Teddy Bear Day Care – Ypsilanti

So we all know how important kids’ nutrition is to TBDC, and that one of our favorite things is helping kids try new foods. Granted, I don’t have kids (or picky eaters) in my household, but I made this for dinner tonight and thought of each of you. If you try this recipe at home, I’d love to hear about the results! I took my inspiration from this recipe at skinnytaste.com

Mac & Cheese Soup

Makes 5 adult servings

Ingredients:

• 4 oz dry elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 1/2 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 cup fat free milk
• pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 2 cups (about 10 oz) broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
• 1-1/2 cups 2% shredded sharp cheddar

1.) Melt butter in a dutch oven or big soup pan over medium heat. Once butter starts to bubble turn the heat to low and toss in all your chopped veggies (except the broccoli), garlic, and bay leaf. Saute for about five minutes until the veggies begin to soften and become fragrant.

2.) Add flour a tablespoon at a time, mixing well with each addition. Season your mixture with salt and pepper (I like a little kick to my meals, so I used crushed red pepper instead of black).

3.) Next, slowly add your stock, milk, nutmeg, and dry mustard while stirring constantly. Crank the heat to medium high until it starts to boil.

4.) Toss in your dry noodles, cover the pan, turn your heat down to low and cover the pan. Let the mixture simmer for ten to fifteen minutes.

5.) Next put the broccoli into the pan, salt and pepper to your taste, and let cook for another five minutes.

6.) Once the broccoli is cooked to your liking, slowly stir in cheddar cheese and remove from heat immediately.

Side notes:

-I chopped all my veggies on Sunday so they were ready to go when I got home. This cut WAY down on the prep time for this meal.

-You could easily omit and/or substitute different veggies that appeal to your family, so get creative! And since I have only met two kids that don’t like mac & cheese, I think this would be a great way to introduce a veggie your kids aren’t crazy about.

-If you have veggie haters at home, don’t fear! In between steps three and four, toss your creation in a food processor and the nutrients of the veggies stay, but any visual evidence of their presence disappears! Once you have blended them into oblivion, return the mixture to the pan and bring it to a boil. Then proceed to step four and cross your fingers!

-Finally, if you’re counting calories, you are in luck–at 252 calories per serving, this meal is a bargain!

-I doubled the recipe and threw the leftovers in tupperware containers for lunches for the rest of the week.

Check your car seat’s expiration date! Yes, car seats can expire. Due to wear and tear an old car seat is not as safe as a newer one (Styrofoam disinigrates, plastic warps, and the materials on the straps thin). TBDC has removed all of its expired car seats from the buses and we urge our families to do the same.

Our mid-semester survey indicated that a couple of you may not be entirely happy with our snack offerings. We, as early childhood educators, have an obligation to expose our students to diversity and new experiences, and this includes what they eat.

We know that individuals establish many of their eating habits in the first five years of their lives. Furthermore, day cares and early learning centers have been accused of contributing to the childhood obesity “epidemic”. With that being said, our goal is to help create healthy, happy, and productive adults; and we firmly believe that good nutritional habits are an integral part of this general goal.

The “peer pressure” that can tend to get kids in trouble later on, actually works to our advantage in the early years! When kids see their friends enjoying something which they are unfamiliar with, they are more likely to get excited about trying it. And this is another reason why we are a great venue for kids to try/be exposed to new foods.

I intentionally used the word “exposed” above, because for finicky eaters, this exposure is an important step in trying new foods. Most studies indicate that it takes at least five times of experiencing something new before kids lose their fear of it. So when a child pushes food around on a plate, or looks at it and then throws it away without taking a “No Thank You Bite”, they’re learning to like it (or at least learning to not be scared of it).

But I’m scared my child is going to starve…

I promise you that no one is going to go hungry. If they get to that point, they’ll eat–even the most stubborn of kids!

