Fall Art Projects

Fall projects for toddlers - elementary age

This fall we made several different art projects from either Pinterest or just our own ideas. We had so much fun with them I thought I would share them with you. 

Apple Stampers

We Used

Apples (cut into different sizes)

Paint (I use for all my projects regular, non-toxic, washable, paints)

Paper (I use art paper because it's a little thicker and can handle a lot of paint)

This project is great for toddlers and up.

Spider Webs

http://www.parents.com/holiday/halloween/decorating/deck-the-howls-with-these-easy-halloween-crafts/?page=3#page=3

We used 

Paint

Popsicle Sticks

Yarn

Wrapping the sticks with yarn was a little tricky, I recommend this project for 3rd grade and up.

Q-Tip Skeletons

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/352969689514820337/

We Used

Q-Tips (it took around 24 q-tips)

Paper

Glue

Markers

This project is more for elementary age, because getting the q-tips to stick and placing them properly could be a little difficult for younger children.

Paper Towel Trees

http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2010/09/something-special-fall-tree-craft/

We Used

Paper towel rolls

Paint

Paper

For this project we used leaves we found outside as stampers, to make imprints for our base paper. We also cut holes in the sides of our trees and made woodland creatures getting ready to hibernate.

I recommend this for elementary grade students. 

Paper Lanterns 

http://www.soyouthinkyourecrafty.com/fall-crafts-for-kids/

We Used

Paper

Crayons

Construction paper

Tissue paper

Folding the bottom in was a little difficult, but with help I think Pre-K and up could do this.

Leaf Silhouettes

We Used 

Wax paper 

Leaves from outside

Paint

Glue stick

We went out and collected leaves, then we arranged them on our wax paper. We glued them down where we wanted them and then painted over the whole paper. Once the paper was covered, we pealed the leaves off the paper, leaving us with our leaf silhouettes. 

This was very simple and could be done with toddlers.

Hand Print and Paper Towel Roll Trees

We Used

Paper

Paint

Paper towel rolls (cut into leaf shapes)

We started off by painting our whole hand brown and stamping it onto the paper. Next we used the paper towel rolls that I squished to have an oval shape, dipped them in paint and stamped them all over our hand print. Dash left his just like that I decided to fill my stamps in with paint.

Although this project was messy, it was very easy and could be done with as young as a toddler.

Paper Towel Stamp Pumpkins

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/408209153698667074/

We Used

Paper 

Paint

Paper towel rolls

If you can't tell by now I love using left over paper towel rolls. Anytime I don't have to buy an art supply is a win. I also use Toilet paper rolls for some of the projects. I use egg cartons for paint palets as well, it's one less thing I have to clean, when we are all done. 

This project was pretty simple, the inner circle kept slipping, I think if I were to do it with younger kids I would just use one circle.

Rolled Paper Pumpkins

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/145874475406296332/

We Used

Paper (I cut orange and green paper into thin strips)

Glue

This project was fun and really had no guidelines which I love. Your child does need to be able to roll the paper, so this project may be better suited for elementary grades. 

Potato Stamper Turkeys

We Used

Potatoes (I cut up two potatoes, and using a butter knife I carved the little feather lines into it)

Paint

Paper

Glue

Construction paper (for the turkey's body and beak) 

Markers (just for details like the eyes)

First off let me just say I LOVE POTATO STAMPERS! You can make so any different designs and they are so easy to work with even for little hands. We used ours as turkey feathers. We stamped the background paper all over with the potatoes, and then glued our turkey's body over it. 

If you do the cutting, this project can really be done with any age.

Scrappy Turkeys (I call it this because we made them from left over scraps)

I got the idea from here

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/215750638374181689/

We Used

Scrap paper (if paper left over is a decent size I always save it)

Markers

Glue

Paper

First we used our markers to decorate the back round. Next we shaped our turkey's body and glued them down. Finally we decorated them all silly with paper and markers. 

This project requires a lot of cutting, so I would say it is better suited for elementary age students. 

Thanksgiving Hats

http://www.parents.com/holiday/thanksgiving/grateful-for-fun/#page=26

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/148337381450345908/

We Used

Construction Paper

Paper

Glue

This project requires a lot of cutting, it is also better suited for elementary age students. 

I hope you all enjoyed seeing what we have been up to. This has been such a fun fall, we really enjoyed making these art projects, and using the holidays and environment to inspire us.  I am excited to now start thinking about what kind of winter and Christmas themed art projects we will be getting into. I will keep you all posted on projects we found successful. 

