October = Physical Science

Physical Science - gas liquid solid, magnets, buoyancy, surface tension, evaporation, volume, weight, measurement

• Matter- gas/liquid/solid and Evaporation Water
  Reversible Changes
  Material properties
  Melting points
  Gases
  Ice Cream Science FUN Celebration!
• Magnets Curious George Magnet Video
  Magnets and Springs
  Experiments
  Magnet Painting
• Buoyancy
  Pumpkin Float and Sink!
  Easy Buoyancy round vs flat sinking
  Float vs sink
  sinkorfloat ideas
• Surface Tension
  Penny Experiment
  Floating Paper Clips
• Volume - Weight - Measurement
  Pumpkin Measurement worksheet
  Many measurement ideas Sid the Science Kid Exploring measurement And of course cooking!

We never get to all the activities I list and I often take longer than indicated to do a "theme". It is just my intention to do these activities in October. Hope you find something here you can use with your family!

Any Ideas?

Josh really wants an easy bake oven for his birthday. I just feel like it is kind of a waste. You know we have an oven, toaster oven and microwave! So does anyone have an ideas of a gift that would be related but not a cooking appliance?


Thanks!

Montessori Monday

Well, tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day so we are planning on celebrating with style. One easy way to make holidays special is by doing a little cooking with your kids.

We will be creating a few fun treats! Including Magic Leprechaun Pudding! and Sweet Shamrocks! We are leaving off the green sprinkles...let's not go crazy... but do what you will! (wink, wink!)

As always, cooking is a great Montessori Practical Life activity and make sure to include a bit of science and math if the opportunities arise.

Shannon

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Montessori Monday

Ugh, sorry...apparently I forgot to post last weeks Montessori Monday...I thought I had one scheduled?!

This week we made Crock pot Applesauce from this recipe! As always, cooking is a great Montessori Practical Life activity. I peeled and sliced the apples into wedges, Josh chopped them into pieces. Then we measured and added the ingredients together. While the crock pot did the cooking we

wrote out a new cookbook page!

Finally, we tossed out the cores and skins for our squirrel friends! Check out the picture, can you see the core clenched in the squirrels paws?

Getting Back on Track!

I have so many crazy schemes up my sleeve right now I feel as if I am drowning in half finished projects and not really accomplishing anything! uhhh well, it will get done!

Anyway...thought I would give you a preview of what we have been up to and where we are going. (actual blog entries pending!)

• Science Journal~ Josh and I have started a science journal. We do a science "experiment" and fill out a journal entry with drawings and writings.
• Writing Workshop shelves~ almost finished but have been more of a challenge then expected.
• Art Shelves~ see above
• Cooking Mama and me~ Planning to try to do more of these again, it was such a fun time for us!
• Fine Art inspired learning
• New work on the math shelves!
• Love unit

Stay tuned!

Wednesday's Website

Here is a fun one to help with lunch or to find different cooking ideas you can use with your kids!

http://littlenummies.net/

I especially appreciate the easy to follow directions and often times diagrams!

Cooking Momma and Me Monday (on Tuesday!)

Last week was crazy and I apparently forgot to post so here is last weeks recipe and this weeks, and only a day off! Gotta love it!






Yesterday, we made Yummy Shish-Kabobs. Original recipe from http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/non-reader-recipes.html. It was pretty simple but involved several skills that Josh needed to practice, including slicing and being creative! All you need is a slice of ham, a cheesestick, pineapple, and toothpicks. Everything is cut into bite sized pieces and threaded on a toothpick. Josh loved making it and ate them in RECORD time.


Finished product!





Last Monday, we made Mix. Which is a recipe we have made many times but I wanted to get it put into his recipe book. All you need for this one is a one cup measuring cup and several snacklike foods. We generally use raisins, pretzels, cheerios, peanuts, cheese crackers, and shredded wheat cereal. Put a cup of each in a big covered container or zipper bag and shake gently.











I am amazed and thrilled with the fun we are having with this. I hope to continue our Cooking Mama and me days through the school year!

Shannon

Cooking Mama & Me Monday!

Another great cooking day! I did not have a lot of time this week so we just made a Peanut butter and Jelly Sandwich. Honestly though, I should have showed him how a looong time ago. (But I am sure I have mentioned my control freak tendencies, right?)

Anyway...he did pretty good. Needs a bit of practice with spreading but that is easy to solve! We will have a snack this week that involves spreading something on crackers!

I am so impressed with his cookbook pages. We need to really take this further in the next few weeks. Also...I have noticed, work a bit on drawing shapes.