With that being said, I certainly don’t want anyone to be uncomfortable or upset. So we are doing our best to incorporate some choices into our snack routines. After all, there are some food items that just don’t get along with individuals. No matter how many times I take “No Thank You Bites” of olives, I still never like them. But you know what? I keep trying, because I know our tastes evolve and change. This is particularly important at a young age, because our tastes change much more rapidly than they do when we are 27, 37, 47, and beyond!

Friday’s morning snack (inspired by this recipe) was not only a HUGE hit with the kids, but it’s also a good example of giving kids options. It gets bonus points, because I think it would make a great, easy, and convenient breakfast option at home. Every student got a tortilla (or a half of one for the younger students), and the teachers set out different spreads and toppings for them (cream cheese, peanut butter, jelly, granola, dried fruit, chocolate chips, fresh fruit, etc.) and the students were able to create their own wraps. They used popsicle sticks as their knives, so there was no fear of injury!

And on a final note, I would like to point out that a majority of our students are having a great time exploring new food items. Some unexpected favorites we’ve discovered:

• Baked pancakes (we use Bisquick pancake batter, mix in some additions, and bake at 450 degrees for twenty minutes)
• The homemade cereal bars I posted about in October
• Roasted sweet potatoes
• Hot bean dip with carrots (this got bonus points in our book, as we were able to use the leftovers in quesadillas)
• Grape tomatoes & cheese cubes

Over the next few weeks, Annie will be singing Thanksgiving-themed songs during music class with the students. Here are the lyrics and tunes to each of them so you can enjoy the songs at home!

What is “Big Body Play”?

According to Frances Carlson, author of a book of the same name:

Rolling, running, climbing, chasing, pushing, banging, tagging, falling, tumbling, rough-and-tumble, rowdy, roughhousing, horseplay, play-fighting. These are just some of the names that adults give to the boisterous, large motor, very physical activity that young children naturally seem to crave. All are forms of big body play—a play style that gives children the opportunities they need for optimum development across all domains from physical to cognitive and language to social and emotional.

In short, big body play is gross motor, and it is something that we do before we are born. Ask a pregnant woman, and she’ll tell you that her baby is twisting, turning, kicking, and punching! And this type of play and exploration isn’t limited to Homo sapiens—watch two puppies playing together, and you’re certain to see them wrestle, roll, and even bite. They are learning how to negotiate, move, problem solve, self-regulate, and our kids learn the same things when they engage in this type of play.

So why are we as adults so quick to intervene when we see two (or three, or four, or five) children begin to bring physical play into the classroom? The first and obvious answer is our fear of injury and keeping the children physically safe. It is our job, before anything, to keep the kids in our classroom protected from injury. However, in the classroom we each have rules and expectations for sensory play and for meal time behaviors, and if we set forth rules and expectations for big body play, the chances for injury greatly reduce. For example, if a child sees another child crying or becoming upset, they must freeze and evaluate why. Just like when two puppies are wrestling and one lets out a yip and runs away. Furthermore, we must also look at the environment in which our students are “big body playing” to ensure it allows for them to do so safely.

Another reason I think adults fear rough play are their notions that it is equal aggression. All children engage in some type of physical aggression at some point in time (e.g. biting when another child takes a toy), but this must be separated from aggressive, big body play. In fact, the latter can help suppress the former, as it gives children an outlet for the aggressive emotions they may be feeling.

So what are the teachers’ roles when it comes to facilitating big body play?

1.)    Provide two kinds of physical activity, both structured and unstructured

• Infant teachers should interact with their students during physical activities, placing them in settings which encourage exploration
• Toddlers should have a minimum of 30 minutes structured gross motor play and a minimum of one hour of unstructured time
• Preschool & Pre-K aged students ought to have an equal hour of structured physical activities and an hour of unstructured gross motor time

2.)    Supervise play constantly, watching and listening

3.)    Engage female students, too! When I envision a group of students engaging in big body play, they are all male. It is just as important for our female students to wrestle, push, climb, and tumble!

Check out this video for a smile and some evidence

Carlson, Frances M. Big Body Play: Why Boisterous, Vigorous, and Very Physical Play Is Essential to Children’s Development and Learning. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2011. Print.

