Worm Farm

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     For Herbology this week, the Hogwarts Students get to create a Worm Farm in a Jar. Below are some instructions from eHow. More great instructions come from A Mom with a Lesson Plan.

     

     
     

     I think finding the worms is half the fun! Look under rocks, or on the sidewalks after it rains. You can check your garden or lawn after the sprinklers have been running. If your Mom or Dad says it is okay, you can dig a small hole with a shovel and find worms. Head outside at night with a flashlight. Worms are more active at night. 

     
     

     

     
     
   • 1   Drill six or eight small holes in the jar's lid. This will provide your worms with plenty of air.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
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     Place a 1-inch layer of garden or potting soil into the bottom of the jar. Add a 1-inch layer of sand. Repeat this alternate layering of soil and sand to almost fill the jar. Leave 1 inch of space between the top of the jar and the upper surface of sand or soil.
   • 3
     Slowly add about ¾ cup of water to the jar.
   • 4
     Provide a food supply for your worms by putting some dead leaves and grass clippings on top of the sand and soil. These critters also like coffee grounds and rolled oats, so add some of either or both if you wish.
   • 5
     Gently place your worms into the top of the jar, and cap it tightly. Place the jar in a location free of direct sunlight. Since worms become active after the sun goes down, put the jar into a brown paper lunch bag and tie some twine or string around the bag just under the jar's lid. They'll think it's nighttime and become active, creating tunnels all through the worm farm. Make sure that you don't cover up the air holes, though.
   • 6
     Watch your worm farm for a week or two. They'll be fine for this amount of time as long as they have food and moisture. Make sure they always have plenty of grass clippings and dead leaves. Add about ¾ cup of water every 3 to 4 days, or when the soil dries out.
   • 7
     Release the worms gently in a shady area of your yard when you're through enjoying your farm. Remove the lid from the jar and lay it on its side on the ground. They will eventually find their way out of the jar and back into their natural habitat.

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Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree

I just made this cute popcorn gift for my nursery kids. They love the song "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree" and I love this delicious cinnamon bun popcorn from Our Best Bites. And what do you know, the two go together perfectly!

I think sometimes the little ones get left out of all the excitement over the end of the school year and all the gifts, parties and celebrations that go with it. I didn't want my cuties to feel bad so I am going to surprise them with their own special delivery.

Just whip up the popcorn, put it in a cellophane bag and attach the tag.

I think it is perfect to brighten just about anyone's day!

Here is the Tag.

Here are some tree pictures we are going to glue popcorn on in Nursery in the next few weeks.

(If you are going to use glue with Toddlers..... I recommend pouring some glue in a bowl and giving each toddler a Q-Tip. It contains the mess and is still lots of fun. Just a word to the wise. )


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Letter of the Week {Xx}

Here is the next installment of our letter of the week series-- the letter Xx. The letter X can be challenging. It is so easy to identify but hard to think of what activities to do with this letter.  Check out the great things we came up with below. See all the rest of our letter of the week posts here.

Snack Ideas

How about making some hot cross buns!

Recipe for Hot Cross Buns

Or look at all the cute X ideas at Cookie Cutter Lunch.

X-Snack Ideas

Books
I love the Taxi Dog and books about X-rays are always fun.

Crafts
My favorite is this cute X-ray Fish Activity by Red Ted Art.  And look at this adorable Q-Tip Skeleton.

X-Ray Fish

Instructions for this simple handprint x-ray activity can be found at Almost Unschoolers. 

Handprint Bones

Learning Activities

Try this Criss Cross Chalk Game.
Draw a large letter X on the pavement with chalk then have the children position themselves on the end of each line. They have to run along the X without bumping into each other at the intersection.

Play a game of Tic Tac Toe.

Follow a Treasure Map- X Marks the Spot.

Make an X on a piece of paper with Painters Tape. Then completely cover the piece of paper with paint. Let the paint dry and remove the tape to reveal the hidden Letter X below.

Practice playing a xylophone. You could even play musical chairs using a xylophone for the music. Let the kids take turns.

Set up a doctor's office and have the kids practice taking x-rays. You can make a simple x-ray machine by cutting holes in a cardboard box and gluing cut outs of bones on the front.

