Archive for the 'General Fun Activities' Category

Flannel Board Story Telling Videos

Hi everyone! I’ve recently become aware that there are many videos online showing teachers, childcare providers and librarians telling felt board stories! I thought I’d share them here in case you’d like to see the techniques they use, or just for fun to show the kids!

The Three Little Pigs - Worthington Libraries Programs to Go

The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly - Marisa with Preschool Learning Online
Hickory Dickery Dock - Worthington Libraries Programs to Go

Old MacDonald Had a Farm - Worthington Libraries Programs to Go

Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See? - Ms. Charme

Five Little Pumpkins - Cullens ABCs

Mr. Sun (Please Shine Down on Me) - Cullens ABCs

Five Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree - Cullens ABCs

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Patriotic Activities

Patriotic Lessons & Activities

Happy Birthday, America! Celebrate with the kids by making some of these crafts or doing these activities on the 4th, and continue to teach patriotism all year round!

US Veterans
Have your family look for Veterans License Plates and tell your children how they keep our nation free and because of all the past Veterans we are a FREE country today. Even go to a Veterans Hospital and Thank the men and women there for keeping this country FREE THANK YOU

A Cool Independence Day Treat
Take a tall glass and in the bottom put strawberry yogurt then add fresh (washed and cut) strawberries, add Cool Whip in the middle, and then add blueberries (whole). On top, add some blueberry yogurt, and on top of that a little dab of Cool Whip. For extra fun, get inexpensive red/white/blue decorations on a toothpick to stick in the top.

“Fireworks” Painting for Toddlers/Preschoolers
Take a toilet paper or paper towel tube, and cut four slits (the same length) in one end. Fold the sides out so it looks kind of like a ‘plus sign’ with a hollow handle. Then you dip the cut and folded end into paint and let the children press it down all over a black piece of construction paper. Use a different paper towel tube for each color. Yellow paint looks really nice. You could also make more slits in the tube to make more lines.

Red, White, and Blue Poster
Count the lines on writing paper and fold paper in 3rds. Discuss the words “victory, purity, and loyalty” in the context of America’s history. Then teach how to draw a star if they do not already know, or simply have them draw a star if they do already, at the left of each section. Then have the children write these sentences and color the stars accordingly.

RED is for Victory
WHITE is for Purity
BLUE is for Loyalty

Bald Eagles Lesson
Show the children a picture of a bald eagle and point out that their heads, legs, and tail are white, with their beaks and talons yellow or gold, and the rest brown. Bald eagles are always those colors. Then have the children draw or color a prepared coloring sheet with a picture of a Bald Eagle. (I did a search online and came up with
several coloring sheets).

Fireworks Art
Draw and color fireworks - radiating lines, zig zags, swirls, dotted radiating lines, etc. Fill entire page with the design then frame with red or blue paper.

The Pledge
Have kids copy the words to the Pledge of Allegiance, then draw a flag to illustrate. Discuss the vocabulary such as “allegiance” as well:

The Pledge of Allegiance
 
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Of the United States of America
And to the Republic for which it stands,
One nation under God,
Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Patriotic Wind Sock
Take blue construction paper about 5 x 18 and decorate with cut out white stars. Have older kids cu or trace stars, younger kids can cut pre-drawn stars, or simply draw them (or asterisk shapes) with white crayon on the blue paper. Glue red and white crepe paper streamers around the back side, ten tape or staple into a cylinder shape and hang with string.

Red White and Blue Split (snack idea!)
Make a banana split but use these ingredients to create a red white and blue theme: Bananas, watermelon balls, blueberries, vanilla ice cream or yogurt, granola or crunchy cereal for topping.

Independence Lesson
Discuss the word “independence” and explain the context with which July 4th has been named Independence Day. Discuss with the children how THEY show their independence from their parents. Cut out bell shaped papers and write: I Declare My Independence By _________ (brushing my teeth, walking the dog, getting myself dressed, making my own lunch, etc.) on the papers.

