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Crafty Wednesday: Acorn Napkin Rings

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

This week's craft is...

Acorn Napkin Rings

acorns
glue
thin cardboard
construction paper
scissors

Cut a piece of cardboard into a 2" by 5" strip. You can use an empty cereal box as the cardboard. Cover the strip with yellow or orange paper. Make the strip into a loop and staple to form the napkin ring. Glue acorns all over the ring (you may need a strong glue or a glue gun(with adult help)). Then cut small green leaves and glue in between the acorns. Let dry and then enjoy on your Thanksgiving table! * You could use a paper towel tube cut into strips as well.

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Tuesday Recipe: Puffy Paint

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

This week's recipe is...

Puffy Paint

Flour
Salt
Water
Tempera Paint

Mix equal amounts of flour, salt and water. Add liquid tempera paint for color. Pour mixture into squeeze bottles and paint. Mixture will harden in a puffy shape.

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Monday Music: Ten Acorns in a Row

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

This week's song is...

Ten Acorns in a Row

10 acorns, leaves, pumpkins or other seasonal small items

Give each child his/her own acorn (or leaf, pumpkin, or other seasonal item). If there are less than 10 children, some may get two. Sing to the tune of "Ten Little Indians".

One little, two little, three little acorns
four little, five little, six little acorns
seven little, eight little, nine little acorns
ten acorns in a row

Each child places his/her acorn on the floor, lining them up in a row. This is a good opportunity to discuss that an acorn is food for squirrels and that it is also a seed that grows into an oak tree.

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Friday Activity: Fall Triangle Tree

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

This week's activity is...

Fall Triangle Tree

construction paper
red, orange, yellow, brown triangles
brown tree trunk
poem
glue

This is a great way to introduce fall colors as well as triangles. Have students cut out a brown tree trunk and glue it onto a blue (or any color) construction paper. Then have them cut out, (or you precut if necessary) several triangles from the fall colors to make leaves. Students glue them onto the tree and have some falling to the ground.

Teach and attach this poem:

The leaves are falling gently down.
They make a blanket on the ground.
Then "Swish" the wind comes blowing by
and takes them flying to the sky.

This is a fun art project that also teaches some great concepts.

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Thursday Games: Pumpkin Patch Game

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

This week's game is...

Pumpkin Patch Game

various sizes of pumpkins
coins

Start the game with 3-5 pumpkins of various sizes or textures. Give 5 coins(pennies) to 5 different students. Chant the following- "5 orange pumpkins in a pumpkin patch You know, the kind that are big, and round, and fat Along came (child's name) with a penny to pay He bought his pumpkin and took it away." The child then steps forward, pays the penny, and chooses a pumpkin. For language development, have the child ask, "I want the big/small/medium/bumpy/smooth/etc pumpkin, please." This is a great game for teaching manners, language development, money awareness, descriptive words-- lots of stuff. The students join in the fun, and hardly know they are learning from this simple game!

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Crafty Wednesday: Autumn Bookmark

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

This week's craft is...

Autumn Bookmark

Hard orange art paper
clear,shiny contact paper
real leaves in assorted colors
scissors
glue

Cut orange art paper into a 9-inch by 2-inch shape. Break leaves into 1-inch pieces and glue onto both sides of the art paper. Let dry. Cut contact paper into 9-inch by 4-inch piece and wrap around entire bookmark until both ends of contact paper meet. Enjoy!

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Tuesday Recipe: Cinnamon Chips with Fruit Salsa

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

This week's recipe is...

Cinnamon Chips with Fruit Salsa

3 large tortillas
vegetable oil
cinnamon & sugar mix
5 or 6 large strawberries
1/2 peach & peach syrup
1/2 apple
sugar to taste

This recipe requires adult help. Cut tortillas with a pizza cutter into 8 triangular pieces each. Heat oil on stovetop and drop tortilla pieces in carefully. Cook until brown on one side, turn over and cook until brown on the other side. Remove from oil and lightly blot with a paper towel. Sprinkle with a cinnamon and sugar mix. Set aside. Finely chop strawberries, apple, and peach. Mix fruits together and add enough peach syrup to give the mixture consistency of regular salsa. Use sugar to sweeten to taste. Serve chips with the fruit salsa for a great snack!!

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Monday Music: Teeny, Tiny Spider

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

This week's song is...

Teeny, Tiny Spider

Sung to the tune "Eensy, Weensy Spider"

Teeny, tiny spider, Climbed under a big bridge. (sitting on floor, child moves wiggling hand under raised knees.)

Down came the bridge, And knocked the spider out. (child brings knees down on hand.)

Up went the bridge, (child raises knees.)

And never again, Did the teeny, tiny spider Go under a big bridge. (Child moves wiggling hand out from under knees.)

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Friday Activity: Apple Tree Bulletin Board

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

This week's activity is...

