Little Scientists: On the Farm

Our “on the farm” theme continues! This month, our little scientists used their bodies (with a little help from the mamas) to make butter. Using only whipping cream, two marbles and an empty baby food jar, our little scientists shook their way to delicious butter. After about fifteen minutes of shaking, we started to notice the whipping cream become thicker and lumpier. It took about thirty minutes of shaking, by both mamas and little scientists alike, before the butter was ready. After a little rinse under water, we spread our butter on some bread and enjoyed a yummy snack! 

After our snack, we read “Barnyard Dance” by Sandra Boynton. The children danced along with the animals in the book. Then we learned a new song called “The Cows on the Farm.”
Want to try making butter at home? 


Here are the steps: 
Step 1: Fill a baby food jar half full with whipping cream. Add in two marbles (gently) and screw the lid on tightly (very important for it to be TIGHT). This marble is going to help churn the butter faster.


Step 2: Shake the jar! You can also roll the jar between two people on the floor if you are careful. Depending on how vigorous the shaking is, it should take about 5-30 minutes for the butter to be ready.


Step 3: Check the butter. It will be ready when most of the liquid is gone and there is a lump of butter. If it is ready, scoop the butter out into a bowl and rinse it gently under lukewarm water to remove the whey still on the surface.


Step 4: Spread the butter on a small piece of bread. Eat and enjoy!

Tales for Tots: Giraffes Can't Dance

              

In the month of May our Tales for Tots program took on a greater purpose!  We joined ATB Financial's mission to raise money for the Stollery Children's Hospital.  

We had fun reading the hilarious and entertaining Giraffes Can't Dance by Guy Parker Rees that was provided by Scholastics Canada. We then had the opportunity to purchase teddy bears and books to fund raise for this amazing cause. The kids also had a great time using doctors tools fixing up our sick bears and they even made bear puppets to play with!

We were so happy to partner with ATB Financial for this event.  The Stollery Children`s Hospital is a cause so close to our mama's hearts. Many of our moms have experienced first-hand the kind of support and care that the Stollery provides. To learn more about the work ATB Financial is doing to support local charities or to donate visit atbcares.com

Check out Tales for Tots next month when we read an 

Old McDonald Finger Puppet Book!

Make Your Own Chia Pet!

Want to teach your kids about how things grow? Try making a homemade Chia Pet! They are simple to make and the kids can personalize them and cut their hair all summer.

Supplies:

-Empty Yogourt Container

-Nylon Stocking

-Grass Seed

-Water

-Potting Soil

-Construction Paper

-Markers or Crayons

The construction paper will be the clothing for our new little grass friend. Have your kids design the clothing by colouring a piece of paper. Cut a strip from their drawing large enough to wrap around the yogourt container.

Put grass seed in the toe of the stocking, then add potting soil, approximately one cup. Form the soil into a ball and tie a knot, you'll want to cut the tail off at about two inches from the knot (the picture below is not cut).

Glue on eyes and a mouth cut from construction paper (you could use googly eyes too). Put a few tablespoons of water in the bottom of the yogourt container. The tail that we cut will draw the water up and keep the soil moist.

We'll add more pictures once our grass starts growing

but I think he's pretty cute already!

Frugal Family Fun in Edmonton!

Of course it's fun to get out with the family but it can get expensive entertaining kids all summer! We've compiled a list of our favourite family activities that won't break the bank!

Farmers Markets

You can buy food right from the people who grow it, what a great concept to teach your kids! Throw in a bouncy castle and you've picked up your veggies for the week and entertained the kids! Here's a link to all of the farmers markets in Edmonton & Area!

Festivals

Edmonton is called Festival City for a reason! Check out great (free!) performances for kids at the Fringe or take a trip around the world at the Heritage Festival. You can find out all about the festivals happening throughout the summer (and the rest of the year) here. Here's a list of Edmontons best family friendly festivals!

Movies on the Square

Bring your lawn chair and enjoy the fabulous pre-movie entertainment before taking in the blockbuster hit that will be playing on a 3-storey high inflatable screen.

Check out this link for showtimes!

Community League Activities

From BBQ's to family fun days, take advantage of what your community has to offer! Did you know that you can purchase a membership for any league in the city and take part in the activities offered? Find out what's happening in your neighbourhood here.

Streetcars & Swimtrunks

This is an annual event for momstown but you can do it any day of the week! Take the High Level Bridge Streetcar to the wading pools at the Legislature grounds! Such a fun

and exciting day for the kidsjoin us on August 23rd!

John Janzen Nature Centre

Explore nature with your kids! $5.00 per child (up to a max of $10.00 per family) & drop in programs are included in the price of admission! They have a fantastic indoor space for rainy days too!

Berry Picking

Check out Prairie Gardens for some fun on the farm! Go for a wagon ride, have a blast in their Little Tyke Funzone and pick some berries to take home!

Splash Pads & Outdoor Pools

What's more fun in the summer than water! Here's a list of all the pools in the city! momstown recommends Jackie Parker, Beaumont & Ellerslie Road for southside park & splash pad combinations!

Make Your Own Fun!

Click here for a list of 50 fun activities to do this summer! Why not check them off one by one? My favourites are painting with ice, camping outside in the backyard & having a picnic breakfast!

momstown

Of course we made our own list! 20-30 events per month all for $45.00/year that's $.12 per event and we run all year long. There are big time benefits to being a momstown member! Check out a free 1 month trial here http://edmonton-south.momstown.ca/user/register

What are your favourite kid friendly summer activities?

