Growing together (play laugh learn): 21months

Showing posts with label 21months. Show all posts

Sunday, 11 November 2012

Tot School – Guy Fawkes/Fire

21 months

Remember remember the fifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot

I see no reason why the fifth of November

Should never be forgot.

This week we celebrated Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night so our theme this week was all things related to that – fireworks, fire and guys. We had lots of fun.

We were a little limited in our books, we found one at the library about fire fighter and had one about a barn on fire. Did, Dig, Digging has a page on fire engines, The Owl who was afraid of the dark features fireworks and a bonfire, and the scarecrows secret is close to making a guy.

A fire fighter jacket (much too big), a hat, a fire engine and a dog. She also got some new fleece lined wellies that she loves.

Luath loved wearing the fire fighter jacket and hat.

I made a shape puzzle of a fire engine

We made a guy together. Scrunching up newspaper and stuffing it into old clothes of Luath’s. A guy is meant to be burnt on the Bonfire but Owl (as Luath named him) wasn’t heading for any fires, he was too busy.

We did firework crafts, some at a library craft hour.

We made some bonfire buns - really chocolate cakes with orange icing – very yummy.

We had a bonfire soup.

See what other tot school is happening this week at 1+1+1=1

Friday, 9 November 2012

Book of the week - The Perfect Prince

I am trying to restart doing our book of the week post. The book is one that Luath has requested and enjoys the most.

This week's book was one Luath selected at the library last weekend and we had read it twice before we left the library. The Perfect Prince by Paul Harrison and illustrated by Sue Mason

It is the story of Isabella, a princess whose parents want her to marry. Every suitor is too tall, too stupid etc. She goes for walks to avoid all the suitors and one day she meets a frog. We all know what happens in fairy tales when a princess kisses a frog. It is a very funny twist on the tale.

One morning Luath started the day hopping and croaking. My mum had found her a pyjama top that says "one day a princess kissed a frog", which was a perfect top to wear this week.

(Luath is 21 months)

Thursday, 8 November 2012

Bonfire Soup

We are having a Bonfire Night/Fire fighter theme week. We had a bonfire soup for lunch one day.

First we made butternut squash soup together.
Recipe: Chop one onion, sauté with 2 cloves of garlic. Peel, deseed and chop one large butternut squash, add this to the pot along with about 800ml boiling water and a teaspoon of vegetable bouillon. Cook until squash is soft. Puree.

I put some soup into a yellow cup. I then toasted a slice of bread and cut into strips. I spread red pepper hummus on the top half. I spread the toast sticks around the cup like a bonfire. I added some cheese at the base of the cup.

Very simple and fun.

(Luath is 21months)

Monday, 5 November 2012

Toddler Kitchen – Bonfire Buns

This recipe is from Baking with Tiny Tots, it is very quick and easy if you have a food mixer.

1. Into a food processor put 100g (3 1/2 oz) softened butter (we use olive oil spread), 100g (3 1/2 oz) caster sugar (I reduced this amount) 2 eggs, 175g 96oz) self raising flour and 25g (1oz) cocoa powder. Mix until well blended. Luath enjoyed tipping the contents into the food processor bowl and watching the mixture turn brown.

2. Put 8 muffin cases into a 8 cup muffin tin – we made 12 buns as there was plenty mixture. Luath enjoys putting the cases into the tins. Spoon mixture into muffin cases, Luath liked to point to the next case I should fill.

3, Bake at 180 (350F) for about 15 mins until risen and firm to touch. Take out of oven but leave in tin for a few minutes before placing on cooling rack. Let cool completely.

4. We didn’t quite follow the recipe for the icing part, this is what the book says - place 75g butter (3oz), 200g (7oz) icing sugar, few drops orange food colouring, 2 tablespoons range juice into a bowl, mix well, then spread around sides of muffins and over the top. Then use chocolate fingers (2 x 150g(5oz) packs) as bonfire sticks to decorate around the buns.

I made a small amount of the icing, reducing the sugar even more to spread on the top. I used orange silicone cupcake cases. I decided to give the chocolate fingers a miss. It meant it didn’t really look like a bonfire but I thought that we could live with that!

I would make these again, the chocolate cakes were nice but I would work on the topping as it was too sweet for me. Luath did like them but she decided that about an eighth of one was all she wanted (she is so better at stopping than me!). Using the orange cases worked, I might use chopped orange fruit or colour some desiccated coconut or something similar to go on the top. Still thinking about what I could use instead of the chocolate fingers – maybe make my own cocoa fingers.

(Luath is 21 months)

Family Traditions - Making a guy

When I was a kid I remember how much fun my brother and I had making guys for Guy Fawkes (Bonfire Night). At least one year our city's council had a competition, which we won the joint entry section. Our prize was to see our guy burned on one of the city's bonfires.

I wanted to share this tradition with Luath so we made a guy together.

First we selected some of Luath old clothes - a t-shirt, dungarees and a hooded top. Then from her current clothes a pair of boots, gloves and a hat. For his head we used a small football and a pillowcase.

We attached the boots to the dungarees using elastic bands and then started to stuff newspaper into the legs. We stuffed the t-shirt next and placed this into the dungarees. The football was covered with the pillowcase and put into the hood of the hooded top. We then stuffed the tails of the pillowcase inside the t-shirt and put the hooded top on over the t-shirt. His head is a bit heavy but it is more robust than a balloon and we didn't have enough newspaper to stuff a head too. We stuffed the arms and added gloves and a hat.

Luath then helped me draw a face on the guy. I asked her what the guy's name was and she told me "Owl".

Here he is in his all his glory.

Luath enjoyed helping me but even more than that she had a lot of fun with him. Actually she played with him so much I had to sew his top to his trousers to make him a little more sturdy.

Some of his adventures so far have been riding on her scooter, quite often being used as a crash test dummy.

and having a check up.

He enjoyed a relaxing afternoon watching football with daddy.

Daddy asked her if Owl was going to go on the bonfire and Luath's reply was "No, not yet". We have no plans to burn the guy this year, not quite sure how Luath would feel about that anyway. I hope making a guy becomes a yearly family tradition for us.

Shared with Tuesday tots
(Luath is 21 months)