Proud to Be an American
Play or read the lyrics to the song “I’m Proud to Be an American (God Bless the USA)” by Lee Greenwood. Have the kids discuss why they are proud to be an American and write/illustrate.

God Bless the USA
(by Lee Greenwood)
 
If tomorrow all the things were gone
I’d worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
with just my children and my wife,
I’d thank my lucky stars
to be living here today,
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom
and they can’t take that away.
 
I’m proud to be an American
where at least I know I’m free,
And I won’t forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
 
From the lakes of Minnesota
to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas
from sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston
and New York to L.A.,
There’s pride in every American heart
and it’s time we stand and say:
 
I’m proud to be an American
where at least I know I’m free,
And I won’t forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

Crayon Scratching Fireworks Picture
Cover a piece of white paper with colors all over, then cover the entire paper with black crayon, pressing hard. Use paper clips to scratch out fireworks designs. The result looks like colorful fireworks in the night sky.

Play Steal the Flag (aka Steal the Bacon)
Divide the players into two equal teams and line them up facing one another, about 15 feet apart (players in line should be about 5 feet apart). Starting at the right end of each line, have the players count off down their line, so those with the same numbers are diagonally across from each other. Place a pretend FLAG (piece of fabric) in the center of the space between the two lines. To start the game, call out a number. The players who share that number must race to grab the Flag and get back to their places without being tagged by the opposing player. The player receives a point each time he makes it home safe; if they don’t, the Flag is returned to the center. The game continues in this fashion until the first team reaches the predetermined number of points.

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Father’s Day - Poems, Songs, Gifts to Make and Books to Read

Here are some poems, songs, and home-made gifts to present to Dad this Father’s Day!

FATHER’S DAY POEMS:
(Great on hand made cards!)

Daddy Handprint Poem

Here are my handprints
So tiny and small
The ones that clasped your hands Daddy
The ones on the wall.

Press them in your memories Daddy,
Press them in your heart
Never let go of me Daddy,
Never let us part.

Right now they’re good for touching
And crawling on the floors
Hold them tightly in your hands Daddy
They fit so perfectly in yours.

Soon I’ll be big like you,
Our hands will be the same
But you will always be my Daddy,
And I will always proudly carry your name.
continue reading

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It’s a Contest! Felt Bug Book Giveaway

Hi everyone! As you know I am a proud Story Time Felts consultant, and one of my team members gave me a great idea! Lisa Braverman held one of these on her Educational Toy Factory blog and it looked like fun!

Anyone who makes a comment on ANY of my posts on this blog in the month of April will be entered to win a precut and assembled Bug Book quiet book (in honor of Earth Day!) from me! Just comment on any post and I will choose a winner at the end of the month.

creepy crawly felt activity book
Click on the images to read about this great product in another window!

The Bug Book is one of my favorite felt activity books that Story Time Felts offers. It not only has 43 creepy crawly bugs and 5 different environments, it also comes with extensive paperwork explaining each bug, its habitat and other information. If you are a teacher or homeschooler, you will be able to create a unit for Spring around this great set. It is also on sale in April! :)

Let me know what you think in the comments or if you have any fun activities for kids related to BUGS!!

Happy posting, and good luck in the contest! Take a look around this blog, there are many fun activities for kids to try out!

I will contact the winner May 1st!

PS: Special shoutout to my Mompack friends! Thanks for visiting!

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50 Preschool at Home Ideas

Hi everyone! My mother’s club friend Karen Baker sent the following to the group and I thought I’d share. Karen got this from a friend, who got it from a friend, so we do not know the original author to give credit - if you know, let me know! Any more ideas? Add them in the Comments! This is great. Thanks Karen!
-
50 At Home Preschool Activities ˆ
When you run out of ideas, try some of these!

1. Button Sorting ˆ Buy a bag of buttons at your local craft store and
have your child sort them however s/he wants to, by color, size,
number of threading holes, etc.  An older child can count the sorted
piles.  I use little plastic cups from the party store that I think
are for condiments or something. But they are shallow and non breakable.