The Measured Mom has instructions for making this amazing x-ray light box. Wow!

X-ray Light Box

Free Printables

Find your Letter of the Week tracing worksheets here.

Find your Alphabet Flashcards here..

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Christmas Photo Backdrop

We are making a Christmas ornament with pictures of the children in our church nursery. I recycled the Platform 9 3/4 Wall (Do you remember this post?) to become our holiday backdrop. I am hoping that it looks like a chimney!

We needed to do something to break up the boring white walls of the church. There is one other back drop option besides white walls. The brown accordion divider that separates the room in two. But that looks even worse!

Even if you don't have a Hogwarts Train Platform, you can paint your own holiday backdrop. I took an old shower curtain and painted it by dipping a box in a mixture of brown, red and orange paint. Then I placed my rectangle shape across the curtain like bricks. It took about a half hour and then another hour or two to dry. Since I had the paint and the shower curtain it didn't cost me anything.

I think this would be fun to use for a family party. I am thinking about pulling it out when my nieces and nephews come over. They would be so cute holding Christmas stockings in front of the backdrop!

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Past Christmas Posts

Here are our favorite Christmas posts from the past. If you haven't seen them before, we think you will love them! And if you have, we think they are worth looking at again.


Santa's Pack

Christmas Mosaics

Baby Sock Nativity

Santa Countdown Calendar

Favorite Christmas Books

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Sunday Sam

By Deborah Rowley

This is an original story that I wrote to help kids learn how to keep the Sabbath Day holy. Each faith tradition has its own rules about Sabbath Day worship. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). This means that we try not to shop on Sunday or do a lot of work around the house. It is a day for church and family and rest. Gotta love that rule! Feel free to adapt this story according to your faith tradition and change the copy of the Book of Mormon to the Bible if that is appropriate for you. I know my church nursery kids will love putting Sam the mouse in his little pocket! And they will love hiding him under different objects in the story. They will also love all the mischievous things this little mouse does to help his human family honor God's day.

Note: This story appears in my book Before They Turn Twelve. You can find the full color and black and white illustrations below.

Here is the story: My name is Sam, but everyone calls me Sunday Sam because ever since I was really little, I have love doing what is right on Sunday.

Mom says that I keep the Sabbath Day holy. But the human people we live with don't. they do go to church on Sunday morning. I usually hitch a ride with Steve. (Put mouse in pocket).

But when they get home, Steve and the rest of the family act like it is  regular day. Once Steve and his brother began to wrestle and fight on the kitchen floor. I stood on Steve's head and shouted, "It is Jesus' special day and he can hear you fighting," but no one even heard me.  (Take mouse out of pocket.)

One Sunday, Steve started to play basketball until I ended the game early. (Show the flattened basketball with a bite out of it.)

Another Sunday, Steve's mom started to do the laundry, so I hid in the dirty clothes. That ended that activity for a while. (Place the sock over Sam.)

One Sunday, Steve's dad wanted to work in the garden, but I got to the garden first and buried the tools. (Put the spade behind Sam.) 

Once Steve's brother was watching a bad show on T.V., until I stopped him.

(Show the cord that has been bitten in half.) 

Almost every Sunday, the family goes to the store or out to eat, but I know how to keep them from buying anything. You can't get very far without money. (Put the dollar bill behind Sam's back.) 

I even figured out a way to keep the family from going boating on Sundays. (Put the key behind Sam's back. I guess I forgot to take a picture of the key.) 

If only I could help them see how much happier they would be if they did the things Jesus wants them to do. On Sundays I like to read aboutthe mice in the Bible. (Put up Noah's ark.)

          I like to feast on the words in the Book of Mormon. (Show nibbled Book of Mormon.)

     I like to take cookie crumbs to the widow mouse in the house next door. (Put up the cookies.)

                                    I like to sing my favorite songs. (Put up musical words.)

I love to think about Jesus. If Steve would just keep the Sabbath Day holy, I could stay in his pocket all day and I would call him Sunday Steve. 

(Put the mouse in the pocket.) 

Sunday Sam Full Color Illustrations

Sunday Sam Black and White Illustrations

Sunday Sam Story

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