Who does the shoe fit?

We had so much fun reading this hilarious book, Centipede's 100 shoes. It is a great book to use for number recognition and counting. After having so much fun reading this we decided to get out some shoes and have our own fun!

This is a fun activity you can do when discussing the mathematical terms "biggest" and "smallest". It is also a great opportunity to use scissors as you cut around the traced shoes. Gather a shoe from each member of the family and use a pencil to trace around the them. Cut out the shoe shapes and order and then glue them on a large piece of paper.

The Littlest Owl

(Sung To: I'm a little Teapot)

I'm a great big owl,

as you can see

I live high up in a tree.

All the other birds wake me up when they play,

Because I like to sleep in the day

Since our camping trip a few weekends ago, Master 2 has become obsessed with listening and looking out for Owls at night time. So much so that it has become a bit of a Saturday night ritual since that we take the torches out for a quick walk and try to Owl Spot in the surrounding trees. At our weekly library visit this week we were on an Owl hunt to find some interesting books to read. We manged to find a number of them and so have been Owl-ing about all week.

Master 2 had great fun painting his owl shape and then adding feathers (strips of crepe paper) to produce this super cute owl.

Last night I had found this cute Owl sandwich (Little Food Junction) to make for Master 2 to have for lunch. He thought it was hoot-astic!

The Best Nest

The boys each a bag and we headed outside on a bush walk to observe birds and to collect materials for their bird's nests. The boys collected, grass, soft paper, string, leaves, yarn, leaves, and thin twigs.

This activity provided such a wonderful opportunity for language development. The boys talked lots about why they chose certain materials e.g "This big piece of bark I'm putting in will protect the eggs from the wind and rain." "I chose these twigs because they look like the tree that a nest could be in, that way a vulture will think it is a normal tree, it's hibernating."

Rolling eggs with play dough is great for fine-motor skill development.

Making a Bird Nest

Materials Needed:

• Brown Play dough, Clay or shredded string


• Outdoor materials- collected by your child on your walk


• Toothpick (to write their name and date underneath) if you use clay


• bags


• Play dough

Preschoolers are natural scientists. This morning I decided we would have a day learning about bird, nests and habitats. I gave the boys each a bag and we headed outside on a bush walk to observe birds and to collect materials for their bird's nests. The boys collected, grass, soft paper, string, leaves, yarn, leaves, and thin twigs.

Once back home I gave the boys some brown shredded paper string I had picked up from the discount store in the craft section (you could also use play dough or clay prepared the night before) The brown shredded string will represent the mud for this craft. I showed the boys how to shape the string into a bowl-like configuration. Next, they used their fists to push the center of the "nest" in, and gently pull the sides up. With a preschool craft, it is always best if each work of art is different so I went with the shape that they made for their nest! Then I had the boys use the outdoor materials they collected to stick into the string. Then the boys used some play dough to roll some eggs to put inside their nest. This was a wonderful activity rich in language development as well as science. The boys are so proud of their nests and will definitely take pride of place on our Easter shelf!

Yummy Pancakes

Mix a pancake, stir a pancake,
Pop it in a pan.
Fry a pancake, toss a pancake,
Catch it if you can.

Do you celebrate Pancake Tuesday in your house? We definitely do, and each year our pancakes become bigger and the toppings more elaborate.Each year I read a couple of my favourite "Pancake" themed books to the boys before we get busy in the kitchen.

Mr. Wolf fancies some tasty pancakes, but he doesn't know how to make them and has trouble reading the Wolf It Down Recipe Book. Asking his neighbors is no use—Chicken Little, Wee Willy Winkle, the Gingerbread Man, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Three Little Pigs all nastily refuse. Poor Mr. Wolf has to work it out all by himself. I LOVE this book, along with the rest of

Jan Fearnley's and look forward to reading it to the boys on Pancake Tuesday each year. Here is our pancake recipe:

Ingredients

115g plain flour,

pinch of salt,

1 large egg (beaten),

1 tbsp melted butter or sunflower oil,

300ml milk,

butter or oil for frying

Method

1.Sift flour and salt into a bowl,make a well in the centre,add the egg and half the milk.

