{Theme of the Week} Oink Oink

  • April 13, 2010 1:21 PM

[ Lunch Served on Piggy Platters ] 

 

We saw Charlotte’s Web on stage.  Here’s the sweet version of Wilbur, Charlotte and Templeton–

 

PIG STYLE DESSERT— served in a trough!  Brownie mix + H2O + mini finger foods = messy little piglets.   

 

Paper Pancakes! [ If You Give a Pig a Pancakeby Laura Numeroff ]  For kicks you can fill an old syrup bottle with glue and tempera paint… my kids loved drizzling the glue syrup onto their creations.  NOTE: Syrup dries dark so only add a touch of brown!  

 [ Pig Pizza ]

 

Pig Puff Puppet [ Pink Wiggly Pig, What Do You Wish For?by Marianned Richmond ] 

 

Here is our version of the classic Three Little Pigs TOUCH,  FEEL and PLAY board.

 

This was supposed to be a pig face sandwich… ummmm … ya,  not-so-much!

 

 

Pigging OUT on Art, Books and Treats—

 

This Piggy WORD Bank is made from a recycled soda bottle via HERE.  Feed this pig by learning a P WORD (see the mini word pigs above).    

I may dish out one last tiny dose pig fun by serving ”pigs feet” for an afternoon snack. The REAL kind—just to see the look on their faces!!! hehehehhe…  Don’t worry– I won’t take a picture!  :) :)  

ENJOY your day! 

{Theme of the Week} Peeps

  • March 24, 2010 12:25 PM

Here a PEEP!  There a PEEP! 

Everywhere a PEEP PEEP!

The trick to using peeps in your art projects is to GLAZE them before you start creating!   

Peep Necklace:

Big hit of the week– painting with PEEPS.  We started by using glazed peeps to make bunny stamps… then it turned into free for all paint fest.  I trimmed artwork and used recycled peep boxes for frames. For kicks you could add ribbon to hang the frames.
The Mini Peep Show. Peeps pop in and out of box!  

Why Hello Sugar Lips! 

The Peep Number Game.  Kiddos fill a candy box of peeps by matching or sequencing.

Peep Paint:  2 Tbs Salt + 1 Tbs Powered Tempera Paint  For the peep puppets we sprinkled salt paint on thin layer of glue and let dry for 24 hrs.

Peep Glaze: 1 cup H2O + 1/3 cup white school glue Pour mixture into spray bottle and then mist onto peeps, dry overnight…

Peep Fun: Power to the Peeps  I absolutely loved this contest last year from the Washington Post… launch the gallery to see all the creative entries. My favs were the Peep Sushi and Pepperoni and Peeps-a (Pizza).

{Theme of the Week} Cupcakes

  • March 3, 2010 2:31 PM

Cupcakes Anyone??

We’ve had a week of cupcake CRAZINESS! 

From our cupcake party (each kiddo had a lunch tray with a little cupcake magic):

   

How many ways can you say cupcake?

Jello Cupcakes

Clay Cupcakes

Felt Cupcakes

Traditional Cupcakes

Necklace Cupcakes

Mason Jar Cupcakes

Meatloaf Cupcakes

Favorite activity of the week was our cupcake hop (old fashioned cake walks with a twist).  Kiddos  kids jump from (large paper) cupcake to cupcake until the music stops, mom draws a cherry with a number, match the cherry to number of sprinkles on your cupcake and you win the round.  

You must be on cupcake overload by now?!

Ya, me too. 

And I’m not even done yet! 

Mission: Kindness is a new tradition I’m weaving into our theme of the week.   

Kindness Verse: 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 

Our act of kindness was to send twelve of our far-a-way friends and family a litle happy in the mail.  We set up cupcake factory and made cupcakes in a jar:

   

 I wasn’t joking about meatloaf cupcakes!  The ”frosting” was mashed potatoes {turquoise even}!  I’m not sure why but I was the only one who ate them?! 

Joy’s Hope  has wonderful step-by-step directions for the Mason jar cupcakes.  Her blog is a wealth of beauty, creativity and inspiration—  you’ll love it!  I can’t leave her comments because I don’t have a google account so if you visit, tell her THANKS for me!  

See ya later, Cupcake!

Theme of the Week: Green Eggs & Ham

  • February 15, 2010 6:30 PM

[Green Eggs for Sale! Fill each egg with pennies, nickles, dimes and/or quarters.]

 

Green Eggs & Ham Words:

a     am     and     anywhere     are     be     boat     box     car     could     dark     do     eat     eggs     fox
goat     good     green     ham     here     house     I     if     in     let     like     may     me     mouse     not on     or     rain     Sam     say     see     so     thank     that     the     them     there     they     train     tree     try
will     with     would     you

[Dessert Dr. S Style:  Melted Chocolate + Corn Flake Cookie]

 

Learning Fun:

Pin the YOLK on the Egg

Speedy Dinner Board Game

Egg Word Fill

Green Egg Painting

Eggs for Sale! 

