May 4: Orange Juice Day

image from organicfacts.net

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Making Orange Juice

Materials:

• Oranges (two per 8-ounce serving)
• Strainers (to lessen the amount of pulp)
• Paring knives
• Pitcher
• Drinking glasses
• Spoon

Directions:

1. Squeeze oranges repeatedly to soften them.
2. Wash thoroughly.
3. Cut into halves and remove seeds.
4. Carefully cut circularly around the edge of an orange half, slightly separating the fruit and peel.
5. Grip the orange half tightly and squeeze into the pitcher.
6. Continue squeezing and periodically rotate the orange until liquid is no longer produced.
7. Scrape the orange with a spoon and add fruit directly to the juice for additional pulp.
8. Put the juice through a strainer for less pulp.
9. Repeat with the other orange halves.

Source(s): From ehow.com; featured in Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity A3).

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Check out the full May calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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September 26: Johnny Appleseed was born (1774).

With several holidays yesterday which combined nicely for one major event, Johnny Appleseed’s birthday gets bumped a day. There’s plenty of activities you can do with apples. Here’s one:

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Apple Smiles

From the cooking card set available from Toolbox Training (activity D1). Adapted from familycorner.com.

Materials:

·         Apples (4-5)

·         Peanut butter

·         Miniature marshmallows (10-ounce bag)

·         Knife

Directions:

1.       Cut apples into wedges.

2.       Spread peanut butter on one side of an apple wedge.

3.       Place marshmallows on peanut butter to form teeth.

4.       Spread peanut on one side of a second apple wedge.

5.       Place on top of the marshmallows to create the other side of the mouth.

Also check out activities D3 (caramel apples – featured on the August 6 blog post), D4, E6, and I6 from the cooking card set available from Toolbox Training.  

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Other Holidays and Events Today:

• Crush-a Can-Day
  
  
  

Check out the full September calendar to see the month at a glance as well as floating holidays, specialty weeks, and themes for the month.

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September 26: Hold a pancake day for family members.

image from bargainbriana.com

If your program’s guidelines allow for cooking in your program, today is an excellent day for combining three different holidays into one event. Not only is today Pancake Day, but it is also Ancestor Appreciation Day and Food-Service Employees Day. Why not hold a pancake day where the kids serve as the food-service employees and serve family members? Depending on the ages of children, they may or may not be able to help actually cook, but consider having kids serve as hosts and hostesses as well as waiters and waitresses.

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Check out the full September calendar to see the month at a glance as well as floating holidays, specialty weeks, and themes for the month.

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September 24: First toy store opened.

image from plaidstallions.com

Let the kids create their own toy store!

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Toy Store Prop Box

Materials:

• toys
• stuffed animals
• board games/card games
• cash register
• play money
• blank stickers

Directions:

1. Prop boxes are items grouped together by a theme to allow children to pretend. They can be used as specific activities or put out during free time.
2. The materials listed above are merely suggestions. You may come up with additional ideas and leave some of these materials out.
3. The boxes that hold 10 reams of computer paper/typing paper are a nice size for prop boxes. They can be covered with nice contact paper to make them more attractive.
4. You might also consider a creative way of putting all the prop box materials into something that fits the theme. For example, a camping prop box might go in a backpack; a travel prop box could go in a suitcase.

Source(s): Toolbox Training book 100 Drama Activities for Kids (activity A21).

Also consider activity K4 from the nature card set.

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Check out the full September calendar to see the month at a glance as well as floating holidays, specialty weeks, and themes for the month.

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September 20: Punch Day

image from

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Sparkling Punch

Materials:

• Sparkling apple cider, 750-mm bottles
• Carbonated water, 1 liter
• Large oranges, 3
• Lemons, 2
• Frozen lemonade concentrate, 1 six-ounce can
• White sugar, 1 tablespoon
• Large punch bowl
• Ice cubes, 2 trays
• Stirring spoon
• Cups

Directions:

1. Thinly slice the lemons and oranges and place in punch bowl.
2. Pour in thawed lemonade concentrate.
3. Stir in the carbonated water and sparkling apple cider.
4. Add sugar to taste.
5. Add ice and enjoy!

Source(s): Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity A2). Adapted from allrecipes.com. Also check out activity A1 from the cooking activity book.

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Check out the full September calendar to see the month at a glance as well as floating holidays, specialty weeks, and themes for the month.

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September 19: Butterscotch Pudding Day

image from nutrisystem.com

Pudding is a simple food for children to make. Consider creating your own “pudding bar”. Consider some of the same ingredients you might include on an ice cream sundae bar (but be sure to ask the kids for ideas as well):

• Whipped cream
• Nuts *
• Cherries
• Candy bar chunks
• Sprinkles
• Pieces of fruit
• Bits of candy

* Be aware of allergies with the kids in your program. This and other ingredients may not be appropriate for this activity.