2.Beat the ingredients together,then whisk in the remaining milk along with the melted butter

or oil.

3.Heat a little oil in a frying pan, pour in enough batter to to evenly cover the base.

4.Cook for about 1 minute, toss the pancake over and cook the other side until golden.

5.Top with sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.

6. You can try many different topping, maple syrup,chocolate and whipped cream or even try some

savoury ones too!

Get out all of the measuring spoons, cups, and materials you will need in advance, and then show your child how to measure the ingredients to make pancake batter. While measuring, make comparisons between one cup and 1/4 cup, or estimate how much a teaspoon is - and then measure it to see if you guessed correctly. Invite your child to feel, smell, and taste the individual ingredients -- like flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, etc. Examining the various colours and textures teaches useful science skills. Count and add as you put the appropriate number of tablespoons or cups in the batter. These activities develop the foundation necessary to learn more complex math skills

Don't just eat pancakes this year, try some of these fun Pancake Activities and Crafts

• Give each member of the family a frypan/plastic plate and place a pancake on it. Set the microwave for one minute and see how many times each person can flip their pancake!
• Set a frypan on the floor/on the grass and from a distance see how many of the five pancakes each family member can toss into the pan!
• Download these free alphabet Pancakes Cards. Laminate and cut out and play some letter recognition games. www.sparklebox.co.uk/topic/fest/pancake/html
• Pancake Finger Paint
  Put some plain pancake batter on a paper or plastic plate. Add a drop of red food coloring and let your child mix it into the batter with his/her fingers. Make fun designs in the batter. Add a drop of yellow food colour or blue food colour. What colour does the batter turn? This is a great way to introduce primary colors and how combining them makes other colours. Talk about how the batter feels - is it cold, squishy, smooth? Add some syrup to the mix and see if the texture changes - is it sticky? Don't forget to remind the kids that this batter is a science and art experiment - it's not for eating!
• Fill a squirt bottle with some watered down pancake mix and let your child squirt some letter "P"s for Pancake on a large piece of paper. If your child's fine motor skills are still developing in the skill of using a squirt bottle, give them a paint brush and you could pre-write letter Ps and let them trace over.

If you think you can't have pancakes because you have allergies to dairy, think again! http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/pancakeswaffles/DairyFree_Pancakes_Crepes_Waffles_French_Toast_Recipes.htm

The Mixed-Up Chameleon

Eric Carle has a beautiful way of telling stories that touch the heart and teach valuable lessons and this story is no different. This is a great book that reinforces a strong message to children. I read this book every year in my classroom during the first week of school when I was teaching. It is a great book to use when focusing on the colours, as well as the story's value that lies in the message that everyone is unique and special. The kind of responses that your child will offer in response to this high-quality piece of literature will amaze you.

I used this book with Master 2 as he has a fascination with all animals. We came across a chameleon in another book recently and Master 2 has since been looking everywhere, in the garden, under the bed, out the window as we drive! lol

I gave Master 2 a template of a Chameleon after we read the book. I put out some coloured paints and gave Master 2 cotton buds to paint with - great for his fine motor skill development.

After he finished painting his chameleon he added some glitter. I think it looks very cute and he's very proud.

Valentine Heart Catcher

One day, it begins to rain hearts, and young Cornelia Augusta begins to catch them. She realizes that these hearts would be great for making valentines. We watch her think of many different kinds of valentines, and think about who each one would be perfect for. What I love about this little book is the thoughtfulness Cornelia Augusta demonstrates, customizing each gift to please a particular friend (and the friends all turn out to be members of the animal world!). Master 2 enjoyed figuring out who each valentine was for and why. Very cute!

