V is for Vanilla

I thought we’d try something a little new for V week. We’ve never done V is for Vanilla before! Of course, it’s going to take a little extra smelling and tasting today!

• Read “Cupcake” by Charise Mericle Harper
  • Plain Vanilla: Vanilla cupcake is very proud of his colorful cupcake family until he realizes he is just plain and white. A cute story about how he tries to find just the right topping to make him fancier than just plain vanilla. Includes a recipe for Deliciously Plain Vanilla Cupcakes!

vanilla

almond

peppermint

root beer

lemon

chocolate

• Smell different flavors
  1. Squeeze small amounts of several extracts or flavorings onto cotton balls (peppermint, root beer, almond, lemon and of course, vanilla)
  2. Let the kids smell the different extracts.
  3. Don’t tell them which is which, but see if they can guess.

photo source

• Vanilla Bean
  1. Get a real vanilla bean from the store. Check your local health food store or gourmet food shop if you can’t find them in your regular grocery store.
  2. Examine the vanilla bean. What does it look like? How does it smell? What does it feel like? Measure it.
  3. Carefully slice it open and let the kids see the seeds inside and smell the vanilla … Mmm!
  4. If you’re not sure how, check here or here.

photo source

photo source

 

• All about a Vanilla Bean … so I’ve looked and looked and there just aren’t many kids books about vanilla beans Not too surprising. Here are some facts I’ve learned.
  1. Vanilla is the fruit of an orchid plant.
  2. The vanilla bean pod contains thousands of little black seeds. The seeds and the pod are both very flavorful.
  3. Vanilla orchids grow in tropic climates, primarily Mexico, Tahiti, Madagascar (3/4 of world supply comes from Madagascar).
     • NOTE: You could find these countries on a globe
  4. The green vanilla beans are hand-picked, soaked in hot water, rolled in blankets to “sweat,” dried on flats in the sun to evaporate the water, then stored in a ventilated room to slowly produce the vanilla flavor. This process takes six months!

 

• Chocolate Vanilla Cookie Patterns
  1. Use a package of chocolate vanilla sandwich cookies (they have chocolate on one side, vanilla on the other)
  2. Use a pattern strip (or not).
  3. Start a simple pattern and let the kids finish it with their cookies flipping to either the chocolate or vanilla side!

• Vanilla Ice Cream Bar Memory Match … my 4-year-old who loves Memory Match is going to love this version!
  1. This is an adorable version of Memory Match from Amy at Eat Drink Chic. It is a popsicle matching game, but I’m going to improvise and call it an ice cream bar game
  2. Amy has a great tutorial and free printable here. Print, cut and sandwich a craft popsicle stick between the front and back.
  3. I may make one more set with just plain “vanilla” paper on the back.
  4. Have a great time matching your ice cream bars and finding that one VANILLA match!
• Rock n’ Roll Vanilla Ice Cream
1. You will need:
   • 3 lb. empty coffee-type can
   • 1 lb. empty coffee-type can
   • 1 pint half & half
   • 1/2 cup sugar
   • 1 vanilla bean, split
   • rock salt
   • ice
2. In the smaller can, mix the half & half, sugar and vanilla bean seeds (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract).
3. Put the lid on the smaller can and seal with duct tape.
4. Place the small can inside the large can. Layer with ice and rock salt.
5. Put the lid on the larger can and seal with duct tape.
6. Place a large plastic table cloth on the floor and roll the can to each other. It takes about 10 minutes.
   1. TIP: You may want to make a game out of it. Each time you roll the can, have the kids think of a food or an animal that starts with a letter of the alphabet. Ex: the first person says “A for Apple or A for Armadillo.” Roll the can to the next person who says “B for Bagel or B for Buffalo” … keep rolling!
   2. NOTE: You can also take the can outside and kick it if the weather is nice enough!
7. Open the cans and stir the ice cream. If it’s not quite hard enough, reseal and keep rolling or put the can in the freezer for an hour.

