Chinese New Year...Year of the Snake

February 10, 2013, is Chinese New Year.  And 2013 is the Year of the Snake...so we thought it would be fun to celebrate with a couple of fun Snake Crafts (ewwwww!!)  

We read Stone Soup in November around Thanksgiving time, but it would be a fun Chinese New Year tradition also.  You can click on this link to get our Stone Soup recipe.  Stone Soup is about three Chinese Monks who go to a selfish village in an attempt to teach them what real happiness is.  They teach them that happiness is found in sharing with others.  We use the Scholastic version:

For the first "snake craft," you're gonna need some different colors of construction paper, cut into strips the short way:

You'll need some green construction paper, cut in a circle about the size of a mug.  In fact, we used a mug! 

Fold the paper in half and then in thirds, so that the circle is at the top of a stack of paper, and you'll end up with 9 circles.  Follow our "paper cutting trick" and staple the corners to keep it stable while you cut:

Now, depending on the skill level and age of your kiddos, you can make a small paper chain using staples, tape, or glue.  (We always use Tacky Glue, it is so much better than Elmer's for paper crafts!!)

Fold your green circles into a big snake mouth:

...And staple it to the end ring.  Then cover the staple with glue...

...for the tongue.

Cut some orange and red papers like this...and glue them to the back of the "mouth" like so...

Cut a small piece of white paper to look like "teeth" and glue them to the inside top of the snake's mouth...and add some googly eyes (of course!!)

And there you have it!!

A colorful snake craft for Chinese New Year's!!

Another fun project uses just a toilet paper roll and a small slip of red construction paper for a mouth.

Cut a head shape out of the top of the toilet paper roll and then follow it around with a spiral cut all the way to the bottom...making a skinny tail.

Then decorate it...depending on the age and skill (and patience) of your kiddos, you can let them paint, color with crayons or markers, glue dots or sequins on the snake...

We just colored it with markers.  But it would be cute with glitter, too.

Finish him up with a tongue glued to the bottom of his mouth...

...and add some googly eyes, and there you have Snake #2!!

What are you going to do for Chinese New Year?  We'd love to hear!

Stone Soup

Have you ever had stone soup?

It's delicious.

There is an old story about three strangers, hungry and tired, who pass through a war-torn village. Embittered and suspicious from the war, the people hide their food and close their windows tight. That is, until the clever strangers suggest making a soup from stones. Intrigued by the idea, everyone brings what they have until-- together, they have made a feast fit for a king!

We ask each of the kids to bring one ingredient, some brought carrots, others brought onions, peas, broth, noodles...and we provide the chicken.  

We read them the story and then we all go into the kitchen and everyone gives what they have....

...and then we sit down together and enjoy or own soup, fit for a king!

It's a fun story, a great day, and a valuable lesson.  We can always do more together than we can alone!

(For information on how to make the above "table for five," go here.)

D.E.A.R (Drop Everything And Read)

I am totally involved in a love affair.  With children's books.  I love them.  And when my kiddos were growing up, I bought books for them anytime I got a chance...book fairs and Scholastic book orders were my best friend.  So it warms the cockles of my heart when our Pre K kiddos love to look at books, and it's no surprise that story time is my favorite part of the day.  

We start off every day with books.  As the kiddos arrive and wait for their friends to get here, they can choose to read or to do another activity that we have chosen out on the table (I'll talk about that later.)  And then a few times a month, we have DEAR.  Drop everything and read.

It's important to give kiddos access to books if they are going to learn how to love them!  In our class, we have a great bookshelf that was designed by Janette's husband, Superman.  

It's a great way to keep the books in good shape and make them easily accessible for the kiddos.  You can go to her blog to learn how to make one for yourself.  It would be a great addition to your playroom, or a child's room, or your own home classroom.  

Read on!