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From Let's Cook! columnist Jodie Fitz ¼ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup hot water Cold seltzer 1/8 teaspoon orange extract 16-ounce plastic cup Put the sugar and hot water into a cup and mix... More
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Summertime makes its own magic
Posted on Fri, July 10th, 2009
Written by: Kitchen Table Time ,
email: kitchentabletime@gmail.com
By Carol Smith, Joyce Thomas
and Felicia Bordick
Do you have a favorite memory of those carefree summer days of your childhood? We’re not talking about the big vacations or grand events, but rather those small and seemingly insignificant moments that define the season, such as the feeling of grass on your bare feet or the smell of sunshine on your skin. Maybe you remember playing hide and seek with the neighborhood kids on a summer night.
This summer, we encourage you to take your own children on a journey of summers past. Share with your kids the things you did to pass those lazy days, and ask their grandparents about their memories of summer adventures when they were young.
After you have had some fun with examples from the past, start making new memories with fresh ideas.
You can’t hear the birds sing in the morning if the TV is on, and you can’t enjoy stargazing on a clear night if you are stuck inside on the computer. Unplug the distractions, grab the kids, and off you go!
Take in the season’s bounty by doing something as simple as taking a Color Walk. Hand each participant a bag – any old recyclable will do. Go for a long, quiet walk away from the distractions of everyday life and teach the kids how to use their five senses to observe the wonders of Mother Nature. Collect some specimens along the way and make note of their colors and textures, listen to the silence, smell the sweet earthy fragrance of the outdoors, and be sure to warn the kids about not tasting what they find. When you return home, write about the day’s journey, sort the specimens and make a simple bar graph categorizing the items by shape, color or size, but most importantly, chat about the adventure over a glass of lemonade.
Here is a tip for encouraging your child to keep a summertime journal and avoiding the ugly feeling of “homework.” Children tend to resist when something is directly pushed upon them, but if you simply sit down at the kitchen table and tell them that you need quiet time to write in your summertime journal, you may find them hovering about with curiosity. Be sure to have handy some sparkly gem of a notebook you picked up at a dollar store to give them so they can join you.
Can you picture these childhood memories? Some day your grown child will be musing about summer afternoons around the kitchen table writing in their journals about the day’s adventure.
Parents, especially those of you new to the school experience, do you feel anxious about the start of classes? Do you have questions about what your child’s day at school will be like? We’ve been there – as moms and teachers -– and we welcome your questions. E-mail us at kitchentabletime@gmail.com, and we will try to answer them in upcoming columns.
The authors have a combined 75 years of teaching experience in kindergarten, first, second and third grade in area schools. Their book, “Hey Kids, What Time Is It? It’s Kitchen Table Time!” can be found at I Love Books in Delmar and The Book House in Stuyvesant Plaza, Guilderland.
You can contact kitchentabletime@gmail.com with any questions. Also, feel free to post comments below.
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Posted on Fri, July 10th, 2009
Written by: Kitchen Table Time ,
email: kitchentabletime@gmail.com
By Carol Smith, Joyce Thomas
and Felicia Bordick
Do you have a favorite memory of those carefree summer days of your childhood? We’re not talking about the big vacations or grand events, but rather those small and seemingly insignificant moments that define the season, such as the feeling of grass on your bare feet or the smell of sunshine on your skin. Maybe you remember playing hide and seek with the neighborhood kids on a summer night.
This summer, we encourage you to take your own children on a journey of summers past. Share with your kids the things you did to pass those lazy days, and ask their grandparents about their memories of summer adventures when they were young.
After you have had some fun with examples from the past, start making new memories with fresh ideas.
You can’t hear the birds sing in the morning if the TV is on, and you can’t enjoy stargazing on a clear night if you are stuck inside on the computer. Unplug the distractions, grab the kids, and off you go!
Take in the season’s bounty by doing something as simple as taking a Color Walk. Hand each participant a bag – any old recyclable will do. Go for a long, quiet walk away from the distractions of everyday life and teach the kids how to use their five senses to observe the wonders of Mother Nature. Collect some specimens along the way and make note of their colors and textures, listen to the silence, smell the sweet earthy fragrance of the outdoors, and be sure to warn the kids about not tasting what they find. When you return home, write about the day’s journey, sort the specimens and make a simple bar graph categorizing the items by shape, color or size, but most importantly, chat about the adventure over a glass of lemonade.
Here is a tip for encouraging your child to keep a summertime journal and avoiding the ugly feeling of “homework.” Children tend to resist when something is directly pushed upon them, but if you simply sit down at the kitchen table and tell them that you need quiet time to write in your summertime journal, you may find them hovering about with curiosity. Be sure to have handy some sparkly gem of a notebook you picked up at a dollar store to give them so they can join you.
Can you picture these childhood memories? Some day your grown child will be musing about summer afternoons around the kitchen table writing in their journals about the day’s adventure.
Parents, especially those of you new to the school experience, do you feel anxious about the start of classes? Do you have questions about what your child’s day at school will be like? We’ve been there – as moms and teachers -– and we welcome your questions. E-mail us at kitchentabletime@gmail.com, and we will try to answer them in upcoming columns.
The authors have a combined 75 years of teaching experience in kindergarten, first, second and third grade in area schools. Their book, “Hey Kids, What Time Is It? It’s Kitchen Table Time!” can be found at I Love Books in Delmar and The Book House in Stuyvesant Plaza, Guilderland.
You can contact kitchentabletime@gmail.com with any questions. Also, feel free to post comments below.
Readers had this to say
Nobody has made any comments about this yet... you could be the first. Comment about this article.