V is for Vehicles

      

• We love books! … Read some of your favorite truck, car, and vehicle books!

• Oatmeal Construction Site … make this messy sensory bin from Snails and Puppy Dog Tails to drive all sorts of vehicles in.
  1. In a shallow tub, mix water with oatmeal. Just experiment with the combination. More water will make the oatmeal mixture gooier.
  2. Add several construction vehicles. This little set of vehicles is perfect!
  3. If you really don’t want to make an oatmeal mess, just use playdoh.

• Letter V Road … we started with one V, then ended up with roads all over the floor. Very fun and super easy to clean up!
  1. Make a large V on the floor with masking tape (I found this wide tape at Home Depot in the paint section). Add more roadways!
  1. NOTE: Be sure to use a painters-type masking tape that is meant to remove easily!
  2. Use a sharpie to draw dashes on the road.
  3. Drive your vehicles along the roads.
  4. TIP: I’ll tell you about two of our favorite toys for the cars … only because as soon as we taped down the roads, my kids grabbed these to add to the set-up (you can see them in the picture above). They are kid-tested favorites around here…

Hot Wheels 4-Lane Elimination  Race Playset	Tonka Wheel Pals Triple Track Tower
My 4-year-old got this for his birthday in November and it has been played with almost daily by all three of my kids. The kids put four cars at the start, pull the trigger and depending on which car is faster, three of them get knocked off by the little spring doors. What I love: It’s durable (daily play with no broken parts!) It is compact and folds up nicely when we clean up. The kids are totally intrigued with it. They race all of their cars, all the time and the outcome is always different. No batteries needed. We got it at Target for about $15	This was a Christmas gift from Grandma several years ago. This is better for younger kids, but my older boys will still play with it. They put three cars at the “starting line” then push the button at the bottom to race all three. They love it. What I love: It’s durable (had it for 3 years with no broken parts!) Easy enough to assemble that we usually take it apart to store. There is a little storage “parking spot” on the back to keep the cars. Simple. My 2-year-old can it herself. On/Off Switch. This one does make a little racing noise, but you can turn it off or my kids even play with it without the noise. It’s not obnoxious

 

• I Spy Vehicles Game
  1. Make a simple I Spy Vehicles game. Use the one above, or create your own with clipart from Microsoft Clipart. I included a blank page if that’s helpful in any way.
  2. Look out your front window, go to a park or even better go to your favorite ice cream shop (and sit at a table next to a big window).
  3. Observe all of the vehicles passing by.
  4. Check off the vehicles you see while you are spying.
• Vehicle Bingo
  1. Use the same I Spy pages above.
  2. Print and cut apart an extra page & play bingo!

• Vehicle Colors … I just added this simplified page because you could use it several different way:
  1. I Spy Colors!
     • Use it as a simple I Spy board for younger kids.
     • Have them spy any vehicle and name it’s color.
     • Then color in one car the matching color with a crayon.
  2. Color Dice Game
     • Use a dice with a different color on each side … like the ones above.
     • Roll the dice & name the color.
     • Color in one of the cars the matching color.

• Vehicle Puzzles … My kids love pulling the puzzles out. The great thing about these chunky puzzles is that you can also play with the pieces by themselves!

Nursery Rhyme ABCs

I absolutely LOVE this!

 

Education.com has free nursery rhyme worksheets to download. What I think it so great is that they have matched up a nursery rhyme with each letter of the alphabet. As you read through, you and your preschooler can identify the letter you’re working on. I love that the font is clear and simple, they show both the upper and lower-case letter examples on the page and they’re cute!

   

1. Click here to download and print each worksheet.
2. Slip each one into a clear plastic page protector (keep them altogether in a binder or 3-prong folder)
3. Use a dry erase marker to circle, underline or trace the letters.
4. Count the letters and write the number at the bottom.
5. Erase and repeat later.
6. Love it! Learning letters and nursery rhymes at the same time!