As we were planning for the 2011-2012 school year, we decided that we need to take a less-conventional approach to our snack plans. While there have been some pretty major fails (Broccoli-carrot salad, which sparked the petition from the school kids below), all in all the students have enjoyed the change.

I wanted to share the recipe for today’s morning snack for a couple of reasons. First of all, the students really seemed to enjoy it. Secondly, it’s super easy and can be done at home! Granola and cereal bars can be deceivingly healthy, containing hydrogenated fat, high fructose corn syrup, and lots of sodium. This recipe is a great way to control what’s going into the bars, and therefore avoiding the unhealthy ingredients.

Homemade Cereal Bar Recipe

1 cup nut butter (crunch peanut butter is good)

1 cup honey

1/2 cup brown sugar

5 cups cereal (we used O’s)

Any other dried fruit, nuts, shredded coconut, seeds, granola, oats, wheat germ, vanilla extract, etc.

Combine peanut butter, honey, and brown sugar in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly while bringing ingredients to a boil. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in cereal and other ingredients. Press the mixture into a baking dish (like Rice Krispie treats), and cool for about fifteen minutes before cutting into bars.

In case you haven’t looked at a calendar or turned a television on lately, it’s back to school time! Between clothes and school supply shopping and figuring out new schedules, families also need to start thinking about back to school lunches. Here are some ideas to “spice” up the school lunch routine.

Bento Boxes

Many folks tend to shy away from this option, as the boxes have a reputation as being complicated and intricate. And while bento boxes can be both of these things, they can also be a very simple means of providing your child with balanced and fun lunches. Laptop Lunches is a great resource for simple Bento ideas, and they also offer a great BPA-free box (I’m not a paid spokesperson, but happen to use it for my own lunches, so I can vouch for it!).

The above is one of my favorite boxes to pack. On Sunday I steam a couple of acorn squash in the oven, and throw some rice and dried fruit in the rice cooker. Once both of those are done I stuff the latter into the former, throw some fresh veggies and fruit in the appropriate containers and I have lunch for the week! Some other favorites of mine:

• Fruit salad, fresh veggies & dip, trail mix, and mini-rice cakes
• English muffin pizza, toasted pumpkin seeds, quinoa/barley salad, and a sliced pear
• This one requires some weekend or evening prep. Put together a frittata/quiche/egg casserole and slice for weekday lunches. Pack a slice of that with some whole grain crackers, and chunks of fresh fruit

Wraps & other breads

A great way to add figurative spice the plain old sandwich is to switch-up the bread. English muffins, wraps, pitas, pretzel bread, bagels (or bagel thins), rice cakes, and naan are just a few ideas. If you’re adventuresome in the kitchen, try using a mandoline to slice “bread” from eggplants or summer squash, and use these slices to wrap up traditional sandwich fillings. Spend some time exploring and get creative with it.

Souped-up Sandwiches

Try some of these alternatives to traditional sandwich fixin’s

• Veggie cream cheese & sliced cucumbers
• Tuna salad with sliced tomatoes
• Almond butter with slivered almonds and dried cranberries/raisins
• Hummus with chopped peppers
• Apple butter with fresh apple slices
• Whipped cream cheese with fresh blueberries
• Spreadable cheese (Laughing Cow makes a great one) with ham and grated carrots
• Blueberry flavored cream cheese with strawberry slices
• Reduced-sugar jam and cream cheese

Source: http://pinterest.com/pin/51598248/

One of my favorite PB&J alternatives is what I call “Monkey Tails”. Take a whole wheat tortilla and spread it with peanut butter (or some sort of nut butter). Sprinkle with whatever you have in the pantry (slivered almonds, coconut shreds, pomegranate seeds, dried fruit, etc.), and place a peeled banana at one end and roll—and there you have a monkey tail!

Another fun variation on the traditional PB&J sandwich is to replace the bread with apple slices, and spread peanut butter and other pantry finds on these slices. In order to ensure the slices don’t brown, drizzle some lemon juice on them!