This is a really cute Valentine's Day activity, or one that can be used when you're teaching about shapes (heart) or talking about love. One of my favourite rhymes to sing to my boys is

Skinnamarinky dinky dink
Skinnamarinky do,
I love you!

Skinnamarinky dinky dink
Skinnamarinky do,
I love you!

I love you in the morning,
And in the afternoon
I love you in the evening,
Underneath the moon…

Skinnamarinky dinky dink
Skinnamarinky do,
I love you!

I gave Master a piece of clear cellophane and some cut up pink and red squares. A pot of clear glue and he was ready to get busy filling his heart with LOVE.

Make sure you get your little one to leave spaces between the squares so that the sun can shine through when it goes up on the window.


Once the glue had dried we put the heart up on the window and watched the sun coming through. The was a really fun activity that both boys enjoyed and the end result looks great!

Umbrella

On a shopping trip this morning Master 2 somehow persuaded me into buying him an umbrella! On the way home we were chatting in the car about why you use an umbrella (to keep the rain off you or to protect you from the sun) and what he would like to do on a rainy day with his umbrella. Master 2 went on in length of course, as two year olds do, to tell me that he would like to walk along the road in the gutter where the "water whooshes down" the drain. I remembered driving home that I found this book, Who Likes Rain? at a market not so long ago so we read it over morning tea as Master 2 sat under is umbrella to protect him from the sun!! It is a lovely story about a little girl putting on her raincoat and boots and walking in the rain and describing all that she sees. She meets some animals that like the rain and then joins them with a stomp in the puddles at the end. Master 2 thought that was just perfect!

Our craft activity today was around the rain and the umbrella. Master 2 and I were watching the clouds outside (he was praying for rain so he could get out in those puddles!) when he asked me why the clouds were racing? As simply as I could explain it to a 2 year old, I said that they were moving as it was beginning to get very windy and the clouds were getting darker and may start to bang together to let out the rain. From this we:

1. Put a piece of A4 paper in a foil tray and put blobs of white and blue paint on it.
2. Put 5 marbles in the tray and Master 2 rocked and rolled the marbles, mixing the paint together to create a rain affect.
3. I gave Master 2 a template of an umbrella, some cut up tissue paper in squares and some glue. He happily sat and glued this on to the umbrella.
4. When our paint had dried and the tissue paper on the umbrella, together we glued the umbrella on the rain!

Elmer The Elephant

Master 2 has a real fascination with animals, all animals in fact. So whenever I bring out a story to read that has an animal character in it, there are no limits in where I can take the learning to with him. A recent visit to the zoo and feeding of the elephants has sparked an interest in them, in particular the way they use their trunk to take the fruit from his hands. After reading our story he was very keen to help me put together a dress-up costume so we could re-enact the story together!

(So sorry but for some reason I can't turn this photo!)



The story of Elmer the Elephant is a comical fable that celebrates individuality and the power of laughter. This happy elephant brings hours of joy and laughter to our bedtime reading sessions. As Elmer is a patchwork elephant it is a great book to use when looking at colours and shapes, in particular squares. I'm having a bit of a shape week for Master 2, so I decided to do some fun craft with him after sharing the book together over morning tea. It is a very simple craft activity that only needs an outline of Elmer, coloured paper cut into squares and glue. It is a cute little activity that allows you time to sit and talk about colours and ask "What colour patch are you gluing on now?" It will give you an indication of what colours your little one is confident with and which ones you need to still work on.

