Friday Activity: Hanukkah Memory Book

Each Friday we'll bring you a fun activity to do with your kids!

This week's activity is...

Hanukkah Memory Book

Brown paper grocery bag
6 - 12 zipper-closed gallon plastic bags
red black and green construction paper
hole punch
scissors
pipe cleaner
markers

1. The plastic bags will be the pages of your book. Stack them so that the bottoms of the bags are on your left.

2. From the brown paper bag, cut a cover that folds around the plastic bags to form both the front and the back of the book. (The cover should be a little larger than the pages.)

3. Make sure all the pages are lined up inside the cover. Then punch a hole near the top and the bottom of the fold.

4. Use pieces of the pipe cleaner strung through the holes, with the ends twisted together, to hold the book together.

5. Use markers to color a picture on the front of your memory book.

6. Cut pieces of red, green, or plack construction paper to fit inside each of the plastic bag pages of your book. Then you can tape photgraphs, drawings, and other small memories of your Hanukkah celebration to the front and back of each construction paper sheet, and they will be protected by the plastic pages. (This idea can also be modified for vacation memory book, Birthday memory book, etc.)

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Thursday Games: Holiday Present Surprise

Each Thursday we'll bring you a fun game to play with your kids!

This week's game is...

Holiday Present Surprise

several boxes
wrapping paper
tape
gifts
candy
tape player

This game is based on the "cake walk" concept.

To prepare for the game, get several boxes incremental in size (they fit inside each other). You can use anywhere from 3 boxes and on up. Fill the smallest box with the prizes and candy, then wrap. Place it inside the next box and then wrap. Place that one inside the next box and wrap. And so on. Put a pretty bow on the last box to finish it off.

Now for the game: Have all the children get in a circle. (optional you can have picture or number markers for them to stand on). Play the music and have them walk around the circle - placing the present in the center. When you stop the music, pick one child (either by picking one of the numbers that they are standing on, or having a specially marked one on the floor). That child gets to go to the center and start unwrapping the present. (Most won't realize that there will be another box inside and it will get them excited!) Then start the music again and repeat the process.

Try to pick a different child each time. When a child opens the last box it contains the prize. That child can share the candy/prizes with the group. If you are doing a class party, you could fill the last box with little baggies of candy and prizes for each child. Have fun!!

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Crafty Wednesday: Fall Colors Place Mat

Each Wednesday we'll bring you a fun craft to make with your kids!

This week's craft is...

Fall Colors Place Mat

white and black construction paper
tempera paint
paper towels
fallen leaves
clear contact paper

In a sink or a water table, wet one side of a large sheet of white construction paper. Use paintbrushes to drop yellow, green and red tempera paint around on the wet side of the paper. Tip the paper back and forth so that the colors run together, you may want to add a little more water to get an all over effect. Let it dry on some paper towels. Place several collected leaves on the large sheet of black construction paper (do not glue). Trace around the leaves. Remove the leaves. Carefully cut out the leaves. When the color swirled paper is dry, glue the black paper on top of it so that the colors show through the leaf cut out shapes. This is a great effect. You can add a decorative edge to the place mat. When done, place clear contact paper over the mat, or laminate.

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Tuesday Recipe: A Turkey For The Turkey

Each Tuesday we'll bring you a tasty recipe or craft recipe to make with your kids!

This week's recipe is...

A Turkey For The Turkey

Small brown paper bag
1 ziplock bag
1 cup of rice
glue
Yellow construction paper
2 wiggly eyes
Orange construction paper
Red construction paper
Small square with the recipe printed
1 small rubberband

Print the recipe for "GOBBLE-GOOD TURKEY CASSEROLE" on a small square piece of paper. It is as follows:

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 package onion soup mix
1 cup rice (provided inside turkey)
1-1/2 cups milk
2 or 3 cups leftover turkey

Combine all ingredients in a large casserole dish. Bake covered 45 min. at 350 degrees. Gobble up!

Next make the paper sack turkey. Put the cup of rice in the ziplock bag and insert into the paper sack. This will be for the receiver of this turkey to use in their recipe. The paper sack will be the turkey's body. Bunch the middle of the papersack together and wrap the rubber band around the middle. This will give you 2 sections to the turkey. You will cut long slits on the open end of the sack. The slits need to be close together. This will create the feathers for the rear of your turkey.

The actual bottom of what use to be the paper sack is now going to be the front of your turkey. This is where you will need to glue your turkey's head that you cut out of yellow construction paper. The top of the head needs to stick up over the sack about 2 inches. Then cut out the diamond shape out of orange paper to glue on the beak. Next glue on the wiggly eyes. Finally you need to add the wattle by cutting out a thin rectangle out of the red construction paper and curling it with your scissors. Glue this directly under the beak.

Now that your turkey's face is complete you need to cut out 2 cute turkey feet to glue on the bottom of your turkey so they stick out a little from under the paper sack. Finally you glue on the "GOBBLE-GOOD TURKEY CASSEROLE" recipe right under the chin of the turkey. You're finished! Enjoy!

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Monday Music: A Funny Bird

Each Monday we'll bring you a fun song to sing with your kids!

This week's song is...

A Funny Bird

(make up your own tune)

The Turkey is a funny bird
His head goes wobble, wobble.
And all he ssays is just one word...
Gobble, gobble,gobble,
Gobble, gobble, gobble.

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Friday Activity: Apple Hunting

Each Friday we'll bring you a fun activity to do with your kids!

This week's activity is...

Apple Hunting

colored tag board
laminating machine
scissors

Make a copy of different sizes of apples (small, medium, large). Color them red, yellow, and green. Laminate the apples to make them sturdier. Hide the apples throughout the classroom. Have the children to go and find the small green apples and so on until all the apples are found. This game will help the children to learn their colors as well as different sizes.

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Thursday Games: Feed the Turkey

Each Thursday we'll bring you a fun game to play with your kids!

This week's game is...

Feed the Turkey

large box
brown craft paper
construction paper
poster board
yellow fabric
beans
rubber bands
markers
glue

Remove the flaps from one end of the box leaving an open space. Cover the box with brown craft paper, leaving the open end open. Place the box open end down. Cut out eyes ,beak, and feet from the construction paper. Glue to the front of the box. Cut out tail feathers from colored poster board and glue to the back of the box. Now, cut out an opening under the beak large enough to throw a bean bag in. The best shape is a triangle to accent the beak. Now cut out several 7" in diameter circles from the yellow fabric. Fill center with beans. Gather edges together and wrap tightly with a rubber band. TO PLAY: Have the children stand back, then take turns tossing the "ekernels of corn"e into the turkey's mouth. See who can get the most in!

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