Try stacking a sandwich kebob! Get a loaf or a baguette and cut it into cubes. Then thread that on a kebob stick with grape tomatoes, cubed cheese, and cubed ham or salami. Easy peasy!

Who needs sandwiches?

Sure they are easy go-to’s, but who says the main event has to be a sandwich (or some variation thereof)?

• Using left over pasta of any kind, toss together a pasta salad with fresh veggies and cheese
• Get a rotisserie chicken on sale from the grocery, shred it apart, place into single-serving baggies, and throw in the freezer. When you need to grab something on the go, it’s right there
• Toast up a waffle in the AM and wrap in foil. Then pack up some granola, fresh fruit, and a container of yogurt and have your child make a “breakfast stack” come lunch
• Taco salad: bag/contain the ingredients separately so nothing gets soggy
• Bake a bunch of potatoes on Sunday in the crockpot, slice them open once they’ve cooled and re-wrap in foil. Similar to the taco salad ingredients, bag different toppings (shredded cheese, broccoli, chili, etc.) for your child to stuff into the potato at lunch

What’s your favorite, non-traditional lunch to pack?

As early childhood educators, a big part of our jobs involves teaching our students how to be productive members of their community. This can involve something like helping another child clean up from a spilled cup of water, to something more large like democratically deciding what is best for a group.

This morning I was with a small group of students from our Summer Enrichment Program, who range in age from five to seven. They were quite frightened to discover an “enormous” spider in their sandbox. Wandering over there, I was expecting to see a daddy longlegs. Boy was I wrong; it was indeed, an enormous spider. One of the young men suggested that it was perhaps a Wolf spider; however after some research, we’re thinking our spider was too big to be a Wolf. But the really awesome, learning that came from this was when one young woman said, “Well this is the spider’s home, so we need to treat it how we would like to be treated in our homes.” And get this, a group of ten+ five- to seven-year olds decided that they should close the sandbox as a choice so the spider could “live his life”.

Aren’t kids the best?

One of our pre-k classes is taking a very open-ended approach to their lessons and activities this week. Instead of making formal lesson plans, the teaching team made goals for each of their students, based on developmentally appropriate milestones. Yesterday the class decided they wanted to learn about trees, and so they spent the morning on a nature hike to one of our local parks where they observed trees, drew pictures of trees, did bark rubbings, counted (and added, and subtracted) trees, discussed the life cycle of plants, and more.

In their morning meeting today, the kids showed a great interest in trumpets and music. They started off by making different types of music using their mouths, hands, and feet. In this process they learned two new words: forte (loud) and pianissimo (soft). Next, the teachers got out maracas to demonstrate a different technique of making music. Some of the students decided they wanted to take their music knowledge to the art area, where they made trumpets by decorating construction paper with the buttons and tubes, and then rolling the paper into little sound machines. Others drew trumpets and colored outlines of trumpets, while working on spelling the word. Many of the students wanted to get messy, so one of the teachers got out foam paint to satisfy that group.

In their recap of the morning, many of the students thought it would be fun to have a music parade with the trumpets they made. I had to turn down the music I have playing on my computer, and I am lucky enough to hear them doing so now! They also took with them some bubbles to practice “blowing” into trumpets. I couldn’t help but toss some food color into their bubble kit–can’t wait to hear about their adventures in music making this afternoon!

This morning I had the pleasure of working with Jonese & Lea’s Pre-Kindergarten class, who’s theme this week is 1920s. When I was asked to do a cooking project with them, I had the hardest time coming up with something, and it finally came to me: a math project with counting by 10s.

In order to prepare for the activity, I wrote each of the students’ names on snack baggies and arranged them around the trail mix ingredients in separate bowls. Then each student found the bag with their name on it, and if they had trouble doing so they asked their classmates for help (cooperation & literacy–yay!). Next we counted to 100 by tens, with the help of a chart I made.

Then each of the students put ten of each ingredient into their baggies, and figured out how many items were in their bags. The results will be their afternoon snacks!