Australian Themed Books For Kids

1. Possum Magic By Mem Fox



2. Wombat Divine By Mem Fox



3. Koala Lou By Mem Fox



4. Never Smile at a Crocodile By Jack Lawrence


5. The Wheels on the Ute Go Round and Round By Loraine Harrison



6. Possum Tale By Lucienne Noontil



7. Out in the Bush By Yvonne Morrison



8. Baby Wombat's Week By Jackie French



9. Blossom Possum: The Sky is Falling Down-Under By Gina Newton



10. Possum and Wattle By Bronwyn Bancroft



11. Diary of a Wombat By Jackie French



12. Edward the Emu By Sheena Knowles



13. Australia ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of Australia (Country Abcs)By Sarah Heiman



14. The Biggest Frog in Australia by Susan L. Roth



15. Hunwick's Egg by Mem Fox



16. Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo by Alison Lester



17. The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest By Lynne Cherry



18. Tiddalick: The Frog Who Caused a Flood By Robert Roennfeldt



19. A Year on Our Farm By Penny Matthews & Andrew Mclean



20. The Cocky Who Cried Dingo By Yvonne Morrison & Heath Makenzie



21. Australia At The beach By Max Fatchen & Tom Jellett



22. Goldilocks and the Three Koalas By Kel Richards



23. How the Birds got their Colours story told by Mary Albert of the Bardi People to Aboriginal children living in Broome, Western Australia.



24. Echidna and the Shade Tree story is compiled by Pamela Lofts based on a telling by Mona Green of the Jaru people to students in Halls Creek, Western Australia


25. How the Kangaroo Got Tails story told by George Mung Mung Lirrmiyarri, of the Kija people, to Aboriginal children living in Warmun (Turkey Creek), Western Australia.


26. Magic Boomerang by Frane Lessac and Mark Greenwood


27. W is for Wombat My First Australian Word Book by Bronwyn Bancroft


28. A Home for Bilby By Joanned Crawford


29. Anzac Day Parade By Glenda Kane


30. Josephine Wants to Dance By Jackie French


31. Imagine By Alison Lester


32. I Love It When You Smile by Sam Mcbratney


33. And Kangaroo Played His Didgeridoo By Nigel Gray


34. Father Koala's Nursery Rhymes By Kel Richards


35. One Woolly Wombat By Kerry Argent


36. Santa Koala By Colin Buchanan


37. Snug as a Hug: An Australian Lullaby By Marcia Vaughan


38. The Bush Concert By Helga Visser


39. There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Mozzie By P Crumble


40. Wombat Stew By Marcia Vaughan


41. Roos in Shoes by Tom Keneally


42. The Golden Kangaroo by Garrison Valentine


43. Sailaway. The Ballad of Skip & Nell by Mem Fox


44. Are We There yet? by Alison Lester


45. Alexander’s Outing by Pamela Allen


46. Emily and The Big Bad Bunyip by Jackie French


47. Where the Forest meets the Sea By Jeannie Baker


48. Sebastian lives in a Hat By Thelma Catterwell


49. Magic Beach By Alison Lester


50. Greetings from Sandy Beach By Bob Graham

String Painting

With all the storms about I have been talking to the boy's about why we are having so much
rain and why we have lightning and thunder. Today we were talking about the lightening we had seen in the sky the other night and how there were lots of different colours. I decided to do get the boys to do some string painting to make a "lightning" picture.

Put some paint in old meat trays or paper plates and give your child a piece of string. Give your little one as big a piece of paper that you can find to paint on. Show your little one how to take the string and streak it or twirl it around on their page. Once the colour is done give your little one the next colour, this will prevent him from mixing all the colours and ending up with a brown page.

Paint splattering activities like this are so much fun and great for the development of your child's senses. By playing with paint, touching it and learning its texture your child is developing the tiny muscles and also creativity, imagination, hand-eye co-ordination and motor skills.

The Gingerbread Man

"Run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me - I'm The Gingerbread Man!"Both boys were at home today so we spent the morning on the Gingerbread Man's Trail!

It just wouldn't be Christmas without the Gingerbread Man! What child will EVER forget the time spent with Mummy or Grandma creating a masterpiece of gingerbread and frosting. Be creative and treasure the time spent together - set the mood with Christmas music and a few lite snacks.

Cooking is a great opportunity to:

• bring the language from the story alive



• cooking vocabulary



• fine motor skills, ... kneading, rolling, pinching the gingerbread.



