Tuesday Recipe: Banana Boat Snack

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

This week's recipe is...

Banana Boat Snack

banana
peanut butter
raisins
wooden skewer or toothpick
construction paper

Slice a small piece off the bottom of a banana and lay it on a plate so that the bottom you cut off is flat and touching the plate and the "ends" of the banana are pointing out. Spread peanut butter on the top of the banana, and then place raisins on the peanut butter. (These are the sailors).

Make a small triangular flag from construction paper and write "S.S. ________ (your child's name)" on it, thread it through a wooden skewer or toothpick, and stick the skewer into the banana.

Tip: You may also want to pour some chocolate syrup around the "boat" to create "water".

Visit The Idea Box for all of our kid's recipes and craft recipe ideas

Monday Music: Active Listener Song

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

This week's song is...

Active Listener Song

(tune: Are You Sleeping?)

Active listeners,
Active listeners,
Eyes on me,
Ears on me,
Sitting flat,
Hands in your lap.
Listening !
Learning !

Visit The Idea Box for all of our music and song ideas

Friday Activity: Rainy Day Fun

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

This week's activity is...

Rainy Day Fun

Warm, rainy, summer days are great for exploring puddles. Put on rain gear or clothes that will not be harmed by water and go puddle stomping. Young children delight in splashing. Build a dam near the curb of a quiet street to create your own mini-lake. Float leaves down the gutter. Study reflections in the puddles. 

Look for special shapes in the clouds--animals, bug, etc. Measure puddles--length, width, depth. Use chalk to outline a puddle. Return to puddle later and compare its size with outline you made earlier. Learn a song or poem about rain. Many are available in childrens poetry book and song books. Have fun!

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Thursday Games: Froggy in the Middle

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

This week's game is...

Froggy in the Middle

Have kids stand in circle pick one child to be the "froggy". The Froggy gets into the middle and jumps around like a frog while the kids in the circle clap their hands and sing:

There's a froggy in the middle and she (or he) can't get out, she can't get out, she can't get out.
There's a froggy in the middle and she can't get out let's give a hand and help her out.

When one of the kids helps her out, that one goes inside.

This works great for me after story time to get the kids to wash their hands for lunch. After the froggy makes it out, they go and wash their hands.

Visit The Idea Box for all of our game ideas

Idea Box Daily: Spring Has Sprung

We know it's hard to find time to search out fun activities and crafts for your kids, so we thought we'd help you! We'll be posting something each day from our archives. One day might be a craft, another day a game or song, or maybe an activity or recipe! Hopefully you'll find some fun goodies for your little ones!

Today's idea: 

Spring Has Sprung

Supplies:
Frog pictures
pipe cleaners
pencils
crayons
scissors

Bulletin Board Idea:
I make a unique bulletin board using frog pictures the children make by coloring one. Then the children cut the pipe cleaner to the desired length and wrap it around the pencil to make a spring-like shape. I attach one end of the spring to the frog and the other end to the bulletin board. It looks like the frogs are jumping out. The children love them and when walking past the bulletin board the frogs move or bounce. Sometimes the children blow on the frogs just to see them move. This is a great way to discuss frogs and sequencing such as how a tadpole becomes a frog. We also review the color green and even take a walk near a pond to see if we can find any frogs or tadpoles. I usually write the words "Spring Has Sprung" on the bulletin board.

Search for more spring crafts, games, songs, recipes and ideas!

March 20th is the First Day of Spring!

Yay, spring is here and we are ready to share all of our springtime activities, crafts, songs and more. When we think spring, we think of flowers, rain, sunshine, rainbows, nature, and more. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Here's just a sampling of what you will find in our spring section!

Butterfly Feet

Construction paper
paint (any color)
black pen

This is a great craft for infants who are too young yet to do crafts on a regular basis. Paint the bottom of the child's feet. Make imprints of each foot with the big toe facing outward and the outer edge of the feet touching each other. You will notice the results looks like a butterfly. It helps to clean one foot before you paint the other. Can't seem to keep the little ones still? I do this project while they are in high chair eating a favorite snack. They are occupied, but still giggle alot when you paint their feet. I then write this poem on the paper:

Beautiful butterfly,
precious and sweet.
Strange how it looks,
Just like (child's name)'s feet.

I really get a wonderful response from parents on this craft. They know their children get great care when even the infants can participate in art from time to time.


Paper Dot Rainbows

colored construction paper
glue
hole punch

Have the children make several paper dots using the hole punch in the colors of the rainbow. Then have them glue the dots onto white paper in the form of a rainbow. You may want to have a picture of a rainbow to show as an example. Have fun!


Spring Lilies

Construction Paper (Any color)
Green Chenille Stems
pencil
stapler and staples
glue or scotch tape

Have children trace hands on the paper, cut out the hand prints. Place the chenille stem at the bottom of the hand print and then roll the paper around the stem and attach with glue, staples or tape. Once you have that completed, take a pencil and curl the fingers down to form a lily. You may want to make a bunch in different colors. You can also cut some leaves from green construction paper and attach them to the stems of your "lilies". You can make a container for your bouquet of "lilies" by taking an 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of construction paper, roll it to form a cone, fasten the end with glue, tape or staples. Makes a wonderful Mother's Day, Grandparent's day or Father's Day gift also.


Check out all of our activities, crafts, recipes, games and more by visiting The Idea Box

Nutritious Snack Ideas

March is National Nutrition Month and Dentist Day falls on March 6th. What better time than now to share some great snack foods made with fresh ingredients.

Apple Smile!

apple (sliced in 4 halves) 

mini marshmallows

peanut butter

Give each child a slice of apple, have the children spread peanut butter on one side of apple. children will add mini marshmallows to apple (mini marshmallows are the upper & lower teeth, representing a smile!)

More Fruit Goodies:

5 Cup Fruit Salad
Fruit Kabobs
Toddler Friendly Snacks
Watermelon Bowl
Patriotic Parfait

Ants on a Log

celery sticks
raisins
cheese spread/peanut butter/cream cheese

Wash celery, and fill with spread of your choice. Then place a line of raisins down onto the spread and you have ants on a log!

Ants on a Raft

Raisins
Saltine Crackers, graham crackers or other square cracker
peanut butter or cream cheese spread

Put the spread you choose over the cracker. Place several raisin "ants" on top!

Here's some yummy Vegetable Dip and a fun Apple Song

From our boards: Getting kids to eat their fruits and veggies

Come visit The Idea Box and find all sorts of great recipes, crafts, finger plays, songs and more!

Our friends at Annie's Recipes have these kid friendly ideas!

• Banana Strawberry Sandwiches
  
• French Toast Dolls
  
• Milk Toast
  
• Orange Biscuits
  
• PB&J Foldovers
  
• Pineapple Oatmeal
  
• Scrambled Eggs in Toast Cups
  
• Wheat Cereal in Apple Juice