COMING UP…
This week’s Blethers. Please do join us at another time if the designated group time doesn’t work for your family.
| Tuesday 16.02 @11am | BLUE + PINK GROUPS (Apples) |
| Tuesday 16.02 @1pm | ORANGE + AQUA GROUPS (Bananas) |
| Wednesday 17.02 @1pm | RED + YELLOW GROUPS (Apples) |
| Wednesday 17.02 @2pm | GREEN + PURPLE GROUPS (Bananas) |
Buongiorno! The snow may have gone but there are plenty of puddles to jump in on your walk today. If you are looking for other play and learning ideas, today’s suggestions are all inspired by the authors and illustrators Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet.
A. Do you own any books written by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet? Their names should be on the front cover and spine. Why don’t you check? How many did you find? Why don’t you read one of them? If you don’t have any at home, maybe you could find out about their books and even listen to some of the stories being read here:
https://www.waterstones.com/author/sue-hendra/5937
B. 
Help Supertato gather his squad to teach the Evil Pea a lesson in your own kitchen! It is easy to act out Supertato’s adventures because all you need for the characters are probably already in your own house! Potatoes, carrots, broccoli, even evil frozen peas can join in the action. You could draw on vegetables with a a pen, really get fancy and add arms and legs or a superhero cape or just leave them as they are.
I wonder what adventures you could act out with what vegetables are in your kitchen. How many Supertato characters will you find? Or maybe you could invent a new character that you could tell or help write a story about just like Sue Hendra?
C. 
Did you know we can all be everyday Superheroes , a bit like Supertato? Being a hero doesnt need to be about rescuing someone or saving the day. Little acts of kindness or helping someone out are ways we can all be a Superhero. We all have super skills and qualities that make us great.. I wonder what yours are? Maybe you are brilliant at reading or counting, or making things? A really superhero quality is helping others and being kind. I know you are all great at that. I wonder what Superhero acts you will carry out today? Make sure you tell someone in your family if you spot them being a Superhero too !
D. In this video Paul Linnet reads Cake.
When was the last time you went to a party? What was the occasion? Did you wear special clothes or eat party food? Who was there? Which games did you play?
It has been a long time since we have enjoyed parties so why don’t you plan one for today or at the weekend? You could draw and write invitations, get dressed up and prepare special foods. Maybe you could decorate your living room or bedroom or wherever the party is happening. It could be a mini family party or perhaps you can connect with other friends and family on Zoom or Facetime and plan your house parties together. Think of games you could play together but apart.
E. 
You might decide you want to bake a cake after hearing that story. What ingredients will you need? How do you put them altogether? You could place some ingredients and utensils, conducive to cake baking, out for your child to experiment with. They can investigate and create their own recipe but should still create something edible if you have given an appropriate selection of ingredients to begin with. This provides a different experience – problem solving, creativity – and demands different skills from following a set recipe.
Otherwise, you may wish to follow a tried and tested method. Baking is great way to include numbers and mathematical language into play. Let your children measure/weigh ingredients. Count sprinkles and set timers! Talk about amounts such has half and quarters.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search/recipes?q=cakes+for+kids
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/the-baby-club-pat-a-cake
F. 
Combining two of our favourite things – an amazing no cook edible playdough recipe that smells of cake (yum!) and the new book by author Sue Hendra – Cake! This book inspired activity is perfect for kids who love imaginative and sensory play. Once you have made the playdough you can create whatever you like though adding small candles or decorations may encourage ‘birthday cake’ play and could encourage the exploration o further mathematical concepts such as counting, sorting and sharing. It may also provide vocabulary enrichment as you descibe the dough using your five senses or provide a narrative for what you are doing as you join in with your child e.g. rolling, twisting, squeezing, joining etc,
Recipe 1 Ingredients
1.1/2 Box of White Cake Mix.
2.1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch.
3.1/4 cup oil.
4.3 tablespoons powdered sugar
5.Sprinkles
Method Mix together and enjoy manipulating the scented playdough!
Recipe 2 Ingredients
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Boiling Water
- 2 tbsp. Cream of Tartar
- 1/4 cup Salt
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp. Vanilla Extract
- Lots and Lots of Sprinkles
Method
- Mix together all the dry ingredients then add boiling water, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined.
- Allow play dough to cool for about 5 minutes and then fold in sprinkles. If the playdough is still warm to the touch the sprinkles may melt a bit, but that will give the dough a very neat swirly color!
G.
In Supertato Run Veggies Run the veggies are having a sports day to keep fit. Set up your own veggie race. Discover which veggies roll the best! Have a look and assemble your veggies! What different kinds have you got? Who is going to compete in the race? Make your own racetrack! This could be a big one outside or a mini race for peas on the table. Have you got something for a finish line? Take turns to roll each of your veggies or roll together with a grown up or someone else in your house. Who is the winner? Let us know the best rollers!
Race yourself! Why not use your time outside to set your own challenges just like the veggies. Their sports were Running, jumping, and spinning! Set yourself some challenges. How many jumps on 2 feet can you do in a minute? Get a grown up to set their phone timer. How many on 1 foot? How many spins can you do? Don’t get dizzy! Can you run on the spot for one minute?
H. Lots of different fruits and vegetables appear in the Supertato stories. This challenge features some of them and invites you to look closely, use what you know and think to identify them. How many can you guess? How many have you tasted before? Why don’t you try to taste at least one new one this week?
I. Get moving and dancing!
J. Why don’t you try to grow some vegetable scraps or make a plan to plant some seeds in the next month or so?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/makes/dotf-vegetable-scraps
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/joinin/down-on-the-farm-grow-your-own-article