• numeracy concepts and maths vocabulary (measuring)

Before I start cooking with my 4 year old I make a set of cooking cards that he can sort and then following when he is baking. (These pictorial instructions are great for younger children unable to read yet but very interested in print and reading out the instructions to you!) It also demonstrates that we follow an order when cooking. I tend to number the cards so that he is also recognising numbers throughout the activity.

These pictorial instructions are great for younger children unable to read yet but very interested in print and reading out the instructions to you! It also demonstrates that we follow an order when cooking. I tend to number the cards so that he is also recognising numbers throughout the activity.

While The Gingerbread Men were cooking I took advantage of this time to read The Gingerbread Man's book of counting and then get Master 4 to sort the gingerbread men in order from 0 - 10.

I collected a whole lot of different coloured objects and had Master 4 sort them according to colour to match the Gingerbread Man.

My Top 100 Favourite Books for Kids!

Here is a list of my Top 100 Books for kids. Tried and tested over and over again in my house and the classrooms I have taught in over the years! I have to say it wasn't easy narrowing it down to 100.

1. The Rainbow Fish by Michael Psiffer
2. Sharing a Shell By Julia Donaldson
3. Commotion in The Ocean By Giles Andrea
4. Mrs Wishy Washy By Joy Cowley
5. Duck in the Truck By Jez Alborough
6. Farmyard Hullabaloo! By Giles Andrea
7. 1,2,3 Zoo By Eric Carle
8. The Tiger Who Came to Tea By Judith Kerr
9. Giraffes Can’t Dance By Giles Andrea
10. Night Monkey, Day Monkey By Julia Donaldson
11. Greedy Cat and The Gold fish By Joy Cowley
12. Dogger By Shirley Huges
13. Elmer the Elephant By David Mc Kee
14. Farmyard Jamboree By Margaret Read Macdonald
15. The Very Busy Spider By Eric Carle
16. The Bad-Tempered Ladybird By Eric Carle
17. Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd
18. The Very Quiet Cricket By Eric Carle
19. The Runaway Train by Benedict Blathwayt
20. Owl Babies By Martin Waddell
21. Rumble in The Jungle By Giles Andrea
22. The Animal Boogie By Debbie Harter
23. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? By Eric Carle
24. Little Mouse, the Red Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear By Don and Audrey Wood
25. We’re Going on A Bear Hunt By Michael Rosen
26. Who Sank the Boat? By Pamela Allen
27. The Boy on The Bus By Penny Dale
28. Choo Choo Clickety-Clack! By Margaret Mayo
29. The Little Yellow Digger By Betty Gilderdale
30. From Head to Toe By Eric Carle
31. Oliver’s Fruit Salad By Vivian French
32. The Giant Jam Sandwich By Vernon Lord
33. The Tiny Seed By Eric Carle
34. The Very Hungry Caterpillar By Eric Carle
35. The Fidgety Itch By by Lucy Davey. & Katz Cowley
36. Dinosaurs Galore! By Giles Andrea
37. Dinosaurs Roar By Harriet & Paul Stickland
38. Room on The Broom By Julia Donaldson
39. The Magic hat By Mem Fox
40. Jolly Postman’s Christmas By Allan Ahlberg
41. The Gruffalo By Julia Donaldson
42. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
43. Stickman By Julia Donaldson
44. Shoes From Grandpa By Mem Fox
45. Pirate Pete By Kim Kennedy
46. Dear Zoo By Rod Campbell
47. Winnie The Witch By Valerie Thomas
48. Mrs Honey’s Hat By Pam Adams
49. The Big red Bath By Julia Jarman
50. The Mixed-Up Chameleon By Eric Carle
51. Dream Snow By Eric Carle
52. Grandpa and Thomas and the Green Umbrella By Pamela Allen
53. The Wonky Donkey By Craig Smith
54. What’s The Time Mr Wolf? By Colin Hawkins
55. Jasper's Beanstalk by Mick Inkpen
56. Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins
57. Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne
58. Monkey Do! by Allan Ahlberg
59. My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes by Eve Sutton
60. Ten in the Bed by Penny Dale
61. Walking Through the Jungle by Julie Lacome
62. Handa's Hen by Eileen Browne
63. Funnybones by Janet Ahlberg
64. Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne
65. Night Noises By Mem Fox
66. Hamilton’s Hats By Julia Donaldson
67. Imagine By Alison Lester
68. The Light House Keeper by Ronda Armitage and David Armitage
69. Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell
70. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? By Eric Carle
71. I Love You, Blue Kangaroo by Emma Chichester Clark
72. Six Dinner Sid by Inga Moore
73. Orange Pear Apple Bear By Emily Gravett
74. A Curious Clownfish by Eric Maddern
75. The Teeny Weeny Tadpole by Sheridan Cain
76. Old Bear by Jane Hissey
77. A Squash and a Squeeze By Julia Donalson
78. Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet Ahlberg
79. Dogs By Emily Gravett
80. Captain Duck by Jez Alborough
81. Mr. Gumpy's Motor Car by John Burningham
82. Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker
83. I Don't Want to Go to Bed! by Julie Sykes
84. Aliens Love Underpants! by Claire Freedman
85. The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson
86. Tiddler: The story-telling fish by Julia Donaldson
87. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
88. There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake by Hazel Edwards and Deborah Niland
89. A House for Hermit Crab By Eric Carle
90. Mr Seahorse By Eric Carle
91. Possum Magic by Mem Fox
92. Wilfrid Gordon Mcdonald Partridge by Fox Mem
93. Where Is the Green Sheep? by Judy Horacek and Mem Fox
94. Wombat Divine by Mem Fox
95. Time for Bed by Mem Fox and Jane Dyer
96. Koala Lou by Mem Fox and P. Lofts
97. Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
98. Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle
99. Pancakes, Pancakes! By Eric Carle
100. Mr. Wolf's Pancakes by Jan Fearnley
     

