E-Z Applesauce – Perfect for an Autumn Afternoon Snack!

This applesauce recipe is perfect for a few or for a whole class of hungry children! It’s easy to make and it’s delicious!

E-Z Applesauce
Submitted by Erica Bohannon

Ingredients:
1 whole apple, sliced and peeled
1 t cinnamon

Directions:
Cut apple into smaller squares and place in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about one minute, or until apple becomes soft. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then let the children squish the apples with the cinnamon together with a spoon. Once the cinnamon is incorporated, allow the applesauce to cool for a few minutes in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Serves: 3-4

Category: Snack

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 110
Fat: 0.4 g
Fiber: 5.1 g
Protein: 0.6 g

This Thankful Tree Is Perfect for Any Season!

Use this craft during any season or holiday by switching out the paper colors! Children will love using their handprints to creat this beautiful tree!

Materials Needed:
9×12″ Heavyweight Construction Paper
Best Value Safety Scissors
Colorations® Washable School Glue
Huge 9″ Alphabet Collage Letters
Fadeless® Paper Rolls, 48″W x 50’L

Goals:

• Teaching appreciation for the things that are important to each child.
• To have the children learn about Thanksgiving and what it means to be thankful.
• Using fine motor skills to trace and cut

Before You Start:

• You will need enough pieces of construction paper for your class. To make an autumn tree, use fall colors, such as red, yellow, green and orange.

Let’s Begin:

1. Assist children in tracing their hands.
2. Help them cut out the shape of their traced hands and have them write, “I am thankful for…” on the hand. Let them choose what they are thankful for.
3. Help the children construct the trunk of the tree by using brown construction paper.
4. Next, have each child tape or glue their “thankful hands” to the tree.
5. You can also add pictures of the children if you would like!

Check Out This Month’s Featured Post!

Fall Art Ideas for Young Children

Fall is here, the leaves are starting to turn and the air is becoming crisper. Hooray! It’s time for the scents and smells of autumn. Here are some fun ways to bring autumn themes into YOUR home or classroom.

Read more here!

Connecting Children to Their Cultures and Communities

This post by Frances Wardle, Ph.D. describes many ways to help children learn about the concept of community in the classroom and to help them connect with cultures and communities, both their own and others.

One way to use the community is to solicit a variety of student aides from local colleges and universities. On one Thanksgiving, members of a local Native American Nation visited the school, talked to the students about their perspective of Thanksgiving, and then we all sat down and ate the Thanksgiving meal together.

Read more…

Make These Adorable Puffy Pumpkins for Autumn!

This puffy pumpkin craft is a fun, sensory art experience that will help keep autumn in full swing!

An Activity for Preschoolers:
Make some adorable puffy pumpkins for autumn with this fun, sensory art experience!

Goals:

•To explore tactile properties of the squishy paint mixture

•To express creativity and make a fun autumn craft

Before You Start:
For each child, prepare one cup of shaving cream, one squirt of orange Colorations® paint, a few squirts of school glue in small bowls. Set out facial tissues, construction paper (for background) and brown pipe cleaners.

Furthermore:
Colorations® foam paint can also be used instead of the paint and shaving cream mixture. Children can also make their pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween! Simply pre-cut tissues into a variety of shapes for dipping into the paint mixture and place onto the pumpkins to form the jack-o-lantern face.

For the supply list and more information, click here!

Activities for Celebrating the Harvest

This post from Susan Root will give you plenty of ideas to celebrate the harvest in your classroom or at home!

The abundance of natural items in the fall makes it the perfect time to extend children’s learning, both indoors and out. In fact, learning will abound as you collect and explore fall items, and extend activities into different areas of the curriculum.

Read more here!

Favorite Review – Excellerations® Reversible Fabric Capes!

Excellerations® Reversible Fabric Capes – Set of 4

“These capes were so fun and durable that we decided to order 2 more sets for our pre-K classes.” – Angie, from Tuscaloosa, AL

Read more…

Check Out This Month’s Featured Blog!

Rows of Pumpkins

With the weather getting crisper, kids will enjoy creating some pumpkins (and learn about color mixing as they do it). Read More…

Congratulations to our Arts in Education Giveaway Winners!

Thank you to everyone who participated in helping us celebrate Arts in Education Week,September 8-12. The following 5 sweepstakes winners received our Smart Art Books as well as a $500 Arts & Crafts Shopping Spree.

Congratulations to:
Anna Roman
Darlene Cruz
Susan Shelton
Crystal Harding-Jenkins
Margi Carter

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars – Perfect Snack!

These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars are the perfect back-to-school snack! Each bar is loaded with protein to boost brain power for school!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars
(submitted by Michelle James)

Ingredients:
1 c rolled oats, ground in a food processor
2 scoops of your favorite protein powder
2 T peanut butter {can be omitted if there are allergies, or use a different nut butter}
3 eggs
2 medium bananas, mashed
1 T honey
1/2 c whole milk
1 t cinnamon
1/2 c chocolate chips, ground in a food processor

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and place in a greased 9×9″ pan. Bake at 350*F for 15-20 minutes. Let cool  and cut into 2 inch squares. Individually wrap and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Serves: 16
Category: Breakfast/Snack

Nutritional Information
Calories: 97.4
Fat: 40.4 g
Fiber: 1.3 g
Protein: 4.5 g