From my notebook...

Location, Location, Location

I'm taking a break from Advent and Christmas to share this fun idea from my notebook. Use a set of measuring spoons to show the relationship between geographical concepts. Label the smallest spoon with your address, the next smallest with your city, then your state, your country, continent, and so on. The smaller spoons rest in the larger spoons, showing how they're all related!

From my notebook...

Wood Block Nativity

SUPPLIES: Wood blocks cut from two-by-fours, from 5" to 10", felt scraps, beads, ribbon, glitter, etc, and craft glue.

Decide what figures you want in your Nativity scene and cut a block for each figure. Sand the blocks well, especially if little ones are going to be playing with them. Round the corners for safety as well.

In addition to Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus, you may want Wise Men, shepherds, sheep, an angel, and other animals. Copy simple drawings and cut the shapes from felt. Glue to the appropriate block. You can layer the felt or add the other materials for details.

From my notebook...

Nose So Bright

This is a silly project, but fun!

On black paper, let your child sponge paint to his heart's content with white paint. When it's all done, glue on a red pom-pom-- Rudolph's nose!

From my notebook...

A Family Advent Calendar

Make a large calendar grid on a piece of poster board (blue or rose for Advent is nice!). Be sure to leave the squares big enough to write your plans for each day! Plan your Advent season together, writing down special dates, get-togethers, parties, family outings, deadlines, saints' days, etc. Add pictures to represent different activities. We like to draw 4 little candles in each Sunday box, with one lit the first Sunday, two the second, etc.

Hang in a place where you all can see it, and mark off the days until Christmas.

From my notebook...

Snow-Covered Snack Mix

This easy peasy idea is a yummy winter snack. Just mix together yogurt-covered raisins and yogurt-covered pretzels. My kids like to put them in a brown paper baggie and shake them up themselves.

From my notebook...

The Empty Manger

Give each child a smallish cardboard box (alternately, you can all work together to fill one "manger"). Decorate it if you wish. Each time a child does a good turn or a kind deed, they can add a piece of straw (even cut up yellow construction paper works!) to the manger. The goal is to make a soft, snug manger bed for Baby Jesus! After the children are asleep on Christmas Eve, add a sweet little Infant Jesus to the bed.

From my notebook...

Surprise Stocking

The time leading up to Christmas can get a little hectic. One thing I like to do is to write extra treats and surprises on slips of paper and keep them in a small stocking. When we have some extra time or have had an extra great day or just need to reconnect, we pull out a "stocking surprise" and do what the paper says. It can range from making cookies to watching a holiday movie to going for a walk and counting Christmas lights.

From my notebook...

A Hand-y Santa Banner

These are cute grandparent gifts, or they look sweet hanging on a door.

You will need red, skin-colored, and white paint. Paint your child's fingers white, palm skin-colored, and the part closest to the wrist and the thumb red. Then have your child press her hand onto the center of a dark green square of felt. After it dries, add blue fingerprint eyes and a red fingerprint nose to Santa's face, as well as fingerprint snowflakes around the Santa. Don't forget a fingerprint white pom pom at the end of the thumb "hat"!

You can add a ribbon for hanging and use fabric paint to write a message or your child's name and the year on your banner.

From my notebook...

A verse for lighting your Advent wreath...

Winter is dark,
Yet each tiny spark
Brightens the way
To Christmas Day.

From my notebook...

The Giant and the Gnome

There walked a giant big and bold
Whose feet were getting very cold.
He came long to our town
And walked the streets all up and down
Calling, "Is no one hearing me?
My toes are freezing bitterly!
No single shop that I could tell
Has stockings giant-sized to sell."

A little gnome both old and wise,
He gave him very good advice.
He brought two pretty bits of stuff.
The giant thought them good enough.
He wrapped him feet, his pain was eased,
And home he walked, content and pleased.

From my notebook...

Happy Rolls

Measure 1 cup warm water into a bowl and sprinkle 1 package of fast-rising yeast onto the top of the water. Let it settle into the water.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup of cooking oil, 3 cups of flour, and a dash of salt. Add the yeast and water mixture and place the dough on a floured board. Show your children how to knead the dough, and allow them to take turns.

After kneading the dough for about 10 minutes, place the ball of dough into a greased bowl. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled. Take the dough out of the bowl and punch down. Knead for several more minutes and then divide into 12 to 15 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a greased cookie sheet. Let the dough rise again until doubled. Bake at 450 for 10 to 12 minutes.

From my notebook...

Tree of Thanks

Cut open a large grocery bag so it lays flat. Cut out a tree trunk and branch shapes. Use colored paper and cut out leaf shapes. Have your children write what they are thankful for on the leaves and then add them to the tree.

From my notebook...

Paper Collage Turkeys
Cut turkey shapes out of brown construction paper. Give your child the shape and scraps of colorful construction paper. Let your child tear the paper into small pieces. Glue the torn pieces on the turkey's hindquarters to make colored feathers. Add eyes and other features with a marker.

From my notebook...

Show your child how to choose a new screen saver to suit the season or a current interest. We like to put seasonal "Waldorf" pictures in a folder and choose that folder for the screen saver to cycle through. You can also choose the marquee option and type a message. We sometimes enter our Bible verse for the week.

Glueless Collages
When I was teaching toddler preschool, I loved doing this!

Tape a piece of clear contact paper, sticky side out, to a table or wall.

Set out bowls of "stickables"--felt scraps, tissue paper squares, crepe paper streamers, ribbon pieces, magazine pictures, foam pieces, feathers, etc.

Let your child explore the sticky paper and place the objects on the paper.

Preserve the collage with a second piece of contact paper on top of the first.

These make great suncatchers!

From my notebook...

Vibrant Play Dough
Combine
1 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 c. water
4 tsp. baby oil

Cook over medium hear, stirring constantly until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool and then knead until smooth. Divide the dough into 4 portions. Put on rubber gloves and then pour about 2 tsp of liquid watercolor into each ball. Knead until the color is evenly distributed. Store in an airtight container and put in the fridge for extended storage.

From my notebook...

Five little chickadees sitting on the door.
Hold up hand.
One flew away and then there were four.
Put down one finger at a time.
Four little chickadees sitting on a tree.
One flew away and then there were three.
Three little chickadees looking at you.
One flew away and then there were two.
Two little chickadees sitting in the sun.
One flew away and then there was one.
One little chickadee sitting all alone.
He flew away and then there was none!

From my notebook...

Cheese Pretzels

1 cup warm water
1 package (2 1/4 tsp) dry yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
3 cups flour
3/4 cup grated cheese (cheddar, American, or parmesan)

Proof yeast in water. Mix in remaining ingredients, adding cheese last. Knead well and divide into 18 portions. Roll into worm shapes, alphabet letters, pretzel shapes, etc. Place on a cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

From my notebook...

Pumpkin Cookies

1 C shortening
1 C sugar
1 C solid-packed pumpkin
1 egg
2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Cream the shortening, sugar, and pumpkin together with a mixer. Add the egg and mix well. Sift together the dry ingredients and then add them to the creamed mixture. Drop rounded teaspoonfulls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

OK, the shortening part isn't so great (but do you know they make organic shortening? So it's OK, right? Because it's organic!) but these are really, really yummy.

From my notebook...

I rake and rake the leaves into a great big heap.
Pretend to rake
Then into the leaves I jump and take a great big leap.
Jump and squat.
I cover myself with the leaves and hide from you.
Then I jump up and, "Peek-a-Boo!"
Jump up!