Birthday Bashes

To Know and Learn

Children will become aware of the social aspects of eating by preparing Spinning Wheels. Reading readiness, counting, sequencing and fine motor skills will also be practiced. This activity can be used during birthday celebrations and other special occasions.

Materials Needed

Spinning Wheels picture recipe on page 9-15
Spinning Wheels song, see below
whole wheat bread peanut butter
banana slices
knives
rolling pin
paper plates

Directions

Discuss birthday celebrations with the children. Have them describe how they celebrate birthdays. Talk about the different ways in which we can celebrate this special event, also mention that not all people celebrate this day.

Display the Spinning Wheel picture recipe on page 9-15.

Review the directions with the children until they know them well. Have the children:

• remove the crusts from the bread
• spread 1 tbsp. of peanut butter on the bread
• peel and cut the banana into disks
• add the banana slices
• top with another slice of bread
• flatten with a rolling pin
• roll the sandwich up like a jelly rol!
• cut the sandwich roll into sections of 1/2 inch thickness

Let the children eat the Spinning Wheels. Have

them answer the following:

Name the ingredients used to make Spinning Wheels.
Describe these foods using the senses.
Describe the shape of the Spinning Wheels.
Name other foods that have this shape.
Name other objects that have this shape.

This activity can be used to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. To acknowledge a child's birthday, ask the children to sing "Happy Birthday" before they eat the Spinning Wheels. Or, the children can sing the Spinning Wheels Song, see below.

The sandwiches can also be cut into a variety of shapes by using cookie cutters before the sandwich is made. These shapes can be discussed.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to describe the foods used to make Spinning Wheels using their senses and food origins. Also have them describe how we celebrate birthdays.

SPINNING WHEELS SONG (can be sung to the tune of Frere Jacques) Spinning wheels, spinning wheels, We spin for you, we spin for you, We spin for your birthday, we spin for your birthday, We spin for you, we spin for you.    


Pancake Specials

To Know and Learn

Children will practice reading readiness, counting, sequencing and fine motor skills by preparing pancakes. This activity will also help children become aware of the social aspects of eating and cultural, ethnic and regional food customs. This activity can be used to celebrate fall holidays, such as Thanksgiving, and birthdays and other special events.

Materials Needed

Pancake Sharing Song, see below
Pancake Picture Recipe on page 9-16
pancake mix
eggs
milk
bowl
spoon
griddle or stove
pan (optional)
spatula
paper plates

Directions

Ask the children to describe when we eat pancakes. For example, many people eat pancakes for break fast or lunch and even dinner.

Also, ask the children to describe the different types of pancakes that they have eaten, including blueberry, corn, buttermilk or raisin. Tell the children that people all over the world eat pancakes, but many times their pancakes do not look like the ones that we are used to eating. For example, the American Indians eat a pancake called "Indian Flapjacks" and the picture recipe for this dish can be found on page 1-23. The French eat a pancake called a crepe, which is light brown in color and much thinner than the tradition pancake.

Display the Pancake Picture Recipe on page 9-16. Review the directions with the children until they know them well. Have the children:

• combine pancake mix, eggs and milk according to the directions on the box·
• beat all ingredients until smooth
• drop 1 tsp. batter onto hot griddle or pan on stove
• cook until bubbles break and flip to other side
• cook until both sides are browned
• served topped lightly with powdered sugar if desired

Additional ingredients, such as corn, blueberries, raisins or applesause can be added at this step. An adult may want to perform this task due to the temperature of the griddle or pan on the stove.

After the pancakes have been made ask the children to answer the following:

What foods were used to make the pancakes?
What is the color of these foods?
What is the origin of these foods?
Can we add blueberries to the pancakes?
Can we add cornmeal to the pancakes?
Can we add shoes to the pancakes?
What is the color of the pancakes?
What is the shape of the pancakes?

Variations of this recipe are possible. To make crepes, add more milk to make the batter lighter and more runny. Crepes are usually stuffed with fruit or cottage cheese and rolled.

This activity can be used to celebrate Thanksgiving and other special events. To make this activity more of a sharing event, have the children split the tasks of food preparation and food serving. They can sing the song, see below, to show that they understand the importance of sharing and helping one another.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name and describe the ingred ients used to make the pancakes.

PANCAKE SHARING (can be sung to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell) Pancakes we will share, Pancakes we will share, We want to share pancakes, Our pancakes we will share.    


Pinata Fun

To Know and Learn

Children will become aware of the social aspects of eating and cultural customs by participating in a Cinco de Mayo celebration. This activity will also help children to practice large muscle coordination. This activity can be used to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and other special occasions.