Apple Tree Bulletin Board

Tree with branches and trunk
fall leaves made from construction paper and laminated
dessert size white paper plates
red and green construction paper
camera
apple smile snack

Each year as we prepare for Curriculum night, our special education preschoolers prepare a special bulletin board for their parents. I bought a tree complete with trunk and branches for all seasons from a local teacher store, and fall leaves. The children made apples to go on the tree by either a) tearing red typing paper b)cutting red construction paper to glue on each paper plate. Then the children glued a leaf to the top. After we made our snack during cooking, Apple Smiles, we took pictures of the children holding up their Apple "smile". On each child's apple we put their picture on it, and hung them on the tree. Now each child knows which apple is his/hers by their picture and so does their parents! Above the tree, we put the letters "These are the apples of our eyes!" A big hit with everyone in the school!

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Thursday Games: Pass the Pumpkin

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

This week's game is...

Pass the Pumpkin

Pumpkin
music

Children sit in a circle. They begin passing the pumpkin. Turn on the music as they continue passing the pumpkin. Stop the music. The child holding the pumpkin sits in the middle. Continue playing. One child at a time replaces the one in the middle of the circle.

(Same concept as Musical Chairs)

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Crafty Wednesday: Apple Photo Pins

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

This week's craft is...

Apple Photo Pins

red fun foam
green fun foam
tacky glue
photos of mom/dad
photo of child
apparel pins (found at craft stores or fabric stores)

Everyone knows that a young child's very first day of school can be traumatic for both the child and parent! Make and wear these apple photo pins to keep that very special person "close by" all day! Cut an apple shape out of the red fun foam. Cut out stem and leaves from green fun foam and glue onto apple shape. Next, cut out a favorite photo and glue to center of "apple". When glue is dry, glue apparel pin onto the back of apple. Let dry completely before wearing on that first day of school!

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Don't forget to enter our giveaway, you can win a copy of Winnie the Pooh: Return to the Hundred Acre Wood!

Tuesday Recipe: Octopus for Dinner

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

This week's recipe is...

Octopus for Dinner

Hot Dogs
Baked Beans

Cook beans as directed and put on plates. Slice hot dog in half from one end but leave an inch uncut. Slice each "leg" in half again, still leaving the top uncut. Boil in hot water and "octopus legs" will curl up. Set on beans and serve.

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Monday Music: Traffic Light

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

This week's song is...

Traffic Light

The red at the top Tells us to STOP! (Extend arn out with palm facing out.)
The green below Tells us to GO! (Sweep arm out as traffic director would do)
The yellow in the middle Tells us to WAIT! (Extend both arms out.)
Please don't worry- You won't be late!

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Friday Activity: Secret Message

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

This week's activity is...

Secret Message

white crayon
paper
markers

Write a message and draw pictures on the paper with the white crayon. Then color over it with the markers - and the message shows up! You can also send a "message" by writing with the white crayon, and then giving instructions for the receiver to color over it with a marker to reveal the message. Have fun!!

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Thursday Games: Pin the Crow on the Scarecrow

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

This week's game is...

Pin the Crow on the Scarecrow

Scarecrow
crows
push pins or tape

Make a flat scarecrow for hanging on the wall out of child shirt and pants. Add a paper face and straw hat. You can also use a store-bought cutout. Cut out crows from black and yellow (for beaks) fun foam. Give each blindfolded child a crow with tape or tack. Pin the crow on the scarecrow's shoulder!

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Crafty Wednesday: Clothespin Pal

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

This week's craft is...

Clothespin Pal

wooden (doll-type) clothespin
markers or paint

On the top (head) of the clothespin, draw or paint a face for your pal. Decorate the rest of the clothespin with fun and bright colors. Let your Clothespin pal dry. Slip on to your shirt at the collar, pocket, your pants pocket or your backpack to carry your pal with you to school or around town.

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Tuesday Recipe: Flubber

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

This week's recipe is...

Flubber

Solution A:

1 1/2 C. Warm Water
2 c. Elmers Glue
Food Coloring

Solution B:

4 tsp. Borax
1 1/3 C. Warm water

Mix solution A in one bowl, mix solution B in another bowl. Dissolve both well. Then just pour solution A into solution B, DO NOT MIX OR STIR! Just lift out flubber. I made this with my daughters class, and the teacher & children loved it! It's neater than "Gak" or "slime". And it also a safe chemical reaction for the kids to see. I used a glass bowl for solution B so the kids could see the flubber form in the bowl. It just becomes a big "cloud" of rubbery stuff. Store in baggies. If you half the recipe, you only need to half the solution A and it will work the same.

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

Crafty Wednesday: Apple Bag

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

This week's craft is...

Apple Bag

small paper bag
red/brown paint
green construction paper
newspaper
and a rubber band

This is a fun apple project for a fall day. Take a small lunch bag and stuff it with newspaper. Tie a rubber band around the top of the bag leaving some bag at the top for a stem. Next, paint below the rubber band red for the apple and the top stem should be painted brown. After this dries, you can cut out and attach a green construction paper leaf. **Looks great on a bulletin board or in a big basket for display!

Visit The Idea Box for all of our crafty ideas

Tuesday Recipe: Banana-Nut Pancakes

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

This week's recipe is...

Banana-Nut Pancakes

whole wheat pancake batter
1 mashed banana
1/2 chopped walnuts

Add banana and nuts to the pancake batter and cook as normal... great served with syrup warmed whith a little butter and cinnamon and topped with a few chpped nuts. You can also add a few slices of banana and a little whipped cream!

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