The Little Red Hen

We spent reading time this afternoon reading one of our all time favourites "The Little Red Hen." We then had great fun acting out the story with some masks and later on with a set of hand puppets. Master 4 suggested that we could actually make our own bread and ALL help unlike the characters in the story!

For young children, the realities of life are those within their own spheres of experience. By presenting children with lessons which are not only verbal but include a multiplicity of sensory experiences, we can amplify children's understanding and enjoyment of a concept. I have always wanted to make bread with the boys but have been a bit daunted by the process, so when I came across this easy bread recipe, I thought....why not. We put on our aprons and got kneading, making a loaf of homemade whole wheat bread.Whilst the whole family ate the bread and it was really quite nice I am not so sure anyone would actually pay for it!

Ingredients

2 Tsp. honey
2 2/3 Cup lukewarm water
4 Tsp. dry yeast
3 Tbsp. Molasses
5 Cups whole wheat flour
1/2 Tsp. salt
1/4 Cup wheat germ
1 Tbsp. Oatmeal (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.


2. Stir 2 teaspoons honey into 2/3 cup lukewarm water.


3. Sprinkle yeast over the mixture. Set aside for 10 minutes.


4. Combine 3 tablespoons molasses with 2/3 cup warm water and combine with yeast mixture.


5. Stir into flour. Add salt, wheat germ and 1 1/3 cups warm water. Dough will be sticky.


6. Pour dough into a non-stick loaf pan.


7. Smooth top with wet spatula.


8. Sprinkle Oatmeal over top of loaf, if desired.


9. Allow to raise to top of pan.


10. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.


11. Cool 10 minutes on a rack, then turn out of pan.


12. Cool before slicing.


13. ENJOY!

Baking bread is a great way to teach a science lesson, while having fun in the kitchen!