2. Placemat per Night ˆ Buy a stack of blank paper placemats from the
party supply store. Have your preschooler color a new placemat to eat
off of for the evening.  S/he can make a new one each night as make on
for other family members. Great during dinner prep.

3. Wash Day ˆ This sounds silly, but kids adore it. Fill a large
bucket with some mild soap, like Ivory. Allow your child to wash
washcloths or dish towels. Provide another bucket (or rinse the first
out) to rinse, and then hang them with clothes pins and a string in
the bathroom. This helps the child learn that clothes get clean via a
process, not just “magic”.

continue reading

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Fall Leaf Ideas

Here are some ideas for using leaves the children can collect around
the neighborhood:

Leaf People
Glue a leaf to a sheet of paper and draw features to make them into leaf people, such as arms and legs, necks and heads, tails, etc. Then draw a scene around your leaf person!

Leafy Trees
With paints or markers using Fall colors, draw a tree trunk with branches. Then glue leaves in clusters on the branches.

Leaf Prints
Trace several leaves on fine-grained sandpaper to form a design. Color over your design with heavy pressure using crayons in autumn colors. Place a sheet of thin white paper over the design, then press with a medium-heat iron.

Leafy Crown
Be a Fall Princess! Make a 2 inch-wide headband large enough to fit the child’s head and staple. Glue leaves all around the crown.

Leaf Shapes
Draw basic leaf shapes on separate cards and place into a basket. Collect numerous leaves and then play this game. The child draws a card from the basket and then finds a leaf that matches the shape on the card. Have the child explain why they chose that leaf as a match by describing the 2 leaves.

Leaf Rubbing
Most people have done basic leaf rubbings where you place paper over the leaves, and rub over the paper with the side of a crayon. Try outlining the edge and veins of the leaves with a thin line of glue which is allowed to dry. Then do the rubbing and see the distinct patterns!

Leaf Mosaic
Draw a picture on construction paper, leaving spaces to fill in (do not make it to detailed!). Collect many different types of leaves from the neighborhood and tear them into small pieces. Use the leaf pieces to glue into your design as a mosaic, using the different shades of green, yellows, and reds for variety.

Preserving Leaves
Collect samples of colorful leaves and place the leaves between sheets of wax paper. Set the iron to a hot setting. Cover the layers of wax paper with a couple sheets of newspaper and iron them. Attach yarn to the corners and you have a nice window hanging.

Changing Colors
Observe the effects of light on the color of leaves. When leaves on a tree are still green, cover part of a leaf with aluminum foil. (Choose a tree that you know will turn bright colors.) Use masking tape to tape the foil to the leaf. Sign your name on the masking tape. Wait until the leaves on the tree change color. Then remove the foil and see the colors that were in the leaf all summer!

Graphing Leaves
Take a census of the trees in your school yard, an area of a nearby park, or another defined area. Draw the types of leaves found and how many of those trees are found. Use the survey data to create bar graphs that show the numbers of trees of different species.

Identifying Leaves
Collect a variety of leaves and use a tree guide from the library to identify the kind of tree from which each leaf comes. To protect the leaves, you might laminate them.

Leaf Exchange
Ask parents or teachers in other regions (email friends are great for this!) to join in a leaf exchange. Compare and contrast the leaves found in other areas.
Karen
Independent Story Time Felts Consultant

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Animal Note Holders

This week we have another crafty idea from my felt friend, Awnya! THANKS Awnya!
Karen

Animal Note Holders 

First you will want to choose an animal for your inspiration.  I like cows, sheep and dogs the best.  I will give you the instructions for a sheep.

First, cut a 3″ round circle out of cardstock.  This will be the body.

Then you are going to cut a pear shaped piece out of black paper that will serve as the face, so you will want it to be maybe 1 to 3/4 at the fattest part.  It’s up to you.  Also, you will need to oval little ears out of the black.
Glue 2 goggle eyes to the face and you are done with it for a minute.

