This Week's Crafts, Music, Activities & More

In honor of National Oatmeal Month, I've built this week's ideas around oatmeal! Hope you and your kids enjoy it, and as usual, feedback is always welcome. See the list of dates at the end of this post to see more special days!

However, before I share these with you, I'd like to ask all of you to help out one of the members of our message boards. Below is her question, hopefully some of you can help her out!

Random Acts of Kindness
The week of Feb. 15 is Random Acts of Kindness Week. For my preschool class we want to do some ACTS with the kids. We've already decided to make valentines to send to area nursing homes and Send Thank Yous to members of the community. We're thinking about doing a cookie give away where we give two bags of cookies to a person with instructions to keep one bag for themselves and give the other bag to someone else.

Does anyone have any other ideas that preschool age children would be able to do and understand?  

This Week's Issue

Music: Eat Your Oatmeal 

Sung to the tune of Frere Jacques ...

Recipe: Oatmeal Dough

Gradually add water to flour and oatmeal in bowl. Kneed until mixed (this dough is sticky, but unique in texture. Model as with clay ...

Craft: Junk Box 

Take a box like a round oatmeal container and cover with wrapping paper or contact paper ... 

Game: Bucket Toss 

Line up oatmeal containers in a single file line. Place a line of tape where child sh ...

Activity: Texture Fun

Place some of each ingredient into separate bowls. Child should be blind folded then ...

Coming Up:

January 25th is...

Opposite Day

January 26th is...

Australia Day

January 27th is...

Chocolate Cake Day

January 28th is...

National Kazoo Day

January 29th is...

National Puzzle Day

January 31st is...

Backwards Day

 

See all of our Winter Ideas here and please be sure to submit your favorites as well!

More from Our Forums:

Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day will be here before you know it.
Anyone have any fun finger plays, songs, crafts, or activities for this holiday?

11 year old birthday
Last year when Dominic turned 10, I took him and a few of his friends to the movies. They spent more time going to the bathroom, chatting, and playing with their handheld games under their jackets than they did watching the movie! UGH Dominic's birthday is at the end of the month and he wanted me to take them to the movies again. I told him no, even though he swore no one would bring games. LOL He wanted to go see Avatar. Well i just saw Avatar, it's an excellent movie and I am sure they would enjoy it, but it's very long. I don't think they can sit through it.

The boys are very athletic, they like to play sports, etc, but it's very cold outside, lots of snow and ice, so outdoors is probably not an option.

Anyone have any ideas? I wonder if I could find an open gym somewhere??

See you next week!

~ Amanda

January is National Oatmeal Month!

Mmmm oatmeal, a perfect breakfast for cold mornings. There are plenty of other uses for oatmeal too! Try making an oatmeal dough using this simple recipe from things you have around the house. Then play, play, play all day!

Oatmeal Dough

1 cup flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup water

Gradually add water to flour and oatmeal in bowl. Kneed until mixed (this dough is sticky, but unique in texture. Model as with clay.

VARIATIONS: Add cornmeal in small quantity for texture, Add coffee grounds in small quantity for texture.

Here's some more oatmeal fun:

Another craft recipe to try is this Nutty Butter Playdough. This does contain peanut butter.

Try this recipe for Oatmeal Cookies to make with the kids. Afterwards, don't throw away the empty container, make this fun junk box craft.

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Moms will appreciate these Old Fashioned Oat Recipes and Tips.

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Here's a tasty cookie recipe from our friends at Old Fashioned Living:

Oatmeal Cherry Chip Cookies

These cookies are so good, even those of you who are not oatmeal cookie fans are going to love them. They will keep a few days if stored in a tightly sealed container between sheets of parchment or waxed paper.

· 1 3/4 cups flour
· 1 tsp. baking soda
· 1 tsp. cinnamon
· 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
· 1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
· 1/3 cup sugar
· 2 large eggs
· 1/4 cup milk
· 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
· 2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
· 3/4 cup dried cherries
· 3/4-cup chocolate chips

In a mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, milk and vanilla, and beat well.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Add slowly to the butter mixture on low speed. Stir in the oats, cherries and chocolate chips.

Divide the dough into 4 portions, and roll each up in plastic wrap to form a log about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Chill until firm (about 20 minutes in the freezer).

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicon baking mat or parchment paper. Slice the cookie logs about 1/2 inch thick. Bake 10 - 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes about 5 dozen. Will keep up to 1 week.

Here's another tasty oatmeal recipe from OFL:

Fruity Oatmeal

3/4 cups quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup warm milk
1-1/3 cups vanilla yogurt
1/2 Granny Smith (or other firm) apple
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Additional fresh fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, or peaches

Soak 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats in 2/3 cup warm milk until swollen, about 5 minutes (or overnight in the refrigerator). When ready, add about 1/4 cup additional oats (for texture). Stir in yogurt, and apple, which has been peeled, cored, and grated. Add 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds, honey and lemon juice. Mix in fresh fruit-as much as you'd like, and garnish with extra slices of apple or fruit.

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Our friends at Annie's Recipes have tons of ways to use oatmeal!