Recipes for FUN!

Simple ideas for songs, finger plays, nursery rhymes cooking activities, science explorations, crafts, and games families can do together.  Run these ideas off and send them home or put them on your class website.

Hint!  Adapt the songs and activities to support your curriculum and units of study.

December

            Song                          Silly ABC’s
            Finger Play               Here’s a Turtle
            Nursery Rhyme        Little Jack Horner
            Cooking                    Stir Fried O’s
            Science                    Mystery Mess
            Craft                          Homemade Gifts
            Game                        Play Balls

December Recipes for FUN!

Silly ABC’s
(Traditional Tune)

A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N O P
Q R S T U V
W X Y Z
Now I’ve sung my ABC’s.
Next time sing them silly with me!

Hold your nose and pretend to sing with a cold.
Put your index finger between your lips and vibrate so it sounds like underwater singing.
Sing very slowly like a turtle.
Sing soft like a mouse.
Sing with a deep, loud voice like a monster.
Let your child suggest other silly ways to sing.

Here Is  a Turtle

Here is a turtle.                                   (Make fist.)He lives in a shell.                              
He likes his home                               
Very well.                                          
When he gets hungry              (Stick out thumb and wiggle.)
He comes out to eat.              
Then he goes back into                       (Tuck thumb back in fist.)
His house to sleep.                

Jack Horner

Little Jack Horner                              
Sat in a corner
Eating his Christmas pie.                   
He stuck in his thumb,                       
And pulled out a plumb,                    
And said,
“What a good boy am I!”       

Stir Friend O’s

You will need:
            Cheerios
            butter or margarine
            cinnamon sugar
           
Directions:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Put 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan.
3. Melt the butter, and then stir in 3 cups of Cheerios.
4. Stir over medium heat until they are toasty and lightly browned.
5. Sprinkle on cinnamon sugar and toss.

Hint!  Use salt instead of cinnamon sugar and it will taste like popcorn!

Homemade Gifts

Mystery Mess

Materials:                    cornstarch
                                    water
                                    food coloring
                                    measuring cup, bowl, spoon

Directions:                  Put one cup of cornstarch in the bowl.  Slowly stir in about ½ cup of water.  (You may need to add a little more water to make it the right consistency.)  Add a few drops of food coloring to the mixture.  Try to pick up your mystery mess and play with it.  How is it like a solid?  How is it like a liquid?

PLAY BALL!

Wad up a sheet of paper and wrap masking tape around it to make a ball.  Practice throwing and catching the ball.  Use a box or basket to play basket ball.

Staple two paper plates together.  Leave a 4” opening so you can insert your hand.  Use like a racket and volley a balloon or paper ball back and forth

Let children use a child size broom and a foam ball to play hockey.  The goal could be a box turned on its side.

January

            Song                          Ring in the New Year
            Finger Play               Two Little Blackbirds
            Nursery Rhyme        Three Little Kittens
            Cooking                    Birds in the Snow
            Science                    Bird Feeders
            Craft                          Snowflakes
            Game                        Paper Plate Party

January Recipes for FUN!

Ring in the New Year
(We Wish You a Merry Christmas)

Let’s all do a little ringing,  (Shake hands as if ringing bells.)
Let’s all do a little ringing,
Let’s all do a little ringing
It’s a Happy New Year!

Let’s all do a little clapping…  (Clap hands.)
Let’s all do a little dancing…   (Dance around.)
Let’s all do a little smiling…    (Smile.)

When is your birthday?
When is your birthday?
When is your birthday?
Stand up and cheer.

Two Little Black Birds

Two little black birds
Sitting on a hill                        (Make fists and stick up thumbs.)
One name Jack                        (Wiggle right thumb.)
and one named Jill.                  (Wiggle left thumb.)
Fly away Jack.                        (Wiggle right thumb behind back.)
Fly away Jill.                                      (Wiggle left thumb behind back.)
Come back Jack.                     (Bring back right thumb.)
Come back Jill.                        (Bring back left thumb.)

Additional verses:
Two little red birds sitting on a wall.
One named Pam and one named Paul.
Fly away Pam.  Fly away Paul.
Come back Pam.  Come back Paul.

Two little yellow birds sitting on a sled.
One named Tami and one named Ted.
Fly away Tami.  Fly away Ted.
Come back Tami.  Come back Ted.

Three Little Kittens

The three little kittens,                                  
They lost their mittens,                                 
And they began to cry,                                  
“Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear,
our mittens we have lost.”
“What, lost your mittens?                             
You naughty kittens!                                     
Then you shall have no pie.”                         
“Boo-hoo, boo-hoo,                                       
we shall have no pie.”

