December 2009 - Always Learning

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Always Learning - December 2009

Katy No Pocket

December 26th 2009 19:37

We are going to have some fun with Katy No Pocket over the next week or so. Katy is a kangaroo, born without a pocket and is struggling to carry her baby like all the other animals in the countryside. Katy, desperate for a pocket, goes to the city in search of one and meets up with a kindly construction worker who helps her out.

We are going to make an easy pocket apron for my daughter to wear as featured in the story and based on the Fold and Learn ideas provided by Five In A Row. As my daughter and I are originally from Australia, we are going to enjoy this one in particular. We have seen many kangaroos in real life so while we are not going in search of any (a bit difficult in Canada), we are going to attempt painting them in aboriginal dot art style. To carry on the aboriginal theme, we are also going to make our own didgeridoo craft.

A kangaroo can jump at least 9-10 metres so we are also going to attempt to measure our own kangaroo jumps. And we are going to discuss the other animals featured in the book and the habitats in which they live.

We are also going to improve our tool knowledge with the help of these cards as well as this easy but fun pocket sorting activity.

For extra assistance, here is a link which shows some animal classification cards for Katy No Pocket as well as other Five In A Row stories.

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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Age 3-4, Age 4-6, Books, Computer Based, Craft, Reading, Social Studies

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We Wish You A Merry Christmas

December 18th 2009 16:15

Before we commence into rereading some of our favourite Before Five In A Row books, we are going to spend this week doing some simple yet fun Christmas activities.

We have managed to find some black and white templates of Santa, a gingerbread man and a Christmas tree which we are going to decorate with buttons, cotton wheel, glitter and other fun stuff.

DLTK also provided us with a Twas The Night Before Christmas mini book to colour and read.

We are going to attempt an easy Christmas word search, a couple of Christmas mazes and a Christmas themed crossword.

Our World Wide Classroom gave us some great art inspired ideas such as this fun Christmas patterning and even offering a free printable to do the task. We also loved their foam craft Christmas tree and snowman picture and are going to use their examples as inspiration to make our own Christmas craft.

We are also going to attempt this fun handprint shaped Christmas tree and as the ground in covered in snow and we are looking to do more indoor activities, we are going to create some snowflakes.

That should keep us busy for at least the next few days for sure.

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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Age 3-4, Age 4-6, Craft

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Sand Art Brownies

December 17th 2009 18:00

If you are looking for a great homemade gift to give out on behalf of yourself or your children, consider Sand Art Brownies. They are a practical gift which don't necessarily cost a lot and they make fun gifts.

You will require one wide mouth quart jar with lid.

Add the follow ingredients in this order.

3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts

This should pack nicely into the jar.

Include a decorative tag with the instructions for making the brownies with the following text:

Combine contents of jar with:

1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

Pour into a greased 9x9pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 27-32 minutes. Enjoy.

These taste delicious but don't just take it from me. My recommendation is to make a jar or two to give away and make another batch for yourself to consume at home.

To finish up you can add a circular piece of material to the top of the jar to make it appear more festive.

(Note: Photo was borrowed from The Best Homemade Gift Ideas website as my batteries decided to die on me just as I went to take my photo).

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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Age 4-6, Age 6-8, Age 9-11, Cooking, Craft

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The Gift of Giving

December 16th 2009 17:51

For many children, Christmas all too often focuses on the gift of receiving rather than the gift of giving.

As my daughter is starting to understand more what Christmas is about, I set her a couple of easy tasks. The first was to make some Christmas cards for some of the children in her class. We purchased some blank cards and envelopes and some Christmas themed stickers. She combined the stickers with her artwork and my handwriting and between the two of us we had some Christmas cards which she felt very proud of.

Secondly I purchased some paint and paintbrushes and we decided to paint two projects for her father. The first was a painting of herself as a princess painted directly onto a canvas and the second was a plain wooden box which she is going to decorate for him.

Receiving gifts, don't get me wrong, is great but often giving gifts, particularly when they are done by your child's heart, is worth far more.

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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Age 3-4, Age 4-6, Age 6-8, Age 9-11, Craft

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A Pair of Snowmen

December 14th 2009 09:41

This delightful pair of snowmen are adorable and will have you in the festive spirit in no time at all. They are made from a pair of mittens and while it is a great craft for the older children, it can be suitable for the younger child with more parental supervision.

Visit All Free Crafts for the full instructions on how to make your snowmen - namely Mr and Mrs Mitten.

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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Age 4-6, Age 6-8, Age 9-11, Craft

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Three Fun Christmas Crafts for 3-5 year olds

December 3rd 2009 21:03

Christmas is a fun time of year for children and it also means that there are a great number of easy and accessible crafts that you can do with your child

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