Cookie Monsters!

I found the most fantastic new resource to add to my kitchen center:  A felt cookie cutout activity.  There are so many different applications for this resource:  We've talked about shapes, pattern, color, matching and baking.  The children have also enjoyed the imaginary play that comes from 'cutting' out the cookie shapes, scooping them on the cookie sheet, pretending to bake them and then decorate them.

Now when they ask to bake cookies, I have to clarify: the real kind, or the play kind?  How fun!

Messy Art

I was going back through some pictures and realized I had missed some of the great messy art activities we had done over the past few months.  I think it is really important that children have the chance to get messy/dirty/sticky sometimes when creating art.  It can be something as simple as painting their hands for a guided activity (like the spider and turkey above) or fine motor development by adding glue sticks and sequins to a Christmas stocking (I've removed the names the children printed).

 

But sometimes, the best part of getting messy is the chance to extend that experience into another sensory realm - from the sense of touch to the sense of taste.  These were the birthday cupcakes we made together and then decorated individually to celebrate the birthday of one of the children in care.

Fine Motor Cookies

The boys found some books after Christmas at the library that were all about space and stars and rocket ships. So we decided to do a Space Theme. I don't usually give the kids any sugary foods, but I've been trying to work on fine motor skills, and thought it would be fun to make 'star cookies' that they could ice and decorate, to work on that pincer grasp.

The really great thing about this type of activity is that it gets the kids working with a butter knife to spread icing, which is appealing to them (as anyone who's ever let a preschooler help make a PB&J sandwich can attest). The sprinkles are fine so they really have to concentrate while they pick them up between their fingers and spread them over the surface of the cookie. I used three different colors of sprinkles so they had some options as well.

And then, because the cookies were so cute, and the boys too, I let them each have one. The rest I packaged up and sent home to share with their families!