Ice Cream

Who says it has to be summertime to enjoy ice cream? Not your kids, that's for sure! Everyone loves ice cream, and what better way to beat the cold weather blues than with some cold treats?

Gather your kids around, get out the ingredients and have some fun. Don't forget to pull out all your favorite toppings. You can use anything from sprinkles to crushed candy bars to cookies.

Fresh fruit is an excellent topper for a fresh bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream. Try bananas or strawberries sliced and thrown on top. Or add them to the blender with a splash of milk for a fabulous shake.

Anything is possible. Have fun with it! Let the kids help pick the toppings and make it a fun day for everyone!
Ingredients:

* 1 cup sugar
* 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 1/2 cups milk
* 3 eggs
* 2 cups heavy or whipping cream
* 5 teaspooons vanilla extract

Directions:
In heavy, 3-quart saucepan with spoon, combine sugar, flour, and salt. In medium bowl with hand beater or wire wisk, beat eggs and milk and eggs together until well blended; stir into sugar mixture until smooth. Cook for about 15 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon, being sure that the custard does not boil or it will curdle; allow to cool (at room temperature).

Stir in 2 cups heavy or whipping cream and 5 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Freeze until desired consistency is reached.

Macaroni Art

BUTTERFLY ART

What You Need:

* card-stock paper
* smallest shell noodles
* curly noodles
* medium shell noodles
* bow-tie pasta
* glue

What You Do:
The children will learn about butterflies with this lesson.
The smallest noodle is the egg of the caterpillar.
The curly noodle is the caterpillar.
The medium shell noodle is the cocoon and the bow-tie pasta is the butterfly.

Carribbean Day

Drums are an important part of life and ceremony in many cultures. Here is a simple method for you and your students to create a fun sounding drum as you celebrate the cultures of the world.

What You Need:

* An empty coffee can with a plastic lid (small, large, whatever you have).
* Construction paper, glue & scissors.
* Paint or markers.
* Paintbrushes & water.
* Dowels or sticks from trees in the park.
* String, leather, feathers, beads ... any bits of scrap material you might have.

What You Do:

1. You have two options here. Either paint the coffee can with paint or cover the can with construction paper. Leave the plastic lid on the coffee can ... this will be your drum head.
2. If you cover the coffee can with construction paper, you can paint or draw designs and creatures on the coffee can. Have a look at pictures of different kinds of drums and the images found on them. (Try covering the can with aluminum foil for a neat effect.)
3. After the paint is dry, you can glue all sorts of wonderful things to your drum.
4. Using wooden dowels or simply wooden sticks, drum away on your new coffee can drum.