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Monday, December 9, 2013

What's Cooking At Your House?






As if you aren't busy enough... I hope you squeeze in the time to make Gingerbread Playdough for your classroom. Your students will love you so much. My recipe has you cook this on the stove and add all the delicious ingredients used in the cookies. The house smelled delicious and the poor husband thought I was making the real deal. Boy was he disappointed! Anyhow, it's a secret  (shhhh)  but this is for some of my kinder teachers who want a little fun sprinkled into their classroom. Who better to deliver this gift than the elf? I will post these mats if you leave a comment about what special holiday fun you infuse in your classroom that still meets our rigorous academic standards?  Have a wonderful week and squeeze in time to do this. You will not be sorry. Your students will love the smell and have fun with this special holiday dough!



19 comments:

Room 214-Ms. Wenzel's Blog said...

I tried applesauce and cinnamon ornaments. Smiles and stop by anytime!

Unknown said...

We use all sorts of fun stuff - my kids have to count out present bows to match the number on the present; all sorts of sorts w/anything cheap and Christmas-y :) Patterns eraserss and my favorite: journaling about a Christmas tree as it changes every day. This year is't a Christmas tree. I put up a plain paper tree and after 2 weeks it's covered w/all sorts of ornaments, presents, etc. Since we've just started writing sentences it's perfect! :)

Kelly Linder said...

I do peppermint play dough this would be a great addison to my pre-k classroom,never thought of leaving a gift from the elf,that's a really quite idea thanks for sharing.

Unknown said...

We are making life-sized gingerbread men and they are going to be decorated with patterns...patterned smile, belts, decorated wrists, etc. What? Seven days left???? Better get decorating!!!

Tracey said...

We have fun counting ornaments that are in holiday bags. Then we record the answers on a special elf recording sheet. We also do a unit on the Gingerbread family, then make a cookie that runs threw the school. We have to search for him following the clues he leaves.

Thanks for sharing your ideas!

Tracey said...

We have ornaments in a holiday bag that we count and record on a special elf sheet. We also do a unit on the gingerbread family. We bake a cookie and when we go to the kitchen to pick it up the cookie has run off. We search the whole school following clues he leaves for us.

Thanks for sharing your ideas!

jeanzdreamz said...

My dramatic play center becomes a bakery, and another center is the (play dough) cookie center. I am able to infuse many math and literacy activities into both centers, and this kids love them!

Anonymous said...

We use play dough to make sight words, letters, numbers and have been using blocks to build Santa's sleigh to deliver an amount of presents under the tree. (The kids love this!)

Abbey said...

We decorate wooden shoes, and Sinterklaas delivers candy canes!

Unknown said...

we count reindeer and gingerbread men. also make gingerbread cookies and put patterned goodies on the cookie.

kathy said...

We will bake some gingerbread cookies in a toaster oven next week.Last night I make homemade gingerbread playdoh for each child. They had fun rolling and cutting it today.
Kathy I.

Fran Kramer said...

All of you are filled with adorable, amazing ideas. You make these weeks before winter break so special for kids!
Thanks for sharing,
Fran

Nicole Steele said...

My 10 yr old son and I made this last week for my kinder kiddos. They LOVED it!! Of course they asked if they could eat it ;)

Ms. Stevens said...

We plan and make a giant gingerbread man, he escapes from the oven and the students make traps to catch him. We map the school and look for clues. We read and compare various versions

Traci Clausen said...

Dear Fran, I KNOW that watching The Grinch while sipping on Hot Chocolate that you grabbed from the oh so fancy hot chocolate bar with all kinds of toppings MUST meet some sort of rigorous standard or two... I just haven't quite decided on which ones yet. :).

Love, Me!

PS - Gingerbread PlayDough...awesome idea!

Marita & Kim said...

My students will have fun at Polar Express centers next week with our other kdg classes.

Please share your recipe for the gingerbread playdough!!

Unknown said...

In our classroom we have become very creative when it comes to infusing Christmas fun with our rigorous CCSS requirements. We have a classroom elf and each day the students write in their journal explaining where they found Kringle when they arrived in the morning. Our kindergarten team hosts a Polar Express event which features the reading of the story and various math, phonics and art stations, and we do a Holidays Around the World unit which also includes writing, phonics, science, social studies, and math...we are always looking for ways to "sneak in" the fun!! rkj032003@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

As a Catholic School teacher much of our time is spent on the reason for the season. BUT, we have had a great time with our classroom elf who has delivered shape books for the kids, pencils, and this playdough will be perfect for this week:) We have been super busy making a handprint calendar for our parents:)

mdunn said...

Fran,
I love the gingerbread playdoh. We have been doing a lot with gingerbread men. I purchased your wonderful joy with the gingerbread boy unit a few years ago and love the activities. We even have a classroom elf named "Gingerbread" :)