For the body, you are going to want to add fur, so what I recommend doing is clearing out your paper shredder and putting some blank white paper or construction paper through.  If it is a cross cut shredder, the pieces should be about perfect; if not, take the strips and cut them into 1″ pieces. Another way to do it if you don’t have a shredder is 1/8-inch strips and then when you have a bunch of those, cut them into 1″ long.

Now you want smear the body with a nice amount of Elmer’s glue.  Heap the fur parts onto the body and press down a little bit to make stick.  When this is dry, you want a grown up to hot glue 2 clothes pins to the back of the big circle.  You want the pinchy part at the top to hold notes or reminders.  The bottoms you want to hang out below the circle to serve as the legs of your critter. Hot glue the face on the front and you are done!!

For a fun twist, glue magnets on the back and you have a fun fridge pal.
Cows, use white and black mixed together.  For a puppy, we used a light brown background, face and ears, and then darker brown fur.  We also drew a nose and happy face on the puppy and cow.

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Magazine Beads

My friend and fellow Story Time Felts Consultant, Awnya Boam, shared a few craft ideas with me and I thought I’d pass them along.
“What you do is you take pages of a magazine and tear them out.  I like to choose the really colorful ones.  (Flower mag’s work REALLY well). On the BACK of the page that you like, you will draw a triangle that will go the length of the page.  You want the fat part of the triangle to be how fat you want the bead.  You also want the 2 sides of the triangle to be equal or the bead will turn out crooked.  I like beads that measure somewhere between 3 and 5 cm.

So lets say I’m doing a 3cm bead.  I will mark the spot where the bead will start (remember this is on the back that you are marking, or it will ruin the colors of the bead) and then where it will end.  I draw these lines all the way across the page.  Then I will measure 1/2 way between the 2, so 1 1/2 cm and mark a spot there.  This is the top of the triangle and then I will draw the sides.

Cut the triangles out and then you will need to have something to roll them around.  I use a piece of wire coat hanger but a toothpick works well too.  Wrap the triangle around the wire starting with the fat part first.  try to keep it as tight as you can, although you can take it off and tighten it up later if you need to.  To keep the bead in place, I put a little bit of Elmer’s glue on the smaller end.  When the bead is all wrapped up, I will put elmers glue over the whole thing and wipe it with my fingers.  This seals the bead in a clear finish and will help to hold it together.

Try all different colors.  I like to make up like 20 beads and then choose which ones match the best to put them on a bracelet or necklace.  To accent the beads, use clear beads in between.

You will be amazed at how great these beads look and what colors you come up with!”

Thanks, Awnya!

Karen
Executive National Director
Story Time Felts

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International Heritage Recipes

International Heritage Costumes Girl Doll Set

The following recipes come from the exclusive felt International Heritage Costumes set by Story Time Felts, which is a set of clothing to go with our girl felt ‘paper’ dolls.  Many parents and teachers enjoy teaching their children about the people of the world with this great set! The literature that comes with includes these recipes plus background information and traditions for each country, activity ideas and lessons, and bibliographical and reading references! The following countries are represented:
Brazil
China
Egypt
Germany
Holland
Indonesia
Japan
Kenya
Mexico
Native America
Spain
Switzerland
Tahiti
India
Norway

Make some of these great recipes with your kids!

Abbreviations: T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, C = cup , g = Gram, oz. = ounceENJOY!!

==
BRAZIL: Creme De Palmito

1 16 oz can of Hearts of Palm, drained with 1 T of liquid reserved
2 C vegetable stock
2 t flour
1 egg yolk
3 C water
3/4 C yogurt
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh parsley to garnish
Mix the Hearts of Palm liquid, stock, flour and egg yolk. Cut the Hearts of Palm into 3/4 inch thick round circles, Place the liquid mixture and the Hearts of Palm in a large saucepan. Add the water and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add the yogurt while stirring, Season to taste, Serve hot, garnished with a sprinkling of parsley.