Thanksgiving Lesson Plan and Activities

Lesson Plan Ideas to incorporate Thanksgiving into your daily school schedule.

Reading:
For these next two weeks we are going to be reading all about Thanksgiving! Here are some books we plan to read:

"Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims" by Rush Limbaugh (we read this last year so we will not be reading it again this year, however it was a really fun book and I recommend it)


"A Journey to the New World: The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple, Mayflower, 1620" (Dear America Series) by Katherine Lasky (this will be our before bed book, it's a historical fiction diary of a girl who crossed over in the mayflower)

"If You Sailed the  Mayflower in 1620" by Ann McGovern

"Sarah Morton's Day" by Kate Waters (we like this one for the pictures, it gives you the feel of what is was like to be a pilgrim)

"What Was the First Thanksgiving?" by Joan Holub or

"The First Thanksgiving" by Linda Hayward

"Squanto's Journey" by Joseph Bruchac or

"Squanto Friend of the Pilgrims" by Clyde Robert Bulla

"Thank You, Sarah" by Laurie Halse Anderson (the women who pushed for Thanksgiving to become a national holiday)

Quiz
http://quizzes.familyeducation.com/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving/thanksgiving-history.html

Writing:
Dash will be doing some writing using these writing starters: (I made mine on word documents, added some fun clip art for Dash to color either before or after he writes, made wide spaced lines and printed them out. Free worksheets!!!)

 A summary of the pilgrims journey (working on remembering what we read and simplifying it down to about two paragraphs)

Who is Squanto? summary (working on remembering what we read and simplifying it into about one paragraph)

What would be the perfect feast? (working on spelling and list making)

What are you thankful for from A-Z (working on  being grateful for the things in our life, and also list making)

"If you could ask a pilgrim questions" (working on letter writing, the questions will be addressed to a pilgrim and written in a letter format)

Compare and contrast thanksgiving from back then to now
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/325807354263840428/

Mapping/Geography:
Using a map, track the journey of the pilgrims.

Art:
Here are some different pins I took off Pinterest that Dash and I want to make.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/215750638373982817/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/215750638375954534/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/215750638375954548/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/215750638375954532/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/215750638374181689/
http://www.classyclutter.net/2014/10/15-thanksgiving-kids-crafts/
http://www.parents.com/holiday/thanksgiving/grateful-for-fun/#page=26

Activties:

Make a pre-thanksgiving feast, dress up like Indians or Pilgrims (make hats or headbands).
http://www.parents.com/holiday/thanksgiving/grateful-for-fun/#page=26
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/148337381450345908/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/230598443389821670/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/272819689900635205/


Put on a puppet show, reenacting the first thanksgiving.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/215750638375954548/

Go on a virtual tour of the Mayflower
http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/webcast.htm

Watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade

Nov Meal Plan Week 4

November Meal Planning Week 4

Breakfast..........................  Lunch................................. Dinner............................... Snack

Happy Thanksgiving Day everyone!!! I hope you have all enjoyed our month long feast of turkey as well as ham. I have some fun stored up for next month, so stay tuned.

 11/23-29

M   Oatmeal / Deviled Ham Sandwich/  Turkey and Biscuit Tweaked / Baked Apple

T  Eggs Sandwich / Turkey Salad Sandwich /Turkey Sheppard's Pie/ Apple and Banana Chips

W  Smoothie/ Left Over Sheppard's Pie / Potato Soup with Ham and Bread/ Apple Sauce and Whole Wheat Graham Crackers

Th Cereal/ Leftover Soup/ Thanksgiving Dinner/ No snacking for us today

F Bagel and Cream  Cheese / Pumpkin Bread/ Pizza (after all that holiday cooking who can't use a night off)/  Trail Mix

S Pumpkin Waffles/ Thanksgiving Day Left Over Turkey Casserole /  String Cheese and a Clementine 

U Breakfast with Nana/Turkey sandwich (cranberry sauce, mayo, stuffing, gravy)/ Yogurt and Fruit

Recipes

Turkey (Chicken) and Biscuits 
 www.123homeschool4me.com 


INGREDIENTS
1/2 large onion
1 Tbs butter
1 lb chopped cooked chicken
10.5 oz cream of chicken soup
1/2 C milk
3/4 C sour cream
1/2 C cheddar cheese

Biscuits

1/2 C flour
3/4 C milk
1/2 C sour cream
4 tsp baking powder
dash of salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F and grease the bottom of 11x7 dish. Heat butter in skillet over medium heat until butter is melted and stir in chopped onions; saute until tender. Combine onion, chicken, soup, sour cream, and milk in a medium bowl and mix well. pour mixture into pan bake for 15 min. Remove from oven sprinkle cheddar and biscuit mixture over the top. bake until biscuits are golden about 20 min longer.
Ham month

Turkey Sheppard's Pie 

INGREDIENTS
Ground Turkey
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
Peas

Cook Ground turkey, then layer with vegetables and mashed sweet potatoes.

