On the 8th Day of Christmas, Holden's Landing gave to me ...

a special Earth*School bundle of winter curriculum units! The winner of this giveaway will receive (in PDF form) the following Earth*School units:
Winter Wonderland
Late Winter Holidays
Winter Holidays Around the World
and, just for fun, to beat the winter blues, One Day Fun Days
AND because as winter feels like the longest month, by February we'll all be looking for some spring, Gnomes in the Garden


You can read more about Earth*School and what these particular units include here 

To enter this giveaway:
* Leave a comment telling what your favorite holiday activity is to do with your kids - mine is a toss up between making ornaments and making cookies (if you don't celebrate the holidays, what is your favorite activity to do with your kids any time?)
* Be sure to leave your email address so that you can be contacted if you win!

Giveaway open from December 14th, 7:00 AM est to December 20th, 8 AM est.  Winner will be chosen at 8:30 AM est December 21st.  Giveaways are open worldwide.  

Good luck!

Congratulations to comment #2!

Together Tuesday: Magic Mud

Magic mud is another favorite activity here – but very messy!! Pour a box of corn starch into a large Tupperware or similar bowl. Add 1 cup of water. Mix it up with your hands – it will be at the same time a liquid and a solid. When you try to pick it up it will act as a solid but once you get it in your hands it will run out of your fingers like a liquid. On one side of the container, add a few drops of blue food coloring or kool aid mix and mix. On the other side, add a few drops of yellow food coloring or kool aid mix and mix. Then play with the magic mud (also called oobleck) and watch it slowly turn to green. Play with colors by using different colors of kool aid or food coloring.

Together Tuesday: Lemon Ice Dough

This sparkling lemon ice dough is sure to please any play dough enthusiast! It has diamond dust to make it sparkle like ice, as well as a pleasing lemon scent and color. A great way to spice up a hot summer afternoon!


Ingredients: 3 c flour 3 c water
1 ½ c salt 2 T oil
1 T cream of tarter 2 packets lemonade Kool Aid
Yellow food coloring for more color, if desired
Diamond dust (sparkly iridescent glitter)

Directions:
1. Mix the kool aid into the water.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan over medium-low to medium heat until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and becomes hard to stir.
3. Remove from heat and knead (let cool enough to touch) on a floured surface until the dough is a nice consistency.
4. Store in an airtight container.

(From Earth*School: Rainbow of Colors, all rights reserved. Copyright Earth*School/Bonnie Vontz 2004 - 2010)

Together Tuesday: Jellyfish Flyers

Jellyfish flyers


For this activity you will need 2 circles of clear contact paper, some string, a hole punch and various colors of tissue paper. Cut some of the tissue paper into strips to use as the jelly fish tentacles; tear the rest into small pieces to decorate the jelly fish body. Remove the backing from one of the contact paper circles. Attach the tentacles to the bottom half of the circle. Use the torn tissue paper pieces to decorate the rest of the jelly fish’s body. Cover with the other tissue paper circle. Punch a hole in the top and thread the string though, tying tightly. Bring your jelly fish flyer outside or out to the beach to fly like a kite!



(From Earth*School: Under the Sea, all rights reserved. Copyright Earth*School/Bonnie Vontz 2004 - 2010)

Together Tuesday: Down in the Orchard

It's peach season here in Connecticut and we have already been picking a few times. Share this peachy song with you littles while peach picking this season ♥

“Down in the Orchard” (sung to “Down by the Station”)
Down in the orchard
In the afternoon
See all the peach trees
Standing all in a row.
Pick the ripe peaches
So sweet and juicy.
Pick, pick,
Bite, bite,
Yum, yum, yum!

(From Earth*School: Summer Harvest Fun, all rights reserved. Copyright Earth*School/Bonnie Vontz 2004 - 2010)

Together Tuesday: Heigh Ho Blueberry-O!

Make your own Heigh ho Blueberry-O! game. My brother had the game Heigh Ho Cherry-O as a child, and he loved to play that game. You can make your own blueberry version with craft items you probably already have around your house.