==
CHINA: Sweet and Sour Pork

2 pork fillets, cubed
Oil for deep frying
1 onion sliced
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced
1 small can pineapple chunks

Batter:
1-1/2 T flour
4 T corn flour
1-1/2 T baking powder
pinch of salt
1 T oil
water as needed

Sauce:
2 T corn flour
1-1/2 C light brown sugar
pinch of salt
2/3 C rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 t fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
6 T catsup
6 T pineapple juice

Batter: Sift the flour, corn flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl,. Make a small hole in the center of the ingredients, Add oil and enough water to make a thick and smooth batter.
Pork: Heat enough oil to deep fry the pork. Dip the pork cubes one at a time in the batter, making sure the batter covers the pork completely. Drop in the oil and deep fry for 4-5 minutes, then remove and let drain on paper towel.
Sauce: Drain most of the oil from the pan, Fry the sliced onion, pepper and pineapple, Cook for 1-2 minutes over high heat, then remove the vegetables and pineapple and set aside. Pour all the sauce ingredients into the pan, and bring it slowly to a boil. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens. Allow the sauce to simmer 1-2 minutes or until clear. Add the vegetables, pineapple and pork cubes to the sauce and stir to coat the pork. Reheat for a few minutes, then serve with rice.

==

EGYPT: Omm ‘Ali (Bread and butter pudding)

1 packet of roqaq (a type of cracker bread) or substitute of your choice
1 C mixed nuts
1 T grated coconut
1 T unsalted butter or fresh cream
1 C rich, well-sweetened milk

Dry the bread for 1-2 minutes in a hot oven enough to make them dry and crisp. Crush with fingers and place in a lightly greased oven dish. Mix nuts and coconut, and scatter on top. Warm the sweetened milk and pour over the dessert. Dab with butter or cream, and place in moderately hot oven, 325-375 degrees F.

==
GERMANY: Lebkuchen (Spice bar)

2 C honey
5-1/2 C flour
3/4 C grated unblanched almonds
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t powdered cloves
3/4 C mixed candied fruits (orange, lemon and citron peel)
1/2 t baking powder
Egg White Icing (see below)

Heat honey until thick, do not boil., mix in all other ingredients except icing. Turn onto floured board and knead until smooth, adding a little flour if necessary. Roll with a floured rolling pin to 1/2 inch thickness. Grease and flour a baking sheet and lay rolled dough on it. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and cook for about 20 minutes. Spread with icing while hot, cool before cutting into rectangles.

Egg White Icing:
2 egg whites
1-1/4 C confectioners sugar
1 T lemon juice
Whip egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks. Add sugar and lemon juice. Continue beating until thick and glossy,. Spread on cake or cookies with a spatula.

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HOLLAND: Alphabet Chocolates

1 large high quality chocolate bar (not milk chocolate!)
Sugar sprinkles and mini-candies

Unwrap the chocolate bar and place in a sealable bag. Microwave on high for one minute at a time until the chocolate melts. Place a piece of waxed paper on a cookie sheet. Snip a tiny hole in the corner of the bag. Then slowly squeeze the chocolate onto the waxed paper in the shapes of letters. Decorate the letters with sugar sprinkles and mini candies. Refrigerate the letters until they harden. Wrap in plastic wrap and tie with a bow.

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INDIA: Samosas

1 T vegetable oil
1 medium onion
1 t ginger
1 t garlic powder
1 t curry powder
1 fresh tomato, chopped
3/4 C cooked peas
1 package egg roll or wonton skins
oil for deep frying

Heat 1 T oil in large frying pan, add onion, stirring constantly, until browned. Add ginger, garlic powder, and curry powder. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Add tomato. Stir in peas and allow to cool. Cut egg roll skins into 4 squares. Put about 1 T or less of mixture into center. Moisten edges with water. Fold over and press to seal. Heat oil for deep frying, about 375 degrees F. Cook samosas a few at a time until golden brown, turning once. To reheat, place on baking sheet in 350 degree F oven until warm.