Family Friendly Summer Festivals in Edmonton!

 

Your one stop shop for the best family friendly festivals

 happening in Edmonton this summer!

Sprouts New Play Festival for Kids
Saturday, Jun 9 – Sunday, Jun 10, 2012
Sprouts New Play Festival for Kids celebrates 11 years of cultivating new plays for children and their families!

Old Strathcona Foundation presents: The Silly Summer Parade Sunday, Jul 1, 2012, 12 – 2pm The annual Silly Summer Parade mixes Canada Day spirit with twisted humor and good old-fashion fun. The Silly Summer Parade will be following the same route as 2010 starting at noon, winding up at Queen Alexandra School (7730 - 106 Street) for the Picnic in the Park Event Edmonton International Street Performers Festival 2012 Friday, Jul 6 – Sunday, Jul 15, 2012 The Edmonton International Street Performers Festival invites you to be a part of the magic in Sir Winston Churchill Square in downtown Edmonton. From musicians to jugglers, acrobats to unicyclists, the festival features over 1500 outdoor performances from an international cast of amazing street artists. Whyte Avenue Art Walk Festival Friday, Jul 13 – Sunday, Jul 15, 2012 Daily from 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm. Over 130 artists fill the streets of Old Strathcona. Painters, sculptors, caricature artists offer opportunities to watch the creation of works and to purchase art. This would be a great one for moms with babies to take a walk with strollers down Whyte on a beautiful summer day! 2012 Capital EX Parade Thursday, Jul 19, 2012, 11am – 12pm The Parade is a well known tradition around Edmonton. Come and enjoy a day outside watching the the 2012 Capital EX Parade Servus Heritage Festival 2012, 37th Annual Saturday, Aug 4 – Monday, Aug 6, 2012 Servus Heritage Festival will feature 63 pavilions representing over 85 cultures from all over the world. Sample culinary delicacies, see creative performances, shop for crafts, artwork, and clothing, or chat with people eager to tell you a little about their cultural roots and their present-day communities in Canada. Edmonton Folk Music Festival 2012 Thursday, Aug 9 – Sunday, Aug 12, 2012 The global stars of blues, Celtic, bluegrass, gospel & world music come together for five days where a hillside serves as a natural amphitheatre. Cariwest - Edmonton Caribbean Arts Festival Friday, Aug 10 – Sunday, Aug 12, 2012 Cariwest brings the spirit of the Caribbean carnival to the festival city of Edmonton. The festival brings Edmonton 3 days of the sweet sounds of a steel pan, west indian cuisines, and the Mas band parade- all to the tune of calypso music. The 31th Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival Thursday, Aug 16 – Sunday, Aug 26, 2012 The Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival hits the streets of Old Strathcona for 11 days of theatrical merriment. Festival City Image Credit: Image Credit:http://www.edmonton.com/for-visitors/festival-city-logo.aspx

22 Weeks with Baby #4 - Just Let The Pregnant Woman Eat!

Okay. I'm only halfway through this pregnancy and I'm already so tired of getting asked about my food choices and cravings; "Why yes, I eat pickles and peanut butter for breakfast, lunch and dinner." I know it's mostly for conversations sake but does anyone actually crave weird things like that??

After reading What to Expect When You're Expecting 5 years ago with my first baby I felt terrible about the food I ate.  They had what to and what not to eat down to a science and I definitely wasn't meeting their expectations.  It was this moment that I felt my first twinge of mommy guilt.  After eating only what wouldn't make me nauseous for 4 months it broke my heart to hear that I hadn't been nourishing my child to the degree I should be.  I'd be lucky if my baby came out with all her limbs considering all the nutrients I had missed!  From that moment on I tried my best to eat that was on that list. I thought each piece of fish and spoonful of cottage cheese was taking my baby one step closer to genius.  After a short while of depriving myself of anything that was even mildly delicious, I broke.  I decided that if I wanted chips or some ice scream, I was going to have it.  There just isn't a carrot big enough to break a craving for something sweet. Since then I've chosen to eat in moderation but I've still had so many comments about my food choices;

• Oh, you drink coffee? I gave that up for my baby.
• Another doughnut? Your baby is going to be huge!
• Your not supposed to eat that (incredibly delicious) cheese - it's not pasteurized.

This isn't my first rodeo people, I've done this pregnancy thing 4 times - I know the rules and I've made my choices.  And I don't hear a single person applauding me when they see me eating a salad or loading up on protein.  So unless you're going to offer me another doughnut - please keep your comments to yourself and just let the pregnant woman eat.

Art and Play: On The Farm

momstown has gone to the farm! This month we are learning all about the farm and some of the things that happen on a farm.  Today, our little artists made mixed media collages of a farm scene.  All it took was a template of a barn, a little (okay, okay, maybe a lot!) of glue, some tissue paper squares, stickers and some Popsicle sticks for the kids to create fantastic works of art. It was so neat to see how careful some of the kids were in where they put the tissue paper, while some of the other kids just put them down more randomly.

After our artwork was done, we headed over to circle time to talk about what things we might see on the farm.  The kids gave lots of examples of things and animals you find on the farm, and weren’t fooled with some of the silly suggestions I made! We sure have some smart kids at momstown! To finish off, we read “Barnyard Banter” by Denise Fleming. The kids got right into the book and made the animal sounds on each page as we searched for the silly goose in the story!

Interested in what else momstown has to offer? Come check out a FREE 1 month trial!