To begin, roll a supply of 60+ blueberries from your favorite clay and let them dry. Fashion 4 small basket/cup shapes from the clay as well and let dry. Be sure to make them slightly larger than the size of a hole punched with a hole puncher. To make the board, you will need some markers or crayons, good sturdy cardstock and tape, a paper fastener, scrap cardstock, and a hole punch (you will want either a long handled hole punch or an “anywhere” hole punch, the kind you place and tap with a hammer). Cut a ¼ inch slit in each corner of the cardstock (from the top going into the center of the paper). After the board is complete, you will fold down the tabs you have just created (the sides of the paper) and tape them together at the corners, so that the board is raised up off the playing surface. In each corner of the board, draw and color a blueberry bush. Use your hole punch to punch 15 holes in each bush. In the center of the board, draw a circle and partition it into 5 pieces (like you were cutting a pie). Put the following, one in each section of the circle:
Picture of 1 blueberry
Picture of 2 blueberries
Picture of 3 blueberries
Picture of a basket of spilled blueberries
Picture of an animal of your choice with a blueberry in its mouth

Cut an arrow shape from the scrap cardstock and fasten it to the center of the circle with the paper fastener/brad.

To play, fill up the bushes with the blueberries. Each player sits by one bush and has one basket. Spin the spinner and pick the correct number of blueberries if you spin the picture of 1, 2 or 3 berries, put all your blueberries back in the bush if you spin the spilled basket, or put one berry back in the bush if you spin the picture of the animal carrying off a berry.


(From Earth*School: Summer Harvest Fun, all rights reserved. Copyright Earth*School/Bonnie Vontz 2004 - 2010)

Together Tuesday: May Flowers

It's May and all those April showers should be bringing some beautiful May flowers right about now! And with Mother's Day right around the corner, create some paper flowers with your little ones that will last forever!

You will need:

construction paper in bright colors and green
your child
a pencil
thin dowel rods or chopsticks
green paint
florists tape (or you can use regular tape)
scissors

Start off by having your child paint the chopsticks or dowel rods green for stems. Set aside to dry.
Next, trace your child's hand multiple times on brightly colored paper and cut out the hand shapes. Have your child arrange the hand shapes together to form a flower (bottoms of palms touching, fingers out for the petals). Once the stems are dry, use florists or regular tape to attach the flower to the stem. You can tape the petals together, then tape the stem to the underside of the flower, or you can tape the petals together, punch a hole and stick the stem through the hole and secure with tape.
Cut some leaf shapes from green paper and secure those to the sides of the stems.
Make lots and give a bouquet to grandma or to put in a vase for your dining room table!

Together Tuesday: UnBirthday Day!

Tomorrow is my son's 6th birthday. In honor of his birthday, this Together Tuesday post features Day 25 from our Earth*School unit "One Day Fun Days", the UnBirthday Day!

Day 25 – Un-Birthday Day!
* Birthdays only come once a year and that waiting is hard – declare it Unbirthday Day and have a party just because! Send out invitations to a few friends in advance of the date to ensure having people to celebrate with … after all, chances are it will be their unbirthday as well.

* Make an Unbirthday cake – Prepare your favorite cake with your favorite frosting, but pout on one candle for each person in attendance. Sing Happy Unbirthday to You! And have everyone blow out the candles together.

* Spread the unbirthday love – Donate a new toy to a children’s shelter to give as a birthday gift for someone there. Clean out your closets and donate unused toys and outgrown clothing to a children’s shelter to brighten someone else’s unbirthday day.

* Pin the candle on the cake – Cut out a simple cake shape as well as a candle shape for each player. Blindfold each child, one at a time, spin him or her around once or twice, then let him/her try to pin the candle on the cake.

* Plaster of paris birthday cake – For this project you will need some birthday candles, plaster of paris, a plastic container (that can be cut with scissors if need be), cooking oil or spray, paint or food coloring and a disposable butter knife. Oil the inside of the plastic container. Mix up some plaster of paris and pour it into the container. This will be your cake. Let it set. When it is almost completely set, add the candles, pushing them in to make the candle holes. Remove the candles and let the cake finish hardening. Turn over and tap to unmold. You may need to cut away the plastic container with sharp scissors. Mix up another small amount of the plaster of paris mixture, this time using only half the water suggested. This will be your frosting. Color your frosting with paint or food coloring and apply to your cake with the butter knife (be careful not to get it into the candle holes or you will not be able to add those back on again. You may want to frost it with the candles already in place). Let dry completely before using for imaginative play.


Book List:
* Happy Birthday to You
by Dr. Seuss
* Some Birthday
by Patricia Polacco
* A Little House Birthday
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
* Froggy bakes a Cake
by Jonathan London