 

Pin the YOLK on the egg (and get the fork on the napkin bonus) was the big hit of the week! 

  Dr. Seuss’ birthday is March 2nd! 

ICK! I do not do not like them Sam I am! (Not if they are over-easy that’s for sure!)

 

{Theme of the Week} S O U P

  • January 26, 2010 3:44 PM

Alphabet SOUP! 

Stone SOUP!

Oh My!


 Is it possiblie to make SOUP fun? Maybe!!!! YES??

S o u p s  O N!

Learning Fun: Spell with Soup Cans & The Alphabet Soup Treasure Hunt

Books: Stone Soup (Murth), Campbell Kids Alphabet Soup (Adams), Mouse Soup (Lobel), Pretend Soup & Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers & Up (Katzen)

Songs: The Vegetable Soup Song & Soups On! Lyrics: Here

Activities: The Tomato Soup Taste Challenge, Making Homemade Stone Soup (yes with a real stone!) & Can Doo Game 

Arts & Crafts: Cardboard Soup Stove & Alphabet Soup Collage

Making Stone Soup (or shall we call it SILLY Soup?):

 The Alphabet Soup Treasure Hunt was thg big winner of the week. Mason searched for tiny treasures to fill his pot of soup:

Ideas & Inspiration:

Lamb-Chop reads Stone Soup: Part 1  &  Part 2 

Photo Soup Cans:  We made these last year!

Template for Alphabet Soup Collage: HERE!

Stone Soup Recipe: Family Fun

Stone Soup Printable: Scholastic

ohhhh and how could I forget the “Spelling with Soup Cans” game???  Ya, it takes a serious dose of cheesiness to embrace this kid friendly lifestyle!   

So after a full day of winter snow play…. get your SOUP ON!  :) :)    

{Theme of Week} Snow!

  • January 13, 2010 3:36 PM

Does snow make you happy??? Sure does us… we waited and waited and waited… finally we have enough to get serious about some snow play!

 From our Snowman Buffet (aka lunch):

 Oh! the snow, the beautiful snow, Filling the sky and earth below, Over the housetops,

over the street, Over the heads of the people you meet. Dancing, Flirting, Skimming along.
J.W. Watson

—{Details}—

Arts & Crafts:  Beardbuster (shaving cream) Snow People, Snow Painting and Felt Snowman Game

Learning Fun: Count the Snowballs (egg carton + pompoms) and Stamp & Count Snowguys

Fun with Food:  Whipcream Snow Smash and Taste, Snowman Buffet Featuring; PB&Js, Snowman Soup, Snowman Sippies and Mini-marshmellow Snowfolks

Just for Kicks: Inside Snow Play and Tiny Snowfamily

Books: The Snowy Day (Ezra Jack Keats), The Snowman (Raymond Briggs), Dream Snow (Eric Carle) and Jan’s Bretts Snowy Treasury


Ideas & Inspiration:

Okay and perhaps the real reason for our theme this week (more like two weeks, three?)—  I had an excuse to dress Blaise up as a snow-baby:

If you have snow I hope you are enjoying every single second of it! 

 If you don’t— come visit– we have plenty to spare. 

Happy Snowy Days to you!

{Theme of the Week} Gingerbread

  • December 26, 2009 12:02 PM

Hi friends!  Sorry about all the technical difficulties!!  I hope you were able to find me here.  For those of you who emailed me about my blog not working, it should be up and running soon!!!  If you click on HOME or go directly to katherinemaries.com it should take you to my recent posts.

Our week before Christmas:

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Arts & Crafts:  Cardboard Gingerbread Village (Martha Stewart) & Paper Gingerbread Friends

Learning Fun: Gingerbread Chalkboard Count and Sort & Flour Writing

  Fun with Food:  Decorating Houses and Cookies, of course!

Just for Kicks: Scratch and Sniff Game {Spices from gingerbread recipe)

Imagine the clean up after our FLOUR letter writing activity!

Sand paper +  glue  + cutouts = scratch and sniff cookies!

Blaise was the offical cookie tester!

Cookies are made with butter and love. Norwegian Proverb

xoxoxoxoxo!

 

 

 

{Theme of the Week} Crayons & Colors

  • November 13, 2009 8:54 PM

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—{Details}—

Fun with Food: Edible Crayons of course… Via Gormet Mom on the Go

Arts & Crafts: Crayon Cabin with Colorful Characters (made from a recycled coffee can), Crayon Art Display, & Crayon Birthday Card Pouch {Here}

Learning Fun: Personalized Counting Book (see next post) & Sorting Games

Just for Kicks: Baking Crayons (simply melt at 200 degrees for 8 minutes)

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Inside or outside the lines?  Sure, both please!  My philosophy with regards to art is that whatever makes your heart happy is okay. There is no bad art. 

My favorite creative coloring series is The Anti Coloring Book by Susan Striker. 

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