==
INDONESIA: Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice)

2 C long grain rice
4 shallots or 1 small onion, sliced
2 red chiles, seeded and sliced or 1 t chili powder
1 t paprika
2 T vegetable oil
salt
1 t sweet soy sauce
1 t catsup

Cook rice as directed on package and then let cool.  Heat the oil in a wok, saute the shallots and chiles for about a minute, season with salt, soy sauce, and catsup. Add the rice and stir until it is well heated, about 5-8 minutes. Serve in a large dish and garnish with sliced cucumber, tomatoes or fried onions.

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JAPAN: Tempura

Items to fry:
12 med. prawns
4 red snapper fillets or any small white meat fish fillets
4 green peppers
2 Japanese eggplants or 1 regular eggplant
4 large shitake mushrooms

Tempura Batter:
2 eggs
1-1/2 C iced water
2 C sifted all purpose flour

Dipping Sauce:
Combine the following:
1-3/4 C of dashi stock
1/3 C soy sauce
1/3 C of mirin

Beat the eggs in a large and well chilled bowl then add the water. Add the sifted flour and stir lightly with chopsticks. There should be lumps of dry flour in the batter. Never mix well! Heat oil for frying to 325-350 degrees F. Dip all the ingredients in the batter - they should be well covered by the batter. Deep fry until golden brown. Tempura should be eaten immediately after frying. Dip in the dipping sauce and eat with rice.

==
KENYA: Kuku na Nazi (Chicken with coconut milk)

2-3 lbs chicken, cut into pieces
5 inches fresh ginger, grated
20 small cloves garlic
2 hot chili peppers or 1 t cayenne pepper
1 med. onion, sliced, 2 T oil
2 T curry powder
1/3 C clarified butter (directions below)
1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
1 T whole cumin seeds, pounded
4-6 C coconut milk (directions below)
1 C coconut cream (directions below)

Wash the chicken and pat it dry. Pound the ginger, garlic, chilies, and curry powder with a mortar and pestle, or puree in a blender or food processor. In a small skillet, saute the onions in oil for 4-5 minutes, then add the spice puree and simmer, Braise the chicken in butter in a large skillet or stew pot. When the chicken pieces are brown, transfer the onion-puree mixture to the chicken pot. Add coriander, cumin and coconut oil. Cook until the chicken is tender. Pour coconut cream over the chicken, remove pot from heat, and let stand until ready to serve. To eat, spoon over rice.

Clarified Butter: Take 2 sticks of butter (8 oz total) and cut into pieces and melt in a saucepan over low heat. Skim off the buttermilk fat that will foam to the top with a slotted spoon. Remove the pan from the heat. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then pour off the clear liquid, leaving behind the residue of milk solids that have settled to the bottom. The clarified butter will last 2 weeks when refrigerated.

Coconut Milk: Take fresh white meat of 1 coconut. Grate the meat by hand or process it in a blender. Extract the flavorful mixture from the gratings by pouring the gratings into a cheese cloth, then pour 1 cup of hot water over it. Squeeze the liquid out until you get 1 cup. Continue the process until you have 3 cups. Repeat with a 2nd coconut.

Coconut Cream:
Coconut cream can either be the first squeezing from the coconut milk, or a thick later than forms from chilled coconut milk.

==
MEXICO: Chapurrado (Dessert often eaten at Christmas)

6 C Whole milk
1 C masa harina (corn flour)
2 C water
1 C brown sugar, firmly packed
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, grated
1 cinnamon stick

Heat the milk and chocolate in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve the chocolate. When it is completely dissolved, remove from heat and set aside to keep warm, Mix the masa harina with the water in another saucepan. Place over low heat, add the cinnamon stick and cook until the mixture has thickened and the masa becomes translucent. Add the chocolate milk and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar and simmer for a few minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and serve the champurrado hot in cups or mugs

=
NATIVE AMERICAN: Zahsakokwahn (Frybread)

2 C flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 C milk
Deep hot fat in frying pan or fryer

Sift the dry ingredients. lightly stir in milk. Add more flour as necessary to make a dough you can handle. Knead and work the dough on a floured board with floured hands until smooth. Pinch off fist-sized balls and shape into a disk. Fry in fat about 375 degrees F until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper.

