Mr. Moose and Friends

Boy, today's weather would have Rudolph working overtime!

This week our MWF classes learned about deer, moose and elk. This is the second year for this unit so some activities were added. Your child should be able to tell you antlers are made of bone and only the boys have antlers. We learned the terms buck, doe and fawn for deer and bull, cow and calf for moose and elk. We also know we have lots of deer here in Illinois and many of us see them in our backyard. On Friday, we had a dictation activity. I'll get this typed up before the holiday break to send home. Be sure to add it to the rest of your child's stories.

The reindeer craft was fun. The children were really good listeners and are following directions extremely well. The photo is actual student work. After the holidays, pack your child's holiday projects in your Christmas boxes to put out next year. It really makes me smile to see my young adult boy's childhood projects at the holidays.

On Friday, we read "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" and made chocolate muffins. Yes, they were yummy! It is another super easy recipe using cake mix! Of course, we had a chart to see who liked and did not like the muffins. It was YES for all but one student. Remember that cooking with your child reinforces lots of important skills-reading, following directions and math skills to name a few.

CAKE MIX MUFFINS

1 box cake mix (chocolate, butter pecan, lemon and spice are all delicious)

1 cup oatmeal

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

2 tablespoons melted butter (I used vegetable oil at school and it worked fine)

Mix cake mix and oatmeal. Add milk, eggs and butter. The batter is really thick. Spoon into a cupcake pan lined with paper cupcake liners. Fill about 1/2 way. Bake at 400* for about 13 minutes. Makes about 18 muffins.

Who Took the Cookie from the Cookie Jar?

Our cookie unit provides a lot of fun for our three year olds. The first day, we looked at all kinds of cookies and compared and contrasted them (an important skill). Okay, we tasted them, too. This year, we made cookies! We had a good time cooking. A super easy cookie recipe you can bake at home with your child.

Cake Mix Cookies

1 box cake mix (we used dark chocolate)

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Mix the cake mix, eggs and oil. Add chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for about 12 minutes.

It couldn't be easier.

The chocolate chocolate cookies were just so yummy warm out of the oven.

Today we made gingerbread man ornaments, played a cookie memory game and 'Who Took the Cookie...' That kept us pretty busy. We also did some dictation about cookies. For the recipe and additional information, you can check out http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2009/12/c-is-for-cookie.html

Santa's Workshop

Our room is filled with reindeers, elves and an occasional Santa Claus. For the holidays, our dramatic play is 'Santa's Workshop.' Christmas vacation is just around the corner. The children will be home for two weeks and this would be easy enough to do at home (especially if you additional little ones coming to visit). The children absolutely have a blast with this center.

We set up our little play kitchen table, an old computer keyboard (for Santa's online orders, of course), old cameras, cell phones, notepads, pens and pencils.

Get a large box for Santa's sleigh. You don't need to decorate. Your child's imagination will fill in the blanks. I just love glitter!

I also wrapped small boxes. After I wrapped them, I wrapped clear packing tape over them so they would last a little longer. The kids know they are pretend but every once in awhile someone tries to open one. It's pretty funny.

Dress ups are a must for Santa's workshop. Get a Santa hat (or two), some reindeer ears (warning: these are pretty cheaply made and don't last too long) and for the elves? Get some bright green t-shirts large enough for the children to pull over regular clothes and bright green knit hats.

Put some Christmas music on and watch the fun!

Peppermint Pudding, Patterns and more!

The MWF classes have so much fun when we count, sort and create patterns. This week, we used lots and lots of red and white peppermints. We started off the week comparing and contrasting the candy. How are they the same? How are they different? Ask your child to tell you the similarities and differences.

The children are doing a great job with counting, sorting and patterns. You can reinforce these skills at home. Your child should be able to sort (putting similar objects together), create an AB pattern (some of the children are able to create more complex patterns) and count out ten items. For more ideas http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2009/10/counting-sorting-and-patterns.html

On Friday, we ate Peppermint Pudding for snack. Yummy! We tallied who liked and didn't like the pudding. This year, I gave each child a candy cane and they were to color the candy cane pattern. After they colored the candy cane, they cut out the oval shape. Not all children use our art center freely so we try to incorporate cutting simple objects into our activities. For the recipe http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2009/12/candy-canes.html

Clean Plate Club!

The TTh class agree 'bubblegum pizza' is delicious. We have had a lot of fun with pizza this week. Ask your child what they chose for their favorite pizza. Cheese seems to be consistently a favorite with preschoolers.

The children had a lot of fun making the pizza today. This is a snack we allow seconds and thirds and just eat it until it is gone! After snack, we graphed if we liked or did not like the pizza. We only had one student who did not try the pizza. Everyone who tried really really (I mean really) liked it.

This is a such an easy recipe for you and child to make together. http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2009/12/pizza-pizza.htmlHave some fun with your child in the kitchen!

Pizza!

We have had a pizza unit for a few years and it is always good times with our TTH class. On Tuesday, we made pizza with the children...out of paper. When we do a craft, we talk about shapes, colors, position. The children put the 'sauce' on the 'crust' and then created their own special pizza. They are getting quite good at gluing after three months!

Tomorrow we are going to make bubblegum pizza. We will also graph our favorite pizza. My guess is cheese is going to be the favorite. If you would like to make bubblegum pizza, click on

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2009/12/pizza-pizza.html

The Christmas Puzzle

Christian Union Church will be presenting a family musical on Friday, December 10th and Sunday, December 12th at 7 p.m. It promises to be a fun filled show with dessert served after the performance. The cost is FREE but CUC will be accepting donations that will be used to serve families in need this holiday season.

If you do not have a church family and are looking for services on Christmas Eve, CUC will have services at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. The early service will be a simple Christmas celebration to share with your family. The evening service will be a quieter service. CUC is our biggest supporter. Without their generosity, MCP would not exist.