Potato Soup with Ham

INGREDIENTS
Mashed Potatoes
Frozen thawed Broccoli water strained
Onion
Cheddar Cheese
Chicken Broth or Stock
Ham
Salt

Directions
 Place onions and broccoli in the pan with a little olive oil. Cook till broccoli and onions become mush (if your impatient like me I sometimes just blend it in my mixer).

In a big pot put mashed potatoes, broccoli, and onions stir in some stock and let it simmer. I add the stock slowly because I don't want to thin the soup out to much it's supposed to be thick and creamy.

Once the potatoes are hot add in the ham and cheese I like a lot of cheese so add to your own desire and salt as needed.

Thanksgiving Day Left Over Turkey Casserole

http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/thanksgiving-leftover-casserole.html#_a5y_p=4409999

INGREDIENTS 
2-3 c. leftover turkey, shredded
1 1/2 c. cranberry sauce
3-4 c. leftover mashed potatoes
2 c. corn
1-2 c. turkey gravy
1/3 c. milk
4-5 c. leftover stuffing
1/4 - 1/3 c. chicken broth (or to taste)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
Combine turkey and cranberry sauce and spread evenly on the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish.
Evenly press on leftover mashed potatoes and sprinkle corn over the top.
Mix together milk and leftover gravy and spread evenly over potatoes and corn.
Sprinkle on leftover stuffing and lightly drizzle chicken broth over the top (this will keep the stuffing from drying out).
Cover with tin foil and bake at 400-degrees for appx. 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

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 Deviled Ham Sandwich

http://www.pauladeen.com/ham-salad

INGREDIENTS 

2 cups leftover ham, chopped in a food processor

1 cup finely diced celery

1/4 cup finely minced sweet onion

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 hard-boiled eggs, diced

1/4 cup pickle relish, drained

1/2 cup mayonnaise

How to menu plan...

How to menu plan efficiently!

I know I post every week a menu plan of what my family will be eating. The reason I started meal planning was to make my life a little easier, also I wanted to make sure our diets were well rounded, and help me stay on budget. After over two years of doing this, I can honestly say I have met all those goals and continue to do so. If you're interested in making your own meal plans this is how I come up with my meal plans (if not feel free to keep checking out my blog and seeing what my weekly plan is lol).

Step 1
Circulars:
I go through all the store circulars and see who is having the best sales (that is where I will be shopping). I mostly focus on the meat sales. Once I know what my protein options for the week are I move on to step two.

Step 2
Recipes:
What am I going to make with this meat? I always try to pick two different meats if possible (this gives us a little diversity, and  also my meatless Monday recipe shakes it up). Next I turn to my binder of recipes. If I am not inspired here, or only come up with a few ideas, I move on to Pinterest and type in "Chicken Dinners" for example. Now I am busy and don't want my life to revolve around making dinner, so generally the first meal on my list I will cook a huge piece of meat (pork shoulder, whole chicken, a ham ect..) the meals that follow this first meal are going to be made with the precooked meat I just made. If I am only buying small pieces that week like legs, thighs, cutlets ect... than I cook it up that night but clean and prep it when I first get home.

Step 3
Sides:
I figured out what I am doing with the star of my meal, the meat, now for the sides. I decide this based on what I think will go nice with with my meat, and also what is on sale. I usually have a carb (rice, potato, sweet potato, squash, pasta, quinoa, or bread) and a vegetable (steamed, raw, baked, sauteed). Since nutrition is really important to me, I try to always make my plates look like 60% meat 25% vegetable, and 15% carbs. Sometimes I sneak extra vegetables in lol.

Step 4
Calendar:
Now that I know what I plan to make, I look at our schedules for the week and decide which day I will be making what. This keeps me from stressing out, if I know I don't have a lot of time on a specific day, I can make something very simple and quick on that day.