==
NORWAY: Kransekake (Ring shaped Almond cake)

250 g (8.8 oz, about 1-1/8 C) unblanched almonds
250 g blanched almonds
500 g icing sugar (17.7 oz, about 2-1/4 C)
100 g icing sugar (about 1/2 C) for icing
3 egg whites

The almonds must be completely dry before they are ground. Grind them twice, first alone and then together with the icing sugar. Add egg whites to make a firm dough. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Over low heat, knead the dough until it is almost too hot to handle. Pipe the dough into graduated ring shapes onto ovenproof paper or into greased ring molds. Bake until the rings are dry and firm on the outside and chewy inside. This takes about 12-15 minutes. Cool the rings a little before removing them from the molds to cool completely. Mix  icing sugar and egg white to make a fairly thick icing. Use the icing to glue the rings together in ascending order. Pipe the icing in thin zigzags on the sides of the tower. Garnish with sweets, small crackers, flags, etc. The cake should be deep frozen and thawed before serving. This will improve the taste and handling. Make sure the cake does not get the change to dry while stored.

==
SPAIN: Caramel Custard

1/2 T water
8 egg yolks
a few drops of vanilla essence
1 pint milk
2 T syrup
4 oz sugar

Heat sugar with water until it is of a brown caramel consistency. Pour into an oven proof dish or little individual dishes which have been previously dipped into cold water and not dried. This prevents sticking. Make the custard by beating the egg yolks well, adding the milk and flavoring, then pour into the caramel-lined dish and bake about 20 minutes. Cool, turn out, and keep in cool place until ready to serve.

==
SWITZERLAND: St. Galler Klostertorte (Jam tart)

Dough:
75 g butter (about 1/3 C)
50 g sugar (about 1/4 C)
51 g grated almonds (about 1/4 C)
1 g cinnamon (about 1/4 t)
10 g cocoa powder (about 2 t)
1 g baking soda (about 1/4 t)
150 g flour (about 2/3 C)
40 g milk (about 3 T)
Red currant jam

Stir butter and milk together. Add all other ingredients and work quickly into a dough. Set aside for 1 hour. Cut the dough in two halves. Cover the bottom of a round cake tin with one half and make a rim with the rest. Fill with red currant jam. Make a grill shaped ornament on top of the jam with dough strips. Top the dough strips with frosting. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes.

==
TAHITI: Orange Stuffed Dates

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 C powdered sugar
1 T grated orange peel
1 t vanilla
1 box whole pitted dates (8 oz)

Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and orange peel. Add vanilla. Cut the dates down the middle and fill with cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate.
I hope you enjoy these recipes!!


Independent Story Time Felts Consultant

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Halloween Fingerplays

These are cute fingerplays you can do with the Story Time Felts Fingerplay Fun with CD pumpkin figures or just make your own or improvise!

Karen Clark
Independent Story Time Felts Consultant

===

Five Little Pumpkins

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate
The first one said “My it’s getting late!”
The second one said “There are witches in the air!”
The third one said “But we don’t care!”
The fourth one said “Let’s run, let’s run!”
The fifth one said “It’s just Halloween fun!”
“Woooo-ooooo” went the wind!
And out went the lights!
And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!

Five Jolly Pumpkins

Five jolly pumpkins growing on a vine
The first one said “I’m round and fat and fine!”
The second one said “I’ll make delicious pies!”
The third one said “Soon I’ll have scary eyes!”
The fourth one said “I’ll have a candle light!”
The fifth one said “On Halloween night!”
Five Jack-O-Lanterns looking at YOU
You’d better be careful because they might say BOO!

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