Shannon

Cooking Mama & Me Monday

Well...I have to admit I had REALLY low expectations for our first cooking experience! My plan was to make a version of rice cereal treats. I never have that rice cereal on hand so I do not think I have ever made it the normal way! Around here we call them Shannon's Sweet treats! And I really just use any old cereal on hand that I want to get rid of, often because of expiration date or I just did not care for it. Today, we used Special K Fruit & Yogurt. (yummy, but about to expire!)

So anyway...It went really well! We made the sweet treats and I did okay giving him opportunities to participate (I am a TOTAL control freak!), and he did great following directions. I even got him to write down the recipe when we were done.

I "KNEW" there was no way he would actually do this without a struggle, but friends he did awesome! He even took into account how many tablespoons/cups we used as he drew the pictures! If you look closely you can see 3 rectangular shapes as the 3 T of butter, 4 roundish shapes as the cups of marshmallows, and a giant brown thing as the 6 C of cereal. (I barely measured this and apparently he noticed me just pouring...OOPS!)

What a success! Hopefully, we will continue to have fun with this!

Shannon

Planning our Cookbook

If you are interested in cooking with your kids, here are a few websites with kid friendly recipes!

http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/activities/acts/kids_kitchen.html
http://www.childrensrecipes.com/
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/kids/
http://www.justkidsrecipes.com/inxbak.html Make sure you check the other categories as well!
Kid's cookbook to check out!
http://www.thatsmyhome.com/recipes-for-kids/index.htm
http://kidsinthekitchen.ajli.org/
Cool recipe and inspiration for my cookbook plan!
http://www.molliekatzen.com/kids.php Check out these ideas! I would LOVE one of her books!
http://www.recipelink.com/rcpkids.html
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/kids/recipes.html
http://www.tinytummies.com/index.html
http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/cafe/
http://loneoak.mccracken.k12.ky.us/LES/Teachers/dcook/august_recipes.htm
http://www.kidsacookin.com/
http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/index.html Look around this one.
http://www.bry-backmanor.org/picturerecipes.html picture recipes
http://www.prekinders.com/kidrecipes.htm

And...this might be the solution if you really do not have time to look for good recipes! These are all picture recipes that are ready to print!
http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/RecipePictorialSnacks.htm

I just love the Internet!
Shannon

Another New Schedule Change!

Remember this schedule? Well...it is out of date and just generally not working anymore. For one, Josh is not going to his playgroup this summer. We also, as you know, are doing nature study this summer and are confining most of our Montessori work to Practical Life works that happen naturally around the house!

So...changes inspired by the last post...here is our NEW schedule!

Monday - Cooking Mama & Me day! A day in which we cook something and add a page to our soon to be new COOKBOOK! Just like this!

Tuesday - Nature Study

Wednesday - PLAY DAY!!! Fun stuff only! Parks, play dates, play areas, backyard fun, etc...

Thursday - Nature Study

Friday - Arts/Crafts!

I am feeling much better and so ready to get started! Thanks for all your inspiration!
Shannon

Recipe Share

You may or may not know this, but...I like to cook. And, I love to read new recipes and try new ideas. I thought it would be fun to share some of that with others. I know that many SAHM's who blog participate in the Menu Mondays. But honestly, I do not need that type of pressure ;) So, occasionally, I will share a recipe that we have enjoyed. Feel free to use and even consider sharing one in the comments with me!

Today I am going to share a recipe for a cinnamon roll coffee cake that we ate Christmas morning. Now this one is a MUST TRY! It is so easy and very yummy! Especially if you are a fan of cinnamon rolls and cheesecake!
Click here for Pillsbury recipe w/ picture! I just cut and pasted this.

Giant Cinnamon-Cheese Danish

INGREDIENTS
1 can (17.5 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 9-inch glass pie pan with shortening or spray with cooking spray. Separate dough into 5 rolls; set icing aside. Unroll 1 roll into long strip of dough; reroll loosely and place in center of greased pie pan. Unroll second roll; loosely wrap around first roll, cinnamon side in. Replace any cinnamon that falls off. Repeat with remaining rolls, coiling dough in pan into spiral shape.
2. In small bowl, beat all remaining ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spoon cream cheese mixture into decorating bag with tip or gallon-size resealable food-storage plastic bag with 1/2-inch hole cut in bottom corner. With tip or corner of bag about halfway down into rolls, pipe mixture between strips of dough, starting at center and working to edge of pan, using all of mixture.
3. Bake at 350°F. for 25 to 35 minutes or until center is thoroughly baked and edges are deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Meanwhile, remove cover from icing; microwave on Medium (50%) for 10 to 15 seconds or until drizzling consistency.
4. Drizzle icing over warm coffee cake. Cut into wedges. Serve warm.

It took us a bit longer in the oven. Also, there is a ton of the cream cheese mixture, just shove it where ever you can!

ENJOY!
Shannon