Good morning. It looks like the warm weather will continue, it feels like summer in Durham these days for sure. Here are three invitations from teachers Sarah and Caitlyn, including a delicious-sounding recipe.
Sensory Invitation: Read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCDPkGjMBro
Then make some chocolate chip cookies to enjoy with a glass of milk! 🙂
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar (packed)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (you can substitute gluten free flour)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon table salt)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F
- Microwave butter for about 40 seconds. Butter should be completely melted but shouldn’t be hot.
- In a large bowl, mix butter with sugars until well-combined
- Stir in vanilla and egg until incorporated
- Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt.Â
- Mix dough until just combined. Dough should be soft and a little sticky but not overly sticky.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of dough and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until cookies are set. They will be puffy and still look a little underbaked in the middle.
Recipe from: https://www.ihearteating.com/easiest-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe/
Intent: This sensory activity allows for middlers to incorporate reading and inspiration from a book. Your child will use fine motor skills while making the cookies by practicing pouring, dumping, stirring, etc.
Music and Movement Invitation: Play Simon Says (or have your child use their name instead of Simon for a more fun and personalized game)
Simon Says…
Jump as high as you can
Twirl
Pretend to play guitar
Swim like a fish
Sing with a silly voice
Stand on one foot
March like an ant
Give someone a hug
Howl like a wolf/bark like a dog/roar like a lion
Shake your whole body
Intent: This activity encourages big body movements and incorporates songs used in the middler classroom while at school.
Outdoor/Nature/Gross Motor Invitation: Painting with feet.
Put down a big piece of cardboard outside and provide a few different colors of paint. Have your child paint with their feet! We highly recommend using washable paint for this invitation. Washable finger paint is excellent, but other types of washable paint will work as well. Be prepared for some water play or a bath when they are done with their art exploration.
Intent: We want to encourage the middlers to get outside and use all of their big body muscles to enhance gross motor development. This activity also encourages art exploration in a different way than usual.
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