the old children and does require a bit of skill opening the tin.

Christmas tag making, by far the most popular activity and I didn't get a photo! Every time I went to take the photo the resources were running out or ran out, and I never managed to get one made in action. I simply supplied old Christmas cards, a pair of scissors, a single hole puncher and curling ribbon. I showed the children the process of cutting their desired shape/ picture, punching two holes and threading the ribbon into one hole and out the other (few of the children can tie knots so I felt it best to focus on the creative process rather than teaching a new skill).

Whilst this was a hugely successful activity it proved challenging to follow the required sequence without support, I was tempted to add a picture instruction card but decided against it as felt it would reduce the problem solving/ thinking element. So by providing the occasional verbal prompt when requested or a reflected question e.g. "what do you think is next?" I was able to support to independence. If I was ever to make picture instructions I would do so in a three page book format that could be turned over to reveal the next stage of the sequence only if needed, rather than proving it to them "on a plate"

This is not a photo of my activity (far too perfect) but felt empty without a pic, so stole it from Crafting a Green World, which is a FABULOUS site full of green ideas, check it out.

Christmas Songs

Songs are an ever present part of Christmas from Slade to Ding Dong Merrily on high, and of course the cheesy children's classics. Here are a couple of songs that were on our shelves this years and have been particularly popular particularly the tree one, Snowmen were last year's favourite.

Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Star

(tune of Twinkle Twinkle)

Twinkle twinkle Christmas star

Wise men know what you are

Guided by your shining light

Helped them on there way at night

Twinkle twinkle Christmas star

Wise men know what you are.

or

Ten little Gold Stars

(tune of Ten Little Indians)

1 little, 2 little, 3 little gold stars,

4 little, 5 little, 6 little gold stars,

7 little, 8 little, 9 little gold stars

10 little gold stars for....(child's name)

Children taking it in turns to give them to their friends.

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Five Christmas Trees

(tune of Five Current Buns)

Five Christmas trees in the garden shop

Tall and spiky with a star on top

Along came.... (child's name)

With some money one day

Bought a Christmas tree and took it away

I purposefully made it "money" rather than penny in the hope that it would encourage children to say how much a tree would cost. My expectations were exceeded and we went as far as adding the right coins together and giving change some times we don't give children enough credit.

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Five little snowmen fat

Each had a funny hat

Out came the sun and Melted one

What a funny thing was that.

Four little...

I either get children to draw a sun on a piece of paper e.g. "Oh no, we haven't a sun we'd better make one quick" usually followed with "I will". Or provide them with a torch to shine it onto the chosen snowman, which is another great hand eye coordination exercise along with creating anticipation and encouraging visual tracking for other children.

Or

“I’m a little snowman, short and fat.

Here’s my carrot nose and here is my hat.

When it’s cold and icy I will stay,

But in the sun I melt away!”

Some wonderful Christmas son ideas are available at Perpetual Preschool