Eat, Math & Art

So, we made it through Halloween and we are rolling right into Thanksgiving.  It will be here before we know it. In my family, the holidays are shared between myself and my two sisters.  And frankly, my mother has done enough already so we will be going to my sister’s house.

Many of us are probably starting to think about the whole event.  The good and the bad – the annoying mother-in-law, the spoiled niece,  and the controlling father. We are also thinking about the menu, the shopping, the prep, the cooking, table setting, and the clean-up.  Yikes, that is a lot! We pretty much divide and conquer. I am the oldest of 3 girls, Elissa is the next sister and Dana is the youngest.

I started thinking about all that needed to be done.  And – how can the kids be engaged in the festivities and the screens be minimized?  Creativity and Imagination are always on my mind.

Decorating holiday desserts is a great way to inspire young artists.  I love the cookie decorating idea. A simple butter cookie dough works perfectly.  If you can make it from scratch, great, your kids will get a little math lesson. Making the dough will require them to use measuring cups, teaspoons, tablespoons and thinking about cookie sheet placement.  If you are too busy to make the dough, honestly, who really cares? Buy it in the store, no one will know, and do we really care anyhow? Ah. NO, we don’t.

The rolling, and squishing and cookie cuttering, (if that’s a word), will enhance fine motor skills. If you don’t’ feel like using cookie cutters, forget it. Once these cookies are baked, it’s PARTY TIME!!! Time to decorate with candies and icing.  Just buy the icing. This is another activity to challenge dexterity and of course creativity.

This all works great with cupcakes as well.   Make em or buy em. Seriously, moms, don’t make it too difficult on yourself. Busy mothers are busy. For a healthy dessert, cut up some fresh fruit. Have the kids scoop it into a waffle cone for a cornucopia fruit salad

Having guests?  Have the kids count out the silverware and the napkins.  Teach them to fold the napkins. There is some creative napkin folding these days.  Have them help set the table. This will encourage counting and pattern recognition.

 

It is my hope that your holiday is happy and safe.  If you are traveling, drive safely. If you are home, get some good rest and family time.  For creative activities away for the screen, check out the ArtsBot, Creativity to Go. For a vacation or a staycation. Until next time.