January Extras
More information for the Boredom Buster ideas and Special Days
-Trivia Facts-
-It was the Romans who made the first popsicle. They took some ice and added flavour to it and then licked it. What a great idea! Yummy !
-The smallest bird in the world is the Hummingbird. It weighs 1oz.
-Did you know there are two kinds of pandas? There is the Long-tailed Himalayan carnivore that looks like a raccoon and there is the Giant panda bear that lives in Western China.
Visit www.indianchild.com for more great facts and trivia.
-Beans-
-Beans are one of man's earliest cultivated crops
-Most varieties originated in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
-The beans are planted from late spring to late summer. As they grow, they are cultivated to remove weeds, conserve soil moisture, and they are irrigated with the precise amount of water and the exact time needed.
www.cnf-foods.com for more facts and trivia.
-St. George and the Dragon-
Read the great literature to learn or re-learn the story of St. George and his adventures. Then use the Story Time Felts pieces to tell the story again from memory. See how man other stories you can come up with using the same pieces over again.
To get your own "St George and the Dragon" Story Time Felts set visit our Castle Tales Stories Set page for more information.
-Bottled Egg-
NOT to eat!!
You will need:
-hardboiled egg, still in its shell
-vinegar
-water
-milk bottle
soak the egg in vinegar until the shell becomes soft. Lay the bottle on its side. Gently squeeze the soft egg through the neck of the bottle and let it sink to the bottom. Rinse the bottle with cold water to remove the smell of vinegar and to make the shell harden again. Now you can show this amazing achievement to your friends! ( but don't tell them how you did it!) Note: The egg shell is made of a chemical called calcium carbonate which dissolves when it contacts with an acid, like vinegar.
Idea from: "365 After school activities: TV-Free Fun Anytime for kids ages 7-12," by Shella Ellison and Judith Gray, pg 295.
-Solar System-
Our Solar System is definitely out of this world! Learn about the space shuttle launch sequence and characteristics of each planet. Includes related lessons and some playtime activities. Read some of the facts and quiz your friends. Then color some of the coloring pages and talk about what you learned.
To get your own "Solar System" Story Time Felts set visit our Solar System and Planets Set page for more information.
-Popcorn Facts-
-How high popcorn kernels can pop? Up to 3 feet in the air.
-Of the 6 types of maize/corn-pod, sweet, flour, dent, flint, and popcorn-only popcorn pops.
-Americans consume some 17 billion quarts of this whole grain, good-for-you treat. That's 54 quarts per man, woman, and child.
-Most U.S. popcorn is grown in the Midwest, primarily in Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri.
-The peak period for popcorn sales for home consumption is in the fall.
-Popping popcorn is one of the number one uses for microwave ovens. Most microwave ovens have a "popcorn" control button.
For more great facts visit www.popcorn.org
-State Bird-
To find your state bird, visit www.50states.com
-Apple Heads-
NOT to eat!!
You will need:
-Large Red Apple
-pieces of string
-button
-Large Darning Needle
-Vegetable peeler
Thread the piece of string through the needle, tie the end to a button then poke the needle through the core of the apple starting at the bottom and moving up toward the stem. Peel the skin off the apple then carve the apple into the shape of the head you want to make. Make indentations for the eyes and mouth and carve some of the apple away around the nose to make it stick out. Take the apple and place it in t he sun to dry out. Don't put it outside or the birds will eat it. A window ledge that gets sun would be perfect. Within days it will start to shrink. In the first few days, you can still make cuts to encourage the shape you want. When it is dry, punch dried cloves in it for eyes. You can paint a face or make a puppet out of it if you want.
Idea from: "365 After school activities: TV-Free Fun Anytime for kids ages 7-12," by Shella Ellison and Judith Gray, pg 64.
-Cool Milkshakes-
You will need:
-2 cups milk
-3 scoops vanilla ice-cream
-2 teaspoons jam, carob powder, or chocolate sauce
For a Yogurt Shake
-1 cup fruit flavored yogurt
-1 cup favorite fruit juice
-1 cup ice cubes
Put milk shake or yogurt shake ingredients into a blender and blend on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
Idea from: "365 After school activities: TV-Free Fun Anytime for kids ages 7-12," by Shella Ellison and Judith Gray, pg 35.