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Check out the full September calendar to see the month at a glance as well as floating holidays, specialty weeks, and themes for the month.

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September 16, 1956: The birth of Play-Doh

image from babyearth.com

Doughs include basic play dough, oatmeal dough, peanut butter dough, graham cracker dough, apple cinnamon dough, cream cheese dough, and chocolate dough.

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Basic Play Dough

Materials:

• Plain flour (3 cups)
• Water (1 cup)
• Salt (1/2 cup)
• Cooking oil (3 tablespoons)
• Food coloring
• Mixing bowl

Directions:

1. Mix flour, salt, oil, and water.
2. Divide into portions depending on how many colors you want.
3. Add food coloring to each portion and mix in.

Source(s): About.com. Also, there is a whole section on different kinds of dough children can make in the Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activities L1-L7).

Also check out activity M1 in the construction card set.

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Check out the full September calendar to see the month at a glance as well as floating holidays, specialty weeks, and themes for the month.

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September 5: Chicken Month

image from patrickstack.com

In honor of National Chicken Month, kids can make their own nuggets.

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Chicken Nuggets

Materials:

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 ½ pounds
• Soy sauce, ¼ cup
• Brown sugar, 1 tablespoon
• Orange juice, 2 tablespoons
• Sesame oil or vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon
• Crushed garlic cloves, 1 to 2
• Deep bowl with lid
• Toothpicks
• Microwave-safe plate
• Sauces for dipping
• Pita bread

Directions:

1. Chop chicken into 1-inch chunks.
2. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, orange juice, oil, and garlic in a deep bowl.
3. Toss chicken cubes in the bowl.
4. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Spear cubes with toothpicks and arrange chicken on plate.
6. Cover and microwave on high for 6 to 10 minutes or until cooked through.
7. Dip in favorite sauces or wrap in pita bread for sandwiches.

Source(s): familyfun.go.com, adapted for the Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity G7).

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Check out the full September calendar to see the month at a glance as well as floating holidays, specialty weeks, and themes for the month.

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Book: 100 Cooking Activities for Kids

These 100 activities are focused on food. While they have been collected under the banner of “cooking,” one of the criteria is that these projects do NOT require an oven or stove. In some cases, a microwave, fridge, or freezer may be necessary. Activities are divided into the following categories: drinks, frozen treats, gelatin, fruit, toppings/spreads, snack mixes, meat & cheese, desserts, campfire cooking, animal creations, other creations, and play dough. 136 pages. Catalog number: CKBK1111; Price: $9.95 Also available from Amazon.com.

Product Spotlight

Many of the activities featured here on the blog are taken from the activity card sets available from Toolbox Training. These activities include:

·         Art

·         Construction

·         Cooking

·         Drama

·         Games

·         Music

·         Nature

·         Science

Each activity card set contains 100 activities on 8 ½” x 5 ½” cards with quick-glance material checklists and easy-to-follow directions. Each set sells for $15.00.

Toolbox Training is slowly reformatting these card sets into book format as well. Check out the three which have been done so far:

§          100 Game Activities for Kids

§          100 Music Activities for Kids

§          100 Science Activities for Kids

Keep an eye on the website (www.toolboxtrainingonline.com), blog, and Facebook page for more upcoming titles!

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Holidays and Events Today:

• Cream-Filled Doughnut Day
  
• National Anthem Day
  
• Eat a Hoagie Day
  
  
  

Check out the full September calendar or get more ideas from books and activity card sets at www.toolboxtrainingonline.com.

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August 27-28: Weekend Product Spotlight

Instead of posting activities over the weekend, when most programs wouldn’t have access to them anyway, Toolbox Training will use weekend posts to focus on various products.

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Activity Cards

For those who have followed Toolbox Training’s daily activity posts since August 1, you know that the concept is to post an activity each day which relates to a holiday or event from that day. Many of these are unfamiliar and unusual celebrations. The activities used to celebrate these events are generally pulled from Toolbox Training’s activity card sets.

Activity Card Sets:

·         Art

·         Construction

·         Cooking

·         Drama

·         Games

·         Music

·         Nature

·         Science

A ninth set, focused on language activities such as reading, writing, and storytelling, will hopefully be completed before the end of 2011!

Each activity card set offers 100 activities divided into various categories. The activities have been compiled with school-agers in mind, but are often easily adapted to younger ages as well. Each set is $15.00. Check the Toolbox Training website under the activity card link for more information.

Also – check the books page. The game, music, and science activity sets have been reformatted into book form as well and only cost $12.95.

Thanks for following Toolbox Training’s daily activity posts!

Check out the full August calendar at ToolboxTrainingOnline.com.

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