Handa's Surprise

Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne is one of my favourite books to use with young children. It is a story so luscious it seems almost edible!Handa puts seven delicious fruits in a basket to take to her friend, Akeyo. But as she walks, carrying the basket on her head, various creatures steal her fruits. A monkey takes the banana, an ostrich the guava, a zebra the orange, an elephant the mango, a giraffe the pineapple, an antelope the avocado and a parrot the passion fruit. Handa walks on, wondering which of the fruits her friend will like best, oblivious to the fact that her basket is now empty. But then, behind her, a goat charges into a tangerine tree and fills Handa's basket with the fruit. "Hello, Akeyo," she greets her friend. "I've brought you a surprise." But when she lifts off her basket, it's Handa who gets the biggest surprise. Akeyo, meanwhile, is delighted, because tangerines are her favourite fruit!I have been doing lots of activities to do with this book with Master 2 and Master 4 as I'm trying to expose them to a variety of fruits, like most young children they tend to want the same over and over again!

We set out this morning (in the rain!!) to the Farmer's Market to source out some exotic fruits so the boys could try some new tastes and also we could use them for our storytelling and role-play.

I love making masks to act out and role-play stories with the boys. I found once I started collecting and making masks you quickly get yourself a great collection that can be used for many different stories.

We had some ripe banana's in our fridge so decided to make a banana cake for our morning tea. I like using cooking as a way to get the boy's to work together, and particularly learn to take turns!

While our banana cake was cooking for morning tea we had some fun thumb painting to make a pineapple. Both boys really enjoyed this painting activity and the end product looks cute.

We're Going on a Lion Hunt

In the jungle, the mighty jungle The lion sleeps tonight... we watched The Lion King for our family movie night last week, which has sparked a real interest in Lion's from Master 2 and Master 4. We have been reading this fabulous book about a teacher and her class going on a lion hunt...but can they find the hiding lion? This book is an hilarious twist on the classic We're Going on a Bear Hunt. From here we have done some craft, cooking and healthy lion sandwiches.

Pasta Craft - Paint a paper plate with orange paint and then add pasta spirals to form the lion's mane. This was a fun and simple little activity for Master 2.

I love getting creative and making the kids fun sandwiches to eat! Check out his lion sandwich using ham, grated carrot and raisins! So healthy too!

This is a fabulous book about a teacher and her class going on a lion hunt...but can they find the hiding lion? This book is an hilarious twist on the classic We're Going on a Bear Hunt.

Going on a lion hunt.

I'm not afraid.

I'm going to catch me a BIG lion!

(Spread arms to demonstrate the word "big" as you say the word.)

But look!

What's that ahead?

(Raise your head to your forehead, as though you were looking far away.)

Uh-oh.

There's mud ahead!

Can't go over it.

Can't go under it.

Can't go around it.

Better go through it.

(Make sloshing sounds and move hands and feet as if wading through mud.)

Uh-oh.

There's a lake ahead.

Can't go over it.

Can't go under it.

Can't go around it.

Better swim through it.

(Make swimming motions.)

Uh-oh.

There's a gate ahead.

Can't go over it.

Can't go under it.

Can't go around it.

Better go through it.

Gesture as if you open a gate, walk through, and close it.)

Uh-oh.

There's tall grass ahead.

Can't go over it.

Can't go under it.

Can't go around it.

We'd better crawl through it.

(If room permits, children can crawl around.)

There's a cave ahead.

Can't go over it.

Can't go under it.

Can't go around it.

Guess we'll have to walk into it.

It's dark in here.

I see two shining lights.

feel something furry.

I feel a c-c-c-cold nose.

I feel s-s-s-sharp teeth.

It's a lion!!!

(Shiver and make terrified faces.)

Run out of the cave!

Crawl through the grass!

Open the gate!

Swim across the lake!

Wade through the mud!

Run into the house!

Close the door!

Run up the front stairs!

Crawl under your bed!