Building Cars

We changed our dramatic play area yesterday. Gone is the vet/animal rescue centre and now it's an open space with road traffic signs, balance beams, big waffle blocks and trucks.
I also gathered some smaller sized boxes that the children could fit in and use for vehicles.
We cut open the bottom of the box then folded in the flaps.



















Using our collection of different lids they decorated their vehicle. Lights, switches, steering wheels, window wipers and more.

The shoulder straps helped to carry it as they drove.
Some just preferred to park.

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rubbings

Today our room smelled like cinnamon.
We made gingerbread sandpaper ornaments that were rubbed with cinnamon sticks.

First they could colour the gingerbread man,
then they used cinnamon sticks and rubbed all over the gingerbread man.

Some even added hair with baubles.

Rubber Band Snap Painting

Oh today's art was messy - real messy. I did warn the families it would be but I didn't realize how much. I saw this on a website and I apologize for forgetting where and not writing it down to give credit.

We tried rubber band SNAPpainting.
I found these old wooden frames at a thrift store and wrapped thick rubber bands around them. With a piece of paper underneath they painted the rubber bands.
Now the really messy part - SNAP the rubber band.
It splatters beautifully.
ALL OVER!

So we had to devise a method to prevent the splatter up to our faces.

That seemed to work okay except it was difficult to hold down the frame, keep the bands covered and allow the child to see underneath to SNAP the bands.
This family was inventive...


The results were pretty.

Crayon Shavings Decorations

I found these wonderful little cheese graters at a dollar store and couldn't wait for little hands to try them.

Some needed help but most gave the shaving a really good try.They then sprinkled the shaved crayons on waxed paper, covered with another piece of waxed
paper then melted it using an iron.

It still felt warm when we were ready to cut it.

We used cookie cutters for our pattern, traced them and cut it out.

Gingerbread Sighting

I made a book about our Runaway Gingerbread Men so families that weren't at school the day the cookies ran away could understand how it all started.


Its just been a few days since our gingerbread men ran away and one has returned and another was spotted.
When this little guy was coming into school he spotted a gingerbread man with an umbrella on the outside of the door. His note read, "I've been out in the snow and now the rain. I want to come back to StrongStart again."

Then the mail arrived and we received a gingerbread from another local school.So now we are keeping track on maps of our school, community, province, country and hopefully the world.

Snowman Doily Prints

Today we used plastic doilies to make snowman prints.

I found pot scrubbers at the dollar store that work well to apply the paint. When the plastic doilies were well covered we placed another paper on top then pressed down to make the print.

Snow buddies.

Gingerbread Pirates

For the last several years we have participated in a fundraiser for our local Boys & Girls Club. It's so much fun because we can design, build and decorate our own gingerbread connection.

Last year we designed a playground with our grade 4 buddy class.
This year we were inspired by a book The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup. Also last Christmas my daughter gave me pirate cookie cutters so we were set.

This year we have grade 3 buddies and they brainstormed and drew out their ideas and then we started baking. They were very creative when deicing how to make the cannon and trees.



















Our StrongStart little ones made and decorated the gingerbread men with their buddies and then we put it all together.It will be on display for the next two weeks so visitors can vote on their favourite and silent bid to win.