The African Continent

     This month we have been learning about the African Continent in our Preschool.  It has been a wonderful journey as we have learned about the unique peoples, cultures, flora and fauna found in Africa.  This week we are focusing on the Sahara desert--the biggest hot desert in the world!  It is a land of shifting sand dunes, soaring temperatures, venomous reptiles and some of the cutest mammals around!
     The beginning of each preschool day starts with free time.  I love to watch the imaginative play that goes on.  I always have an optional activity for the children to explore.  Today we made sand slime.  The boys thought that it was wonderful and had a lovely time playing with the gooey stuff.  The girls...not so much!  The recipe for today's slime is a easy-peasy!  Simply mix together 1/2 cup of glue with 1/2 cup of water in a bowl.  Stir until the glue is completely dissolved.  Then stir in whatever add-in you want.  Today we stirred in sand that I bought from Hobby Lobby.  But you could stir in glitter, pumpkin seeds, small plastic figures, etc.  In another bowl pour in 1/2 cup of liquid starch.  Stir the glue mixture into the starch and stir.  This will start to coagulate into a gooey mass.  I just get in there with my hands to do the final mixing!

     Two great books that I found to use for circle time are, This Is The Oasis by Miriam Moss and Dorling Kindersley's 24 Hour Desert.  I also made a concentration matching game using pictures and information that I found the Conservation Institute website titled "10 Incredibly Adaptive Saharan Animals http://www.conservationinstitute.org/10-incredibly-adaptive-sahara-desert-animals/

As usual, the concentration game was a great success.  The children love to play this kind of game!  As each animal match was found, we would stop and I would tell the children about that animal.  

     For our first art project I showed the children pictures of desert sunsets and we discussed the colors that we saw.  Then I gave the children sand paper to tear to form the land.  And red, yellow, orange and purple construction paper to tear to create the sunset.  They glued these onto white paper and then stenciled a camel over top using black paint.  

    For our second art project we threaded pony beads onto pipe cleaners to make snakes.  We glued googly eyes onto the snake heads.  

    The two books that we read during our snack time were Verdi by Janeil Cannon and Mukhtar and the Camels by Janet Graber. 

     During music time this month we have been learning "Kumbayah".  We have had a lot of fun exploring music with "boom whackers" which are percussion tubes that you can whack on yourself to produce sound.  They are a lot of fun!

                                                         

     Today we celebrated Avery's birthday.  She got her birthday gnome and funfetti cupcakes.  My favorite yellow cake recipe is from Pie In The Sky by Susan G Purdy.  It is a great book for high altitude baking.  Since I live at almost 6000 feet baking can be tricky.  This is a great recipe and can be easily adapted for different flavors.  

High Altitude Classic Yellow Cake

3 cups plus 1 Tbsp. sifted all-purpose flour  (at 7,000 feet add 3 Tbsp. At sea level 3 cups)*

2 tsp. baking powder (1 Tbsp. at sea level)

¾ tsp. salt (1/2 tsp. at sea level)

½ pound (2 sticks) butter

2 cups minus 1 Tbsp. sugar (at 7,000 feet minus 2 Tbsp. At sea level 2 cups)

5 large eggs (at sea level, 4 eggs)

2 tsp. vanilla extract (at sea level, 1 tsp.)*

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. buttermilk (at 7,000 feet 1 ¼ cups. At sea level 1 cup WHOLE milk)

Pre-heat oven to 375º (at sea level 350º).  In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until well blended. Scrape down the bowl.  Beat in the eggs 2 or 3 at a time, along with the vanilla beating well to blend, then scrape down the bowl and mix again.  Don’t worry if the batter looks curdled, the flour will bring it together.  

With the mixer on the lowest speed on lowest speed, slowly add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk or milk.  Once the batter is blended together, increase the speed and beat for about a minute, until smooth and creamy.

Grease and flour 2 9-inch round pans or a 9x13 inch sheet cake pan, or 18-24 cupcakes.  Bake for 22-28 minutes for the round pans or cupcakes; or 30-32 minutes for the sheet cake pan or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean and top springs back when lightly touched.  

*Use any flavoring that you like--almond, hazelnut and coconut are among my favorites.