Watermelon Smoothies (Summertime - Fun Time)

Cooking together is a great way of practicing taking turns and waiting turns, following directions, and a sequence, acquiring new vocabulary and learning how to compromise (e.g., "You can pour the juice in and I add the sugar."). It also may encourage picky eaters to try something new.

Today. we made "Watermelon Smoothies." We split up into two small groups and one of us took over the role of the "head chef," i.e., making sure that everyone had a cutting board and a plastic knife as well as followed the recipe closely.

Here is the recipe:
3 cups of chopped watermelon

10 strawberries, cut

Juice of half a lemon

½ cup peach juice

1  tablespoon of sugar

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until mixed well.

At snack time, we tried our smoothies. Most of us really liked it and we all thought the smoothie tasted like summer.

Cloud Sand (Summertime - Fun Time)

Sensory Project “Cloud Sand” : We made cloud sand today. We worked in small groups. One of us was the group leader and kept track of the recipe and the supplies. Tip: Prepare a visual recipe so it's easy for the children to follow the steps.

Here is how it works:
Supplies:

-8 cups of flour
-1 cup of baby oil

Directions:
Measure ingredients with the help of a measuring cup. Pour in large container or bin. Mix the flour and baby oil together with a spoon and then your hands until the dough holds together when squeezed.  It could take 3-5 minutes of mixing.

“Sand Play”: We went outside and explored and experimented with the self-made cloud sand, e.g., using our hands to form the sand into different shapes, filling containers with shovels, letting the sand run through a big paper tube, etc. We had two bins going, one was filled with the cloud sand, one with craft sand. Since the craft sand is dry and the cloud sand more moist, both felt and behaved very differently.

A tender Clubhouse moment

Summertime - Fun Time

WE ARE BACK, BABY!!!

There was lots of excitement at Clubhouse today since it was our first summer session. We were thrilled to see our old Clubhouse friends again and to welcome a new friend.
We practiced being a good role model by explaining to our new friend how we do things at Clubhouse. We always start with an opening circle to say 'hello' to each other. One of us stands in front of the group and greets the group with a little chant: CHECK CHECK, CHECK IT OUT. And the group replies: WHAT WHAT, WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT. Then, the Clubhouse announcer (the person with a microphone) calls up a friend "_____IS IN THE HOUSE." and hands the friend's picture to the friend The picture is first placed on a roll call board and then that Clubhouse friend greets the group. Some of us like to go around and give everyone in the group a 'high 5', others like to wave to the group or just say 'hi.'

After saying 'hi' to everyone in the group, we go over the Clubhouse rules together and place a picture representing the rule on our Clubhouse rule board. Here are some of our important rules: LISTEN, STAY TOGETHER, QUIET BODY, GIVE HIGH 5s, CHEER FOR YOUR FRIENDS AND HAVE FUN.

We also follow a schedule at Clubhouse so we always know what comes next. Here is today's schedule: Free Play, Check Check, Obstacle Course and Water Balloon Target Toss, Snack, Art Project "Ocean Collage", Favorite Activity, Good-bye chant and Prize.