Here is a great aerial video of Virginia. How many places have you been to?
http://www.movoto.com/blog/opinions/virginia-above/
Yearly Archives: 2014
It’s National Game and Puzzle Week!
Most children love to play games – ball games, card games, board games, word games, guessing games. Playing games is important because it helps children learn how to handle disappointment when they lose. It also helps them to learn to take turns and how to follow rules. Play their favorites or teach them a new game from your childhood. Find favorite games at this link: http://boardgames.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/familygathering.htm
It’s Geography Awareness Week!
This is the perfect week to take out a map or a globe and show the children where they live and where your home country is.
Check out the Kids Culture Corner pages or Geography: Declare your Interdependence!
Play with peanut butter!
Peanut butter is a favorite food for many children in the U.S, and also a major allergen. Ask your host parents before feeding your host child peanut butter. Some children might like to eat it plain, but it is too sticky and can cause a child to choke. Always put the peanut butter on bread, a cracker, a piece of apple, a celery stick or some other fruit or vegetable.
Tired of eating peanut butter? The kids can play with it too! This is one of the few times it is really okay to play with your food as the play-dough is edible, but only for children over the age of one year.
Peanut Butter Play-dough
- 3 1/2 cups peanut butter
- 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 3 1/2 cups honey
- 4 cups dry milk powder
In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar. Then beat in the honey and fold in the milk powder. Divide the dough into small portions and refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to use it.
It’s American Indian Heritage Month
Make elephant ear cookies!
Elephant Appreciation Day
Elephants are the largest land animals. There are Asian (or Indian) and African elephants – the two look slightly different. Can you find the differences? Younger children may enjoy reading books with elephants in the story such as the classic “Babar” series by Jean de Brunhoff or“But No Elephants” by Jerry Smath. Older children (ages 6 and older) would be interested in facts about elephants and learning about conservation of the endangered Indian elephant. Find out how the circus is trying to help at http://www.ringling.com/cec/.
Finish off the day with Elephant Ears, a sweet pastry available at many bakeries. If you like to bake you can try these at home. It would be safest for children to not participate in the deep frying, but they would enjoy mixing the ingredients and kneading the dough.
Elephant-Ear Cookies
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- About 3 cups sifted flour
- Shortening or vegetable oil for deep-frying
Beat egg yolks and white and combine with water, milk and, cardamom. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft dough, turn dough out on a lightly floured board, and knead until firm, smooth, and glossy. Cover and let stand for 2 hours. Divide into balls the size of small walnuts. Then with a rolling pin roll each ball out as thin as possible, 3 inches in diameter and cut into rounds. With the fingers gather one side of the round and press dough together into a tiny handle 1/3 inch in length and thickness. The remainder of the circle should flare out like an elephant’s ear. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet and keep them covered with a towel to prevent them from drying. When all the dough is ready, heat oil, to a depth of about 1 inch in a shallow frying pan to 375 degrees. Fry the cookies a few at a time in the hot oil for about 30 seconds on one side, then turn and fry the other. They should not be allowed to brown much. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. While still warm, sprinkle generously with confectioners’ sugar. Store in a tightly closed container in a dry place.
It’s National Sewing Month!
Introduce your children to sewing. Children as young as two and a half would have fun stringing beads, cereal with holes in it or round pasta to make necklaces or bracelets. Take a piece of cardboard and punch holes for a three or four year old to sew with yarn. If there is no large plastic needle in the house, try dipping the end of the yarn in glue to make it stiff. Find special sewing projects for school age children and teens on this website: http://www.sewing.org/index.html.
It’s Grandparents Day!
National Grandparents Day
Take some time today to make a surprise for Grandparents Day, celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day. This is not a widely celebrated holiday, but most grandparents would still appreciate being remembered and would particularly enjoy a homemade gift or card. Work with your children to create a simple but special surprise. Use a photo of the child or the child and the grandparent to make it even more special.
It’s Classical Music Month
Classical Music Month
Children of any age will find classical music soothing. Try playing music at mealtimes, before nap, when children are playing quietly or drawing or even in the car. There is some classical music designed specifically for children like Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev. Listen to the music and read the story of Peter and the Wolf with illustrations. It is a wonderful introduction to symphony orchestra instruments.
Do you have a library card?
Library Card Sign-Up Month
Most libraries will give a child a card to borrow books as soon as the child can write his or her own name. What a thrill to check out books themselves! Be sure to keep track of the borrowed books and their due dates as this part of using the library is a grown-up responsibility.
Find out more about the local library at http://www.librarypoint.org/