Traditions

This is the time of year that almost everyone has traditions.  Whether it is baking cookies, shopping on Black Friday or eating Italian on Christmas Eve- traditions are fun and comforting. In Eve Bunting's The Night Tree we hear the beautiful story of a family's unique holiday tradition.

On Christmas Eve the family sets off in their car to Luke's Forest.  Once they are there the family finds "their" tree.  After noticing how the tree has grown, hearing an owl hoot and seeing a deer the family sets down their big box and gets to work.  Inside the box is all kinds of decorations for the tree, but not decorations ornaments, tinsel and other decorations typically used for Christmas trees.  This family has made all edible decorations, a Christmas meal for the animals.  There are popcorn chains, apples, oranges, sunflower seed balls, even nuts and acorns to scatter on the ground.  Once the tree is decorated the family sits on a blanket, drinking hot chocolate and singing songs.  Simply enjoying the time together in the quiet of nature.  You can tell it is a Christmas tradition that the family enjoys because the son says, "Later, in bed I think about our tree, and sometimes, next day, when the aunts and the uncles and the cousins are at our house and it's noisy and happy, I let my mind go back to Luke's Forest."

What a simple and unique Christmas tradition this family has.  Does your family have a unique Christmas tradition?

Even if you can't make it to the forest to decorate an entire tree, you could make some fun snacks to share with the animals in your backyard.

Materials
- peanut butter
- bird seed
- pine cone
- ribbon
- knife

Directions:
1) Tie a ribbon to the top of the pine cone.

2) Use the knife to spread the peanut butter on the pine cone, the more the better!

3) Roll or sprinkle the bird seed onto the peanut butter pine cone.

4) Hang from a tree branch and wait for the birds or squirrels to come for a snack!

Happy Reading!
Laura

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm going to be way too busy tomorrow eating all the yummy Thanksgiving food so I wanted to share my favorite Thanksgiving book with you today.

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey is my go to read every Thankgiving.  This book has everything- humor and sweetness.

Using the rhyme and rhythm from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas this tells the story of a few kids who find out what happens to turkeys on Thanksgiving day.  It is the day before Thanksgiving and the class is taking a field trip to a turkey farm.  When the class meets arrives to meet Farm Mack Nuggett's eight turkeys (affectionately named Ollie, Stanely, Larry, Moe, Wally, Beaer, Shemp and Groucho) they fall instantly in love.  The class is distraught when they fine out the fate of their new turkey friends and decide they must do something about it.  Each of the kids "stuffed" a turkey under their shirt and and climbed aboard the school bus.  All of Farmer Mack Nuggett's turkeys were gone! The story ends with each of the children having the turkey to their Thanksgiving feast as a guest.  A true Thanksgiving story of love and thankfulness!

To go along with this book I always make a turkey craft.  The one I am sharing with you is great for a small number of children.  There is just a lot of prep work involved so it does not work well for a full class.

Materials:
- Construction paper or real feathers.
- Clear plastic cup
- Needle
- Thread of string
- Small square of sponge
- Glue
- Scissors

1) Poke a small hole in the top of the plastic cup and thread your string through the whole.  Tie a big enough knot so the string cannot be pulled through.
2) Tie a piece of sponge to the end of the string that is hanging through the cup.
3) I chose to trace my sons hands to use as the feathers.  You can either do that, cut feathers out of the paper or use real feathers.  Glue whatever you are using as feathers onto the back of the cup.
4) On the construction paper draw and cut out a turkey face.  Glue to the front of the cup.
5) Moisten the sponge that is hanging on the end of the string. Reach the sponge to the top of the string and drag it down.  You should hear a sound like a turkey.

Kids love playing with this little "craft".  Below is a video of what it looks and sounds like when finished.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Reading!
Laura

More Fall!

We are right in the midst of fall now.  The temperature has gotten cooler, the leaves are changing colors and its almost time to rake up the leaves that have fallen.  That means it's time for another great fall read aloud!