Step 5 
Lunches:
Now that I know what my dinners are I can figure out my lunches. I love to do left overs for lunch! Use your leftovers to make, sandwiches, salads, soups, and pasta dishes for the next day. If you don't have enough have a back up plan ( canned soups, box mac and cheese, frozen ravioli, cold cuts, pb&j, or grilled cheese for some ideas).

Step 6
Breakfast:
I make different things for breakfast every day, but I follow the same pattern every week (that way I don't have to think to hard).
Mondays I do oatmeal (but there are so many different kinds of combinations you can make, so I make different flavors every week, and just keep a constant supply of steel cut oats in my pantry) Tuesdays I make eggs with either toast or fruit, again so many choices (omelets, scrambled, fried, sunny side, poached, on a sandwich).
Wednesdays I make smoothies (this is a great way to keep fruit from going to waste, and I always sneak in vegetables, organic protein powder, and flax).
Thursdays we have cereal (hey everyone deserves a break, and I love cereal).
Fridays is either toaster whole wheat waffles or whole wheat toast. To make sure we are still getting plenty of nutrients, I put either a nut spread or cream cheese on it, or sometimes I sprinkle it with cinnamon and powdered stevia (aka cinnamon sugar), and I serve with fruit.
Saturdays I bake or do brunch. I started this so we could all sleep in on Saturdays, and have a late breakfast. I make the breakfast a little bit bigger, and then we skip lunch. This way I don't have to worry about preparing lunch, and we can go out for the day if we want.
Sundays we eat with my mom and I am spoiled lol, I don't cook she does, and its a morning off!

Step 6
Snacks:
In my house I try and do one healthy snack after lunch (fruit, veggies, cheese, humus ect...), one not healthy snack after dinner (cookies, ice cream, candy ect...). I pick up different things, usually from Trader Joe's, and try and mix it all week long.

Step 7
The List:
Now that you have a game plan of what you are eating for the whole week, you can finalize your list, make sure you have everything on it to make it through the week. Check it against your budget, see if you need to make any changes, and you are done!

Nov Meal Plan Week 3

November Meal Planning Week 3

Breakfast..........................  Lunch................................. Dinner............................... Snack

 11/16-22 

M  Savory Oatmeal with a Poached Egg / Pastrami Sandwich/  Stir Fry/ Apple Sauce

T  Eggs and Toast /Left Over Stir Fry /Turkey Tetrazzini/ Pop Corn

W  Smoothie/ Left over Tetrazzini / BBQ Turkey on a roll with Sweet Potato Fries and String Beans/ Trail Mix

Th Cereal/ Leftover BBQ Turkey/ Turkey Tacos/ Apple and Cheddar Cheese

F Waffle with Cinnamon Sugar and Pear slices/ Pastrami Sandwich/Corn Bread Ham Pot Pie/ Chocolate Covered Banana

S Cinnamon Rolls and Turkey Bacon/ Ham and Cheese roll ups / Yogurt and Pineapple

U Breakfast with Nana/Turkey Bacon  BLTS/ Smoothie

Recipes

Stir Fry

http://damndelicious.net/2014/10/03/easy-lo-mein/

INGREDIENTS 

8 ounces lo mein egg noodles (or whatever pasta you have)

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced (I am picking up whatever mushrooms I can find)

1 red bell pepper, julienned 

1 carrot, julienned

 1/2 cup snow peas 

3 cups baby spinach 

2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce, or more, to taste

 2 teaspoons sugar 

1 teaspoon sesame oil 

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 

1/2 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste

 Instructions In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger and Sriracha; set aside. In a large pot of boiling water, cook lo mein egg noodles according to package instructions; drain well. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, bell pepper and carrot. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3­4 minutes. Stir in snow peas and spinach until the spinach has wilted, about 2­3 minutes. Stir in egg noodles and soy sauce mixture, and gently toss to combine

Turkey Tetrazzini

http://sugar-n-spicegals.com/2012/11/rachael-rays-turkey-tetrazzini.html

INGREDIENTS 

• 8 ounces linguine pasta, broken in half
• ¾ pound skinless, boneless turkey breast cut into ½ inch chunks
• salt and pepper
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• ½ Tbsp thyme
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.
Cook pasta according to package
Season the turkey with salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat 1 Tbsp butter and cook turkey till lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl
Add Tbsp butter to the skillet and add mushrooms and thyme. Saute till mushrooms start to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with turkey
Melt the remaining 3 Tbsp butter in skillet. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Whisk in the milk and broth and bring to a boil, then simmer for 2-3 minutes to thicken.
Stir in ½ of the parmesan and the peas and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the turkey, mushrooms and pasta to the sauce and toss.
Place in 9x13 dish and sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan cheese.
(You can also add bread crumbs by melting 2 Tbsp butter and adding 1 cup bread crumbs)

BBQ Turkey

INGREDIENTS 

Shredded Turkey

BBQ Sauce

Place in a crock pot and let cook.