Materials Needed

paper bag
gifts*
string
light weight baseball bat or wooden stick
crayons, felt tip markers or paint
scissors
blindfold (optional)

Directions

A. To Make the Pinata

The Cinco de Mayo pinata can be made by decorating a paper bag using crayons, felt tip markers or paint. The paper bag can be shaped into and/or decorated with variety of animal figures or food items. The pinata can also be made out of paper mache or plastic garbage bags.

Stuff the pinata with an assortment of gifts, such as fruit, pennies, individually wrapped candy, school supplies (paper clips or crayons), small gifts or wrapped popcorn and raisins are good ideas.

Secure the top of the paper bag with string to hold the gifts inside the pinata. Leave enough string to allow the pinata to be tied to the ceiling or other fixture and hang down to where the children can reach it with a bat or a wooden stick.

B. To Use The Pinata

Ask the children if they have ever heard of Cinco de Mayo.

The children might be interested to know that it is a holiday used to celebrate Mexico's independence from Spain in 1821. It is usually a two day celebration with fireworks and parties on the evening of September 15.

Hang the pinata and have the children form a wide circle around it. Ask the children if they have ever heard of or tried to break a pinata.

Describe the game to the children. Explain that the object of the game is to swing a wooden stick and try to break the pinata which allows the gifts to fall to the ground. The children can then retrieve the treats. Have one child:

• close his or her eyes or wear a blindfold
• hold the wooden stick
• slowly spin the child in a circle and lead the child toward the pinata
• allow the child to swing the wooden stick at the pinata three times

Repeat until all of the children have had a turn or until the pinata is broken.

This activity can also be used to celebrate other special events. The shape of the pinata could be individualized to match the occasion.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name the game and the holiday that they have been celebrating. Ask them to describe other gifts that could be inserted into the pinata.
 

Food Sculptures

To Know and Learn

Children will practice fine motor skills and creativity by preparing Food Sculptures. Children will also become aware of the variety of ways that we enjoy food and ethnic and regional food customs. This activity can be used to celebrate winter or spring holidays and other special occasions.

Materials Needed

Menorah Magic picture recipe on page 9-17
lettuce leaves
banana
cherries
knives
paper plates

Directions

Ask the children if they have ever made sculptures out of food. Have them describe how they have used food to celebrate holidays. For example, making cookies during the winter holiday season, decorating eggs during Easter or making Menorah Magic.

Display the Menorah Magic picture recipe on page 9-17.

Review the directions with the children until they know them well. Have the children:

• place one lettuce leave on the paper plate
• peel and cut banana into chunks
• cut cherries in half
• place one banana chunk on lettuce
• top with cherry half

Ask the children if they have ever seen or heard of a menorah. If possible, show the children a picture or an actual menorah. Describe the menorah as a candelabrum (candle holder) that has eight branches. It is used during Hanukkah, an eight day Jewish festival of lights which is characterized by the lighting of the candles on each night of the holiday.

This activity was designed to be used during the winter holiday of Hanukkah, however; it can be used at anytime in the classroom to encourage the children's creativity and motor skill development and awareness of other ethnic, cultural and regional groups.

Additional food sculptures can be made from a variety of food items, such as a bunny from a pear half and cottage cheese.

Food For Thought

Have the children identify the names of the foods used to make their food sculptures and describe these foods using their senses and name the origin of each food.

Funny Fruity Pizzas

To Know and Learn

Children will practice naming and selecting body building foods from the food groups by preparing a Funny Fruity Pizza. The children will also practice fine motor, reading readiness, counting and se quencing skills. This activity can be used to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions.

Materials Needed

Funny Fruity Pizza picture recipe on page 9-18
cheddar cheese slices
English muffins, sliced
peanuts or seeds
fruit (for example: apple, orange, strawberries, peaches, raspberries, blueberries, cantaloupe or watermelon)
oven or toaster oven
spoons
cutting board
knife
paper plates
napkins

Directions

Review the body building food groups with the children and discuss the need to eat foods from each of the food groups every day. Ask them to name the food groups.

Display the picture recipe on page 9-18 and review the directions with the children until they know them well. Have the children:

• wash the fruit
• cut the fruit into small pieces
• split the English muffins
• place a slice of cheese on the English muffins
• toast the English muffins until the cheese melts
• top with fruit and peanuts or seeds

Ask the children to identify each food and to describe it using their senses. Ask them where each food originated (plant or animal). Ask them to name the food group of each food. Let the children eat the Funny Fruity Pizzas and ask them whether they would prefer to eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a snack.

The Funny Fruity Pizzas can be used to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. For example, birthday children can identify the Funny Fruity Pizza ingredients, describe them using their senses and name the origins of each food.

Food For Thought Have the children identify the food group of each of the Funny Fruity Pizza ingredients.