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger is a sweet story about a little yellow leaf holding on tight, not ready to fall.  Other signs of fall are happening all around the little yellow leaf.  He sees geese flying away, pumpkins growing and leaves being raked into piles, but he is not ready to fall.  Finally, snow falls and it is turning to winter but the little yellow leaf will still not fall, even though he is all alone.  But then, the little yellow leaf realizes he is not alone after all.  There is a little scarlet leaf hanging on tight to a branch above him.  Together, they decide to let go and drift away in the wind.  This is a delightful story that has such vivid language and a calming flow to it.  This book is perfect for an afternoon read aloud after playing outside in the fall weather!

After we read this book we decided to make our own little yellow leaf.  Here is what we did:

Materials:
- Finger paint
-Marble
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Pan or tray

1) Cut out a leaf shape in the construction paper.
2) Lay the leaf in the pan or the tray and squeeze 3-4 dots of finger paint on the tray (I used read, green and yellow)
3) Add the marble to the pan or tray and show the child how to move the marble around on the tray by tilting the tray. (Side note: Since I was doing this with my 18 month old I used a aluminum foil tray with a plastic lid so that the marble would not fly out.  It worked great!)
4) When the leaf is painted to your satisfaction take the marble out and let the leaf dry in the pan.

Ours turned out great!  Here is a picture.  My little boy loved shaking the tray to make the marble move around.

If the weather is nice where you are take the read aloud outside!

Happy Reading!

Laura

Orange is the New Black

Ok- I just wanted to get your attention.  I am not posting about the show Orange is the New Black on a children's book blog.  I am sticking with my fall theme and sharing a great fall book all about the color orange!

Autumn Orange, by Christianne C. Jones, is a perfect fall book.  If gives kids a chance to talk about all things fall as well as build their vocabulary a little by using the word autumn.  This book of course focuses on finding the color orange in the fall scenery.  Kids love searching the pages for all things orange like orange scarecrows, cats, pumpkins, butterflies, leaves and so much more.  Another plus is the rhyming and rhythm in the books (I know I mention this a lot but that is one trait of a great read aloud!).  

After we read this book we used the color orange to make a pumpkin craft.  Here's how:

Materials:

- black construction paper

- orange tissue paper cut into small squares

- clear contact paper

1) Cut a pumpkin out of the black construction paper.  Then cut out the inside so that you have just the outline of a pumpkin. 

2) Place the pumpkin outline onto the contact paper. Leave sticky side up. 

3) Take the small squares of tissue paper and stick to the contact paper inside the black outline.  Keep doing this until you have filled the entire pumpkin. 

4) Lay a piece of contact paper over the tissue paper. Trim the excess contact paper and here is what you end up with. 

My one and a half year old was able to do this art project so it is great for anyone!  We love to hang ours in the window so that the light shines through!

Happy Reading!

Laura

Fall Leaves Fall!

I decided to write about another fall book today.  This is one that I found at the library and paired with an art project for my toddler.

Fall Leaves Fall! by Zoe Hall is all about many people's favorite season... FALL!  The book starts out with the season changing from summer to fall. It is the perfect book for the beginning of fall because it reminds you of all the fun things you can do with leaves!  You can collect leaves, rake leaves, crunch leaves and of course jump in piles of leaves!  The words are so simple and the paper cut out illustrations paint a scene that goes right along with the words.  They are so detailed that this book can spark great conversations about fall.

To get even more in the fall mood here is a little art activity that goes along with the book.

Materials
- Paper
- Brown, yellow, orange, red and green paint
- paint brush

1) Paint the bottom of your child's foot and press onto the middle of the paper.
2) Paint the palm of your child's hand and press onto the paper at the top of the foot.
3) Let your child dip their fingertip into the different fall colors of paint and press onto the hand print.  This will make the leaves of the trees.

Here is what you will get! My kiddo had such a great time painting that he wanted to make two!

What are some of your favorite reading and art projects?

Happy Reading!

Laura