The three little kittens,                                  
They found their mittens,
And they began to cry,                                  
“Oh, mother dear, see here, see here,             
our mittens we have found.”
“What, found your mittens,                          
You darling kittens!                                       
Then you shall have some pie.”
“Meow, meow,                                              
we shall have some pie.”

Birds in the Snow

You will need:
            celery
            cream cheese
            raisins
            sunflower seeds
           
Directions:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Take a stalk of celery (the log).
3. Spread cream cheese (snow) in the celery.
4. Place raisins (birds) on top of the cream cheese.
5. Add sunflower seeds (birdseed)!  MMMM!

Snowflakes

Feed the Birds

Skills:                          observing

Materials:                   plastic milk jug
                                    birdseed
                                    scissors, yarn

Directions:                  Cut a hole in the side of the milk jug with scissors.  Punch two holes in the top and tie on a piece of yarn for the hanger.  Put a cup of birdseed in the bottom of the jug.  Hang it in a tree.  Add a small stick for a perch.

Adaptations:               Place the bird feeder near a window.  Check out a bird identification book from the library.  Encourage the children to identify the birds that feed and write down their observations on a clipboard.

Make another birdfeeder by stringing cereal with holes on a pipe cleaner.
Spread honey or peanut butter on a Bavarian pretzel and sprinkle with seed.   Tie on yarn so you can hang in a tree. Put honey on  pinecones and then sprinkle with birdseed.
Cut shapes from stale brad and decorate with honey and birdseed.

Paper Plate Party

Give your child 2 paper plates.  Put on some music and:

            • Clap the plates like cymbals.
            • Shuffle them to the beat.
            • Tap on the hips, shoulders, and other body parts.
            • Clap high, low, in front of you, behind.
            • Play “follow the leader” as children take turns doing something with their plates as peers follow along.
            • Place on the floor.  Put one foot on each plate and skate around the room. 
            • Skate backwards.  Skate on one foot.  Skate with a friend.

February

            Song                          I’m Bringing Home a Valentine for You
            Finger Play               King Kong
            Nursery Rhyme        Jack Be Nimble
            Cooking                    Cinnamon Applesauce
            Science                    Magic Pennies
            Craft                          Magazine Puppets
            Game                        Simon Says

February Recipes for FUN!

Bringing Home a Valentine
(Baby Bumblebee)

I’m bringing home a valentine for you,                       (Cup hands and move them to 
One that says, “I love you.”                           the beat in front of your body.)
I’m bringing home a valentine for you
With a great big hug, and a (kiss) (kiss), too!    (Hug self and then kiss 
              in the air.)
Softer….hum

King Kong

(Say “King Kong” in a loud voice and
“teeny tiny monkey” in a squeaky voice.)

KING KONG                                     (Flex arms.)
Was just a teeny
Tiny monkey                                      (Hold up pinky.)
Compared to my love for you.           (Cross arms over chest and then extend.)
KING KONG                                     (Flex arms.)
Was just a teeny
Tiny monkey                                      (Hold up pinky.)
Compared to my love for you. (Cross arms over chest and then extend.)
I love you day                                     (Make circle with arms.)
And night.                                           (Lay head on hands.)
My love is out of sight.                      (Hands in air.)
KING KONG                                     (Flex arms.)
Was just a teeny
Tiny monkey                                      (Hold up pinky.)
Compared to my love for you!           (Softly say this line as you point to children.)

Jack Be Nimble

Jack be nimble.                                   
Jack be quick.
Jack jump over                                   
The candlestick.
Jump it lively.
Jump it quick.
But don’t knock over                         
The candlestick!

Cinnamon Applesauce

You will need:
            applesauce
            cinnamon candies
            cups
            spoons

Directions:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Put applesauce in the cup.
3. Count out 8 candies and put them in the cup.
4. Stir, stir, stir until the applesauce turns pink and the candy dissolves.
5. It’s a candy apple surprise!

Magazine Puppets

Materials:                    magazines, newspaper, scissors, straws, stapler or tape

Directions:      Cut sports figures and other famous people out of newspapers or magazines.  Staple or tape to a straw to make a puppet.   What would your puppet say if it could talk? 

Hint!  Children could also cut family members, what they want to be when they grow up, etc. out of catalogs to make puppets.  Or, cut out children’s photos and tape to a craft stick to make “personal puppets.”

Magic Pennies

Skills:                          experimenting; observing

Materials:                   old pennies
                                    vinegar
                                    salt
                                    cup and spoon

Directions:                Put ½ cup of vinegar in the cup.  Add 1 TB salt and mix to dissolve.  Drop the pennies in the cup and stir them around while you count to 25.  Take the pennies out of the cup and rinse them off in water.  Taaa Daaa!   What happened to the pennies?  What made them shiny?
                                   
Adaptations:             Put this experiment in a learning center so children can repeat it.
Experiment shining pennies with ketchup or lemon juice.
                          

 

 

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