Jesus and Jellybeans...

two of my favorite things! This year for Easter we focus on Jesus' death and resurrection and how we can help children relate to this big concept. Many children understand the idea of a time out chair or sitting in the corner for being naughty. We can compare that to what would happen to us if we had to pay for our own sins...eternity in time-out. But Jesus has sat in the chair for us and when we ask for forgiveness for the things we've done wrong, we won't ever have to sit in the chair! Amazing!

During this theme we also use the Jellybean prayer to help the children put something concrete with the concepts. Use one verse each day, and eat the corresponding colored jellybean as you talk about what it means that God is the King, or the Light and the Way or how we sin and how God loves us, etc.

JELLYBEAN PRAYER
Purple reminds me that You are the King.
Green reminds me that You made everything.
Orange reminds me You create each new day.
Yellow reminds me You are the Light and the Way.
Black reminds me of the sins I have done.
White reminds me that through You, they’re all gone.
Red reminds me on the cross, You shed blood.
Pink reminds me that You are Love.
Thank You for jelly beans, they’re more than a treat-
They’re a promise of hope, a promise so sweet!


Have a happy Easter!

Fruit Pizza

I am lucky that my own two kids love fruit, but I do have some daycare children that don't.  I have found that the kids (and provider) who don't care for fruit will eat it a lot better if it is part of a fun snack.  An item that is a big hit with my group is a recipe I found at http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org.  I've made a couple of minor modifications to make it work for us (and the food program). 

Strawberry  Shortcake's Fruit Pizza

• 1 English muffin per two children (each child only needs a half to fulfill the USDA guidelines)
• 1 Tablespoon fat free strawberry cream cheese per child
• red grapes (quartered),  strawberries (sliced) and mandarin oranges (I cut them in half).  You will need 1/2 cup of fruit per child

Toast the English muffins, spread cream cheese on the toasted muffins, top with the fruit, and enjoy!  This is great recipe for the kids to help prepare.  I've found that it is difficult to get 1/2 cup of fruit on top of the English muffin so let the kids pile it high on top, eat some as they go, and spoon a little extra on the side.

One of our local grocery stores had grapes and strawberries on sale this week so we will definitely be eating fruit pizzas this week at daycare.

Vancouver 2010

Have you had a chance to watch any of the action from the Winter Olympics in Vancouver yet? There is just something about the excitement of it all that makes me tune in. I love how patriotic I feel when someone from the US is competing. I'm also amazed that while all the athletes fight so hard to win they are also so gracious if they don't.

The official website of the games is here: http://www.vancouver2010.com/. You can find the schedule of events, live updates of standings during competitions, the medal count (as I type this the US leads with 6 medals), watch video interviews and read news stories about the athletes.

For the first time in Olympic history, each and every medal that is given out will be unique. The picture on the front of each medal was taken from a different spot on a larger picture, designed by a Canadian artist. It took workers at the Canadian Mint 402 work days to make the medals for the Olympic and the ParaOlympic Games.

Sometime during the Olympic Games, create medals out of foil or construction paper and award each person in your family a gold medal for something they are good at. You might give out awards for best bed maker, quickest dresser in the morning, best cake baker, or even best hug giver!

To get this theme and 24 more, subscribe now at www.littlepumpkinspreschool.com.

Brown Rice Chicken Fiesta

I am excited to get started contributing to Life in the Pumpkin Patch.  I will be bringing you recipes and other tips to help you incorporate some healthier foods into your meals.



My first recipe quickly became a favorite in my family and with my daycare kids.  This is a tasty way to get some whole grains in your diet along with some good lean meats.

Brown Rice Chicken Fiesta - from UncleBens.com

1 cup Uncle Ben's whole grain rice, uncooked
1 pound diced raw chicken breast
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (11 oz) can Mexican style corn, drained - I normally use regular corn not mexican style
1 tsp salt
2 T vegetable oil
1 envelope taco seasoning mix, divided
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Coat chicken with 3 T of taco seasoning.  Heat oil in 12 inch skillet cook chicken over medium-low heat until cooked through.  Cook rice according to package directions, adding the remaining taco seasoning to the water.  When the chicken is done, drain excess oil, then add the diced tomatoes and corn.  Stir until heated thoroughly.  Add rice to chicken and veggies.  Top with cheese when serving.

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!