Summer's Just Around the Corner

and that means kids are home from school and family road trips!!! I've just compiled a set of pencil and paper games perfect for those older kids who are "bored" or while you're on the road or even while they're waiting for sister's soccer practice to get over!

Several of the games in the file are already set up and I've put them in two formats, one to print and use as is with a pencil or pen, the other to put in a page protector to use over and over again with a dry-erase marker.

When we go on our road trips, I put these games in a three-ring binder that has a clear plastic sleeve on the cover. The kids slip the sheet of paper that has the game they want into the cover and pull out their colored dry-erase markers. The binder provides a hard surface for writing and its easy for them to pass the binder back and forth to take turns.

The file also has some suggestions for games that you can play with plain paper (great for re-using all those school papers coming home this time of year-just flip 'em over to the back) and even some game suggestions that don't need pencil or paper at all.

You can get the file here.

I also wanted to give a quick update on the status of Little Pumpkins Preschool. As many of you know, I had decided to take a break from the subscription format of the curriculum. I hope to come back this fall with a new fun format...keep watching the blog!

Happy Earth Day!

This Thursday marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a day to heighten awareness of the impacts we make on this earth. I'm not into the doom and gloom of global warming, but I am into being a good steward of God's creation.

Brainstorm with your family and decide on one way you will be a better steward of our natural resources. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• use reusable bags on every shopping trip


• switch to reusable plastic or steel bottles instead of one-time use water bottles


• plant a tree


• be part of a park or street clean up


• walk or ride your bike on one errand per week


• unplug an appliance that uses energy even when not in use

This week is also Turn off the TV Week...a great time to get outside and enjoy nature! Check out a book from your library about the trees, animals, birds and insects in your area then go for a nature walk and see how many different things you can find and identify.

We live on a planet that is full of exploration potential...get out and enjoy it!

April Showers

bring May flowers. I woke up this morning to the sounds of thunder and rain beating against the roof...oh how I love spring showers! Time to dust off those umbrellas! Here are a couple ideas to do on a rainy day.

You can make a quick and easy umbrella to stick in a sandwich or snack for fun. Cut out a circle from construction paper (3" diameter or so). Have the children fold the circle in half, into quarters and finally into eighths. Unfold the circle and let them decorate their umbrella. Carefully poke a flat toothpick into the center of the circle to finish the umbrella.

Print the umbrella on this page, have your children decorate the umbrella and then put blue glitter glue dots around it for the raindrops falling down.

Stop and listen to the sound of the rain, try listening to it from different rooms in your house, does it sound different?

Happy Spring!

Roses are Red

Roses are red

chocolates taste sweet

my love for you grows

with every heartbeat.

It's February and love is in the air. This year our Valentine's Day theme is "Gifts". Help your child make a gift for a friend, neighbor or grandparent to let them know just how special they are.

For a quick, easy gift try decorating a heart with salt glitter. Color the salt by placing about 3 tsp. of salt in a zip-top bag and adding one drop of food coloring into the bag. Mash the contents around, adding more salt or food coloring until you have the right color. Open the bag to let the salt dry overnight.

Cut out a heart shape from construction paper. Let your child squeeze glue on the heart where ever they would like to have the glitter. Then have them sprinkle the salt over the glue and shake off the excess. Let the heart dry before giving it to a special someone this Valentine's Day.

Find more sweet gift ideas by subscribing to Little Pumpkins Preschool Curriculum:

www.littlepumpkinspreschool.com

What's Black and White and Waddles All Over?

A penguin, of course! Did you know that there are just 17 different types of penguins and that they only live in the southern hemisphere? Not all of them live on Antarctica, many live in more temperate areas and the Galapagos Penguins live...you guessed it...on the Galapagos Islands which is near the equator!

The largest penguin is the Emperor penguin, they are typically about 42 inches tall. The smallest is the Little Blue Penguin which only grow to be about 16 inches tall and weigh only about 2 pounds.

Despite all their differences, all penguins are black and white. Just for fun, make tomorrow a black and white day:

• Wear black and white clothing.


• Play a guessing game where all the things you are thinking of are black or white.


• Eat black and white foods such as dark-colored beans, mashed potatoes and rice, black olives on a flour tortilla. Of course, Oreo cookies are my favorite black and white food!

Have a fun day of learning!

Run, Run As Fast As You Can....

You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man. That's right, it's December and we start a new theme this week: Gingerbread Man.





This classic tale has been around for hundreds of years. The first printed version with a gingerbread man was published in May of 1875 in the St. Nicolas Magazine. A quick search today at the Amazon bookstore shows over 800 related titles in the Children's section. You can find gingerbread babies, girls, cowboys, pirates, superheros and friends! The famous Gingerbread Man has apparently lived in Hawaii, the "big city", and St. Augustine, Florida which is the oldest city in America.





This month I encourage you to find several versions of the Gingerbread Man and see which one you like best! Of course, it's best to read these books while eating a gingerbread man or two! Try this recipe below.

If you would like to subscribe to Little Pumpkins Preschool to get the full two-week curriculum, go to www.LittlePumpkinsPreschool.com







GINGERBREAD PEOPLE RECIPE





4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 ½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs (separated)
1 cup molasses
1 tablespoon cold water


Onto a piece of wax paper, sift 3 1/2 cups of the flour, the cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, cloves, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.


In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on High, cream the butter and sugar until light yellow and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, then the molasses.


Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture.


Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or overnight.


Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter three baking sheets.


On a pastry cloth or board, sprinkle 1/4 cup of the remaining flour and roll out half of the dough, 1/4 inch thick.


With cookie cutters, cut out gingerbread people. With a spatula, transfer them back to the baking sheets. Decorate with currants, cherries, and cinnamon candies if you wish.


In a cup, whisk the egg whites with the water. Bake the cookies for 5 minutes, then brush lightly with egg whites. Bake 2 to 3 minutes more. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. With a spatula, transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough and flour.


For the icing:


2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
assorted food colors


In a small bowl, stir the sugar with the vanilla, then add enough water to make a stiff icing. Divide into small cups and color as you wish. When the cookies have cooled, pipe out designs, such as smiling faces, zigzags, bow ties, and aprons. If using different colors of icing, let one color dry before piping the next. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Do not freeze, as the icing could crack.