Posted by Terry Bellus on May 14, 2012
May 14, 2012
I know that kids can be picky eaters, my daughter tops the list. Sometimes a little creativity goes a long way towards trying a new food. Make fruit and vegetables fun. Here are few ideas:
Flying Fish. Turn a handful of fresh snow peas into a school of fanciful fish.
- Ingredients
-
Snow peas- Yellow pepper
- Cream cheese
- Green olives
Grapefruit Gals
These sourpusses are a clever way to slip vitamin C into your child’s diet.
- Ingredients
- Grapefruit
- Grapes (for hair and eyes)
- Maraschino cherry (for nose)
- Raisins or banana (for mouth)
Hard Boiled Egg Mice.
With chive tails, radish ears, and olive eyes, hard-boiled eggs get transformed into whimsical critters (that like to be served wedges of cheese, please).
- Ingredients
-
- 1 Egg
- 1 Black olive
- 1 Radish
- 2 Fresh chives
- 1 Tiny Swiss cheese wedge
Mr. Tomato Head
Bright and cheerful, these pea-brained fellows may actually tempt your child to eat vegetables.
- Ingredients
-
- Small tomato or cherry tomato
- Peas
- ASSORTED DECORATIONS
- Cream Cheese
- Canned black beans
- Yellow bell pepper
- Celery
Posted by Terry Bellus on May 13, 2012
May 13, 2012
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Host Mother’s in the Cluster!! Enjoy your special day!
Posted by Terry Bellus on May 12, 2012
May 12, 2012
Another great idea from Family Fun. What is A Terrarium? A terrarium is a miniature landscape with living plants and even sometimes small animals like lizards or turtles, This a great spring time fun activity to do with kids.
Ages: 3 years and up
This easy learning activity gets budding botanists out in the field in search of natural treasures and gives them a special place to house their collections when they get home.
- Materials
-
- Wide, clear, lidded container (we got ours at Michaels)
- Pebbles
- Activated carbon (sold at pet stores)
- Soil
- Stones, moss, and small plants
Instructions
-
- Cover the bottom of the container with an inch of pebbles.
- Add a layer of activated carbon to curb any earthy odors, top it with 3 inches of soil, and create your garden from the stones, moss, and small plants you’ve unearthed — no rare species, please!
- Mist the terrarium until the soil is moist but not wet. Add decorations, if you like, then close the lid. If the container becomes cloudy, remove the top to let excess moisture evaporate. Mist the terrarium lightly if the soil starts to dry out.
Posted by Terry Bellus on May 8, 2012
May 8, 2012
Great Teachers Make Great Public Schools
On National Teacher Day, thousands of communities take time to honor their local educators and acknowledge the crucial role teachers play in making sure every student receives a quality education.
The next National Teacher Day will be celebrated on May 8, 2012.
Planning Materials and Artwork
Use these materials and activity ideas to plan your Teacher Day event.
Posted by Terry Bellus on May 7, 2012
May 7, 2012
Favorite Reads Photo Bookmark
by Catherine Newman 
Thank the teacher for making reading fun with a bookmark that lists your child’s new favorite titles. Tuck in a gift card to a bookstore, and she’ll be sure to read your message loud and clear.
- Materials
-
- Card stock or thick scrapbooking paper
- White paper
- Photograph of your child
-
- Trim the card stock to the desired size (ours measures 3 by 9-1/4 inches), and cut the white paper slightly smaller. Cut the photograph into a heart shape and glue it in place on the white paper, then use a marker to add the message and book list.
- Turn over the white paper and run glue around the outside edge, leaving 3-1/2 inches bare on one side. Press the sheet onto the card stock, then insert a gift card, as shown.
Posted by Terry Bellus on May 6, 2012
May 6, 2012
Painted Thank-You Mug
by Catherine Newman
With the stroke of a paint pen made for pottery (we used a Pebeo-brand Porcelaine 150 with a bullet tip), kids can turn an ordinary mug into a useful keepsake for their teacher. For an even more robust thank-you, include a gift card to a coffee shop.
- Materials
-
- Rubber band
- Oven-safe ceramic mug
- Towel
- Ceramic paint pen
- Damp cotton swab
-
- To make a guide for writing evenly, place a rubber band around the mug.
- Working on a folded towel to keep the mug from slipping, use the paint pen to write a message, moving the rubber band as needed. (Tip: Keep a damp cotton swab handy to wipe away mistakes before they dry.) When you’re finished, bake the mug according to the instructions on the pen package.
Posted by Terry Bellus on May 4, 2012
May 4, 2012
Kids can pledge to lend Mom or Dad a hand around the house with this flowery card.
- Materials
-
- 8 1/2- by 11-inch sheet of heavyweight paper
- Construction paper or card stock
- Glue
- Con-tact paper, optional
-
Fold in half an 8 1/2- by 11-inch sheet of heavyweight paper so that the shorter ends match up.- Cut a flowerpot shape from colored construction paper or card stock and glue it to the lower portion of the card face. Attach only the bottom and side edges and leave the top unglued.
- Cut out a bunch of colored flowers and thick green stems and then glue the stem tops to the backs of the blossoms.
- Once the glue dries, print a different chore (such as “fold the laundry” or “walk the dog”) on the back of each stem.
- Inscribe the inside of the card with the words “Pick a flower and you will see the jobs you’ll pick this week for me” and sign it. All that’s left to do is to “plant” the flowers in the pot and present the card.
- Tips:
- Laminate the card and flowers with Con-tact paper to make them longer-lasting.
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Just a reminder about how important it is to respect your host family’s privacy and not share personal details and information. This applies to all kinds of situations, including: personal conversations, email and social websites. 