More information for the Boredom Buster ideas and Special Days
-Trivia Facts-
-It was the Romans who made the first popsicle. They took some ice and added flavour to it and then licked it. What a great idea! Yummy !
-The smallest bird in the world is the Hummingbird. It weighs 1oz.
-Did you know there are two kinds of pandas? There is the Long-tailed Himalayan carnivore that looks like a raccoon and there is the Giant panda bear that lives in Western China.
Visit www.indianchild.com for more great facts and trivia.
-Beans are one of man's earliest cultivated crops
-Most varieties originated in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
-The beans are planted from late spring to late summer. As they grow, they are cultivated to remove weeds, conserve soil moisture, and they are irrigated with the precise amount of water and the exact time needed.
www.cnf-foods.com for more facts and trivia.
Read the great literature to learn or re-learn the story of St. George and his adventures. Then use the Story Time Felts pieces to tell the story again from memory. See how man other stories you can come up with using the same pieces over again.
To get your own "St George and the Dragon" Story Time Felts set visit our Castle Tales Stories Set page for more information.
NOT to eat!!
You will need:
-hardboiled egg, still in its shell
-vinegar
-water
-milk bottle
soak the egg in vinegar until the shell becomes soft. Lay the bottle on its side. Gently squeeze the soft egg through the neck of the bottle and let it sink to the bottom. Rinse the bottle with cold water to remove the smell of vinegar and to make the shell harden again. Now you can show this amazing achievement to your friends! ( but don't tell them how you did it!) Note: The egg shell is made of a chemical called calcium carbonate which dissolves when it contacts with an acid, like vinegar.
Idea from: "365 After school activities: TV-Free Fun Anytime for kids ages 7-12," by Shella Ellison and Judith Gray, pg 295.
Our Solar System is definitely out of this world! Learn about the space shuttle launch sequence and characteristics of each planet. Includes related lessons and some playtime activities. Read some of the facts and quiz your friends. Then color some of the coloring pages and talk about what you learned.
To get your own "Solar System" Story Time Felts set visit our Solar System and Planets Set page for more information.
-How high popcorn kernels can pop? Up to 3 feet in the air.
-Of the 6 types of maize/corn-pod, sweet, flour, dent, flint, and popcorn-only popcorn pops.
-Americans consume some 17 billion quarts of this whole grain, good-for-you treat. That's 54 quarts per man, woman, and child.
-Most U.S. popcorn is grown in the Midwest, primarily in Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri.
-The peak period for popcorn sales for home consumption is in the fall.
-Popping popcorn is one of the number one uses for microwave ovens. Most microwave ovens have a "popcorn" control button.
For more great facts visit www.popcorn.org
To find your state bird, visit www.50states.com
NOT to eat!!
You will need:
-Large Red Apple
-pieces of string
-button
-Large Darning Needle
-Vegetable peeler
Thread the piece of string through the needle, tie the end to a button then poke the needle through the core of the apple starting at the bottom and moving up toward the stem. Peel the skin off the apple then carve the apple into the shape of the head you want to make. Make indentations for the eyes and mouth and carve some of the apple away around the nose to make it stick out. Take the apple and place it in t he sun to dry out. Don't put it outside or the birds will eat it. A window ledge that gets sun would be perfect. Within days it will start to shrink. In the first few days, you can still make cuts to encourage the shape you want. When it is dry, punch dried cloves in it for eyes. You can paint a face or make a puppet out of it if you want.
Idea from: "365 After school activities: TV-Free Fun Anytime for kids ages 7-12," by Shella Ellison and Judith Gray, pg 64.
You will need:
-2 cups milk
-3 scoops vanilla ice-cream
-2 teaspoons jam, carob powder, or chocolate sauce
For a Yogurt Shake
-1 cup fruit flavored yogurt
-1 cup favorite fruit juice
-1 cup ice cubes
Put milk shake or yogurt shake ingredients into a blender and blend on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
Idea from: "365 After school activities: TV-Free Fun Anytime for kids ages 7-12," by Shella Ellison and Judith Gray, pg 35.