Turkey Tacos

http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/easy-slow-cooker-shredded-mexican-chicken-recipe/

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 pounds chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup mild salsa (medium if you like spicy)
• 3-4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 4 oz. can green chilies
• 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper (optional for more heat)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 
  
• 
  

Corn Bread Ham Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS 

for filling

Cooked Ham 

Potatoes

Carrots

Corn

Peas

Chicken broth

Cheddar Cheese

Greek Yogurt

Salt and Pepper

INGREDIENTS

http://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/2010/09/the-best-chili-and-cornbread.html

for Corn Bread

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter

2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk*
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup white or wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt  

Mix the filling ingredients together (don't make it to wet) and pour it into a glass dish. Mix the corn bread ingredients together, and pour on top, then bake. 

Ham and Cheese Roll Ups

INGREDIENTS 

Ham 

Cheese

Mustard

Dough (Use your favorite bread recipe, here is mine)

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-basic-white-sandwich-bread-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-166588

After you have the dough made, but before you bake it...

Preheat oven to 350 F
Roll bread dough out on a large oiled or floured cutting board or clean counter.
Next spread mustard over the whole thing and then layer with shredded cheddar cheese and ham either shredded or cubed.

Finally roll your bread up just like you would cinnamon bread, and place in a loaf pan to bake for 25-30 min or until golden brown.

Veteran's Day Nov 11th Lesson Plan

Veteran's Day Lesson Plan

November 11th we will be taking time to appreciate all those who have served our country. We will be starting our day with a patriotic breakfast. I find bringing food into a lesson, brings a little fun, and sets the day apart from a regular day.

Breakfast: Blueberry, Strawberry, and Yogurt Parfait

If weather is permitting, I plan to pack our school books up and a lunch and head over to our monument park for the day.

After spreading our picnic blanket (aka a big sheet), we will begin our studies.

Reading:
For our reading today I have selected a few books for Dash to read aloud (if you have more then one child let them take turns, reading books on the subject at their level, if they are too young, have them just sit and listen)
.
"Hero Dad" by Melinda Hardin (she also wrote Hero Mom)
"The Poppy Lady" by Barbara Walsh (this gives us the background to how the poppy became a symbol)
"The Wall" by Eve Bunting

After reading these books we will do these work sheets
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Veterans-Day-FREEBIE-951933

Art:
Next we will take a walk around the park... if your child likes to draw great, let them choose a statue or monument and get to sketching. If  they do not, you could have them take pictures, and later discuss what he/she photographed and why (if you have little ones or even older ones I found these great coloring pages).

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Color-For-Fun-Veterans-Day-1455917

We will ave a  moment of silence. On November 11th, 1921 the bodies of the unknown soldiers were buried at Arlington cemetery at 11:00 am. So at 11:00 am we are are going to stop what we are doing and have a moment of silence. During this time we can pray for the families who have lost loved ones, we can pray for those still fighting, we can pray for those left with inner and outer scares from the military, and we can pray for our nation and it's future.


Lunch: A spinach and chicken salad with pomegranate, blueberries, (star fruit if you can find them) feta cheese, cucumber, sliced almonds, and a raspberry vinaigrette.

Stop for lunch spend this time talking about what we have seen, heard, and learned so far. It is good to spark conversations to help them remember what they have learned so far and also to be able to summarize what they have learned.




History: I am going to read aloud "Veteran's Day" by Jacqueline S Cotton

Have your child answer these questions orally  after your reading.

What day is Veteran's Day?

Why do celebrate Veteran's Day?

Name 3 facts you have learned today about this holiday...


English: For English, we will be writing a letter of thanks, this letter can be to a specific veteran you know, or just a general letter of thanks for all those who have served.

Music : We will spend some time listening to patriotic music as we drive home in the car.

Math and spelling will be in our normal work books, and we will do them when we get home. Though I did find these fun worksheets for math if you want to supplement with these for the day

http://www.kidzone.ws/math/usa/


I hope you all enjoy this Veteran's Day lesson plan as much as we will!