April 21- Kindergarten Day

Did you know the word Kindergarten means "children's garden." Kindergarten is education for young children. It serves as a shift from the comforts of home to the beginning of more formal teaching. Kindergarten is a great opportunity for children because it provides them with consistent interaction with other children while encouraging them to learn appropriate social behaviors. It also provides them the chance to develop basic skills such as language, reading, math, science, technology, different forms of art and creative play. The first kindergarten in the United States was founded in Watertown, Wisconsin by Margaret Schurz in 1856. In 1873 Susan Blow established the first publicly financed kindergarten in St. Louis. Kindergarten gives children a chance to play and parents a chance to return to (part time) work if so desires. Remember going to Kindergarten as a child and thinking, “I love school.” To bad that feeling eventually escapes us when school becomes more like work.

Let’s celebrate Kindergarten by sharing with our children the simple joys of creative play.

Homemade Sidewalk chalk

What you need:
A mold such as a toilet paper roll or a small cup
1 cup Plaster of Paris
1 cup water
Powdered tempera paint

What to do:
Mix together the Plaster of Paris and water. Then add tempera paint to the mixture. Blend well and let stand for a few minutes. Next pour your mixture into the molds you chose. Set aside and let dry completely for approximately 24 hours more. Once dry you can remove your chalk from the mold and take it outside to create fun works of art.

Edible Playdough

What you need:
1 box name brand white cake mix
1 stick soft but not melted margarine
3 tbsps water

What to do:
Mix cake mix

and margarine in large bowl. When it is well mixed add 1 teaspoon of water at a time and mix until the desired consistency. You can store it in a plastic ziplock bag if there's any left.

Pudding Paint

What you need:

Instant Vanilla Pudding
Food Coloring

What to do:

Mix pudding according to directions. Add food coloring for desired color. Finger paint on paper plates or large pieces of wax paper. Enjoy eating it while you paint.

Kool-Aid Finger Paint

What you need:

2 cups flour

2 packs unsweetened Kool-Aid

1/2 cup salt

3 cups boiling water

3T. oil

What to do:
Just mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. That’s it!

Jello Finger Paint

What you need:

Any kind of flavored jello

Boiling water

What to do:

Mix jello into boiling water until it is a gooey consistency for finger paint. Use normal finger painting material or glossy paper. Kids love the smell and feel of it.

Oh and don’t forget milk and cookies for snack time. Serve chocolate milk in individual cartons (if you can find them).

Monster Cookies

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon corn syrup
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter
1 cup flour
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup candy-coated milk chocolate pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a extra large bowl, beat the eggs. Next add the remaining ingredients in order, mixing well. Use an ice cream scoop to put on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. These cookies will turn out really big, but if you try to make them smaller they will turn out flat and hard.