Grab Bag Numbers

I found this little Grab Bag Numbers math game at education.com and while my younger one was napping I played it with my 4 year old. We started with 1-20 and used beads as the objects to count. It held his interest for about an hour :) I think I will write out the actual words for the numbers next time as that would be much more challenging for him and help him to learn to read as well!



Here is the info:

"Want to help your preschooler get comfortable with math? Get out the grab bag! This hands-on game helps kids learn to associate numbers with sets of objects—a key early math skill. And all you need is a set of index cards, pennies, and a paper lunch sack.

Materials
index cards
markers
scissors
1 paper lunch bag
20 – 30 pennies, buttons, or small blocks

Directions:

Prepare: Gather 10 index cards and write a different number, from 1-10, on each. Get your child’s help on this part. When each card has a number, fold it in half and throw it into the lunch bag.

Play: Give your child some pennies to use as counters. (Buttons or small blocks also work well, if your piggie bank is looking a little slim!) Ask your child to close her eyes and pick a card from the grab bag. Once she’s chosen a card, she should open it up, look at the number, and then use her counters to show the quantity written on the card. For example, if your child picks the number 5 from the grab bag, she should place five pennies next to the numeral card.

This activity may seem very basic. But it’s actually a pretty big leap for young children to move from simply naming the numbers, to associating them with objects in the physical world. This game makes a perfect independent activity when you’ve got a few minutes to fill, and it reinforces one-to-one correspondence, which is just a fancy term for being able to match numeral symbols to their appropriate quantities.

As your child matures, up the grab bag ante with larger numbers, such as 11 to 20. And as she takes her first steps towards reading, make a set of cards that uses the number words along with the number symbols."

French Honey Bread

Colder weather again today so I decided to make a nice, warm loaf of bread with dinner tonight. This time I tried the "French Honey Bread" and it was very yummy! It was slighty sweet but not too sweet!

Here is the breadmaker recipe for a medium loaf:

3/4 C water
2 tsp honey
2 tsp olive oil

2/3 tsp salt
2/3 tsp sugar
2 C bread flour (I used 1 1/2 C bread flour and 1/2 C whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 tsp yeast

Cake Wrecks

I don’t make “fancy” decorated cakes – ever. Despite my lack of interest in that area I have become very drawn to the Cake Wrecks blog! It is absolutely hilarious! (be sure to read the commentary and not just look at the pictures!) There are also some amazing cakes on there like this Lego Batman Cake created by Elisa Straus over at Confetti Cakes - WOW!



I would love to try to make cute cakes for my boys, obviously I will never ever be at the skill level to make the Batman cake, but I see that she Elisa has a new book that looks very inspiring. It is called "Confetti Cakes For Kids: Delightful Cookies, Cakes, and Cupcakes from New York City's Famed Bakery"


Here is what the product description says at Amazon:

“Elisa Strauss of Confetti Cakes has created confections as elaborate as a platter of sushi, a wine bottle in a crate, and a designer handbag. Now she focuses her talents on her younger fans with this enchanting collection of cakes, cookies, and cupcakes for kids. Strauss starts readers off with 20 delicious recipes and all the basic techniques needed to complete any project in the book. Then she offers step-by-step instructions for 24 jaw-dropping designs that can become the centerpiece of any celebration. Projects span the imagination--from a charming sock monkey, to an MP3 player, to playful hula gingerbread girls and boys--and will appeal to anyone looking for the perfect way to thrill a child with a delectable, spectacular creation.”

1 Bag, 5 Dinners

I get the Kraft Food & Family newsletter e-mails and went to their site to look around today for some good recipes when I saw their "1 Bag, 5 Dinners" section where they basically give you a list of items that fit in one grocery bag that will give you 5 meals.

They all look super easy to make and some look pretty tasty! There are a few different "bag" choices depending on what you like. For instance you can choose Chicken & Seafood, Beef & Pork, etc. You click on the last part and they give you a shopping list and all of the recipes to print out at once. I may try it one of these days. I think I will start with "Bag 3" - chicken and beef - looks good! Just an idea for when I am feeling too lazy to meal plan on my own!

Crafty Saturday

I attended a crafting day at a local church this past Saturday and had a great time making lots of cute things.

Here are two of the things that we made:

Tile Coasters ( I love these!)



Decorated Paint Can w/ advent calendar in it

Most Haunted Live

I love October because it is the month when The Travel Channel and other various channels focus on shows about hauntings! I love watching about, reading about, and visiting places that are rumored to be haunted. I especially love watching shows about places that I have been. For instance, when I visited Louisiana we went to many of the plantations in the area that were said to be haunted, like The Myrtles plantation which was just featured on a show a couple of days ago.

Tonight on The Travel Channel they are going to have Most Haunted Live:

"Join the Most Haunted team on Friday, Oct. 10, for the first-ever live broadcast from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the most haunted town in America.

Starting at 8 p.m. ET, The investigative team will begin an extraordinary seven-hour LIVE paranormal investigation of some of the most historically significant locations and landmarks in and around Gettysburg.

For three long days in 1863, the South and the North faced off in the deadliest clash of the Civil War: The Battle of Gettysburg. Every two seconds a man was shot, the streets ran red with the blood of the dead, and nearly every dwelling served as a makeshift morgue or hospital.

Viewers at home will be able to take part in this interactive investigation by monitoring live webcams and communicating with the team via the message boards, text messaging and psychic art.

Join Yvette Fielding and the rest of the Most Haunted team as they scour the streets of Gettysburg in search of the spirits left behind."


OK, so there is no way that I will watch all seven hours of this but it does sounds a little interesting. I love things like this!

No-Bake Clay

I was looking for a fun craft idea for my children this morning and came across a recipe for "No- Bake Clay" at education.com. So far my children haven't decided what they want to make with it to keep and have been just having fun making things and then smashing them up and making something else :)


No-Bake Clay Recipe

1 cup corn starch

2 cups baking soda

1 1/4 cups cold water

several bowls

Food coloring

Saucepan

Paper plate

Small towel or cloth

Newspaper



Directions:

Mix a few drops of food coloring into the water and stir until combined. Then put the water, baking soda, and cornstarch into a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until the mixture feels like cooked mashed potatoes. Remove from heat, put it onto a paper plate, and cover with a damp towel until cool. Repeat this process for any additional colors you'd like to use.

When the mixtures are cool, knead them until the clay feels smooth and pliable. Then cover the kitchen table with newspaper, sit your child down, and give him a go! Depending on the time of year, he can sculpt something with a holiday theme (like a snowman, a pumpkin, a ghost, or a flag) or he can just use his imagination and create something with nothing to do with the holidays (fruit, shapes, a car). Whatever he creates, let it dry overnight. In the morning, it will be ready for final paint and decorations