Merry Christmas from Germany

Whewwwww!  Today was packed with tons of fun as we visited Germany...our last stop on our Christmas Around the World tour.  I am one tired Mama! ;)

Just to give you a heads up to how the day ended...

but, hey, all is fair in the name of learning.

The morning began with the reading of Cobweb Christmas, a German legend.  It tells of miraculous spiders who spin their sparkling webs on Christmas trees...the creation of tinsel.  This story also reveals another German tradition.  Children will leave their shoes beside the door in hopes that Kris Kringle will fill them with gifts and treats.  

Since tinsel was created in Germany around 1610, we wanted to celebrate this tradition.  Old Crow and I opened up a bag of tinsel and sprinkled it on our 25 Names for Jesus Christmas tree. 

Germans are also fond of gingerbread.  They enjoy making gingerbread houses and gingerbread men.  Using a milk carton, graham crackers, icing, mini marshmallows, and M&Ms, Old Crow put together his own gingerbread house.  We bought a gingerbread house kit that he could decorate, but he wanted to put together his own house.

Then we took a break and snuggled on the couch together while I read, The Legend of the Christmas Rose.  The Christmas Rose is Germany's equivalent to Mexico's Poinsettia.  It's a pink flower that blooms in Germany around Christmas even in the snow.

We took a turn at practicing some German.  We watched this tutorial on how to say "Merry Christmas" in German.

Along with tinsel, Germany also created the tradition of the Christmas tree.  For snack time, the boys made an edible Christmas tree.  We used ice cream cones, icing (leftover from gingerbread house activity), and M&Ms.  Using food coloring, they turned the icing green and slathered it onto their cone.  Finally, they added chocolate ornaments.

After snack time, we turned to those wondrous spiders again...this time with the book, Christmas Cobwebs.  In this story, the spiders don't just spin webs to look like tinsel.  They spin ornaments...special ornaments to replace the ones a family lost after a fire.

Old Crow and Crazy Horse created their own webs with glue and glitter.  I drew the ball ornament for Crazy Horse to glitter, and Old Crow created the angel.

Then, Old Crow completed his Germany notebooking page.  

To end our trip around the world, I gave Old Crow a blank world map.  In order, he numbered each country we visited and then colored those countries.  As he reached each country to color, I had him recall the things we learned about that specific country.  We also pulled out his previous notebooking pages and crafts that were held in his suitcase.  It was a great way to end the tour.

Now he is off on another trip...this one in the RV with the grandparents.  Can't wait to hear all about it.  Now I guess I better head to the kitchen and get that sink cleaned. ;)

Frohe Weihnachten,

Jenny

Old Crow Goes to Paris

Our latest FIAR book was Madeline.  Madeline is one of the most honored children's books and with its rhyme and precocious character it was a favorite for us too.  It gave us many areas of study including a visit to Paris!

Here is a tour through our week with Madeline. 

Monday

On the first day after reading aloud Madeline, we found France on the map and attached our story disk.  

Old Crow colored a picture of the flag of France, which we added to our Lapbook of Flags.

We also watched a short video clip showing kids visiting the Eiffel Tower and listened to someone speaking French.  Then he colored a picture of the Eiffel Tower.

While the kids had some free time later that day, I streamed the Madeline movie on the computer.  It matched the book exactly and they loved it!

 Tuesday

Old Crow wanted to have a Pajama and Movie Day like his younger siblings did at their preschool.  So on Tuesday we stayed in our PJs, ate popcorn, and watched a movie. :)

Of course we watched a Madeline movie...Madeline Goes to Paris.  She gave us a tour of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. ;)

Later that day we made a French treat...chocolate croissants.  They were really just chocolate chips rolled in canned crescent rolls. ;)   But he got the idea!

Wednesday

The next day we took a look at Claude Monet and his art.  Old Crow looked through several of his paintings and then he put together a puzzle of one of them...La Promenade.

After looking at Monet's style of painting, Old Crow tried his hand at painting.

Thursday

Today was Daddy's day for lessons...as the focus was on the appendix.  Dr. Daddy explained where the appendix is located and its function.  Old Crow was fascinated by Madeline's scar and the fact that the book didn't show a picture of it.  So we found some images of an appendix scar and that satisfied him.

To go along with our discussion of the human body and health, we had a science center on germs.  Old Crow rubbed his hands in glitter which represented germs.  He tried to wipe them off with a paper towel and that didn't work.  He tried to rub his hands together to get them off...that didn't work either.  I then asked him to try water.  He ran water over his hands and some glitter came off but not all.  I asked him how he thought he could get it all off.  He then tried soap and water.  Voila!!!  All of the "germs" came off.  We shall see how long our lesson on soap and water lasts. ;)

   

Jenny

Welcome to Italy!

Our week began with the reading of The Clown of God...the beautiful story of a clown who offers the Christ Child the only gift he has.  This story allowed us an opportunity to discuss some very important topics...orphans, the elderly, aging, and compassion.  

The Clown of God is set in Italy.  So we got our passports ready, and off to Italy we went!!

Our first stop was the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  And Old Crow attempted to build his own Leaning Tower of Pisa.  

Next, we took a tour of Mt. Vesuvius.  We watched old footage of it erupting in 1944, and Old Crow was captivated for the full 9 minutes of black-and-white recording.  Then we made our own volcano erupt 

(and erupt, and erupt, and erupt) :)

The next day we examined a little of the culture and architecture.  Old Crow learned the Roman Numerals.  I printed some number cards, and it is amazing how he can turn anything into a game.  He matched the Roman Numeral with the number word.  After he matched each one, he lined them up to make a "number train."

Later, we watched the gondolas float down the canals of Venice.  We recreated our own Venice with the buildings, canal, and gondolas. 

Old Crow added the Leaning Tower of Pisa to complete the scene. :) 

To complete our trip and to have a keepsake, we made a salt dough map of Italy.  The boys painted the oceans after I outlined the country.

Then Old Crow used the dough we made to cover the shape of Italy, and he painted it.

The leftover dough quickly became a new activity as the boys molded and shaped it.  I tried to encourage them to make Italian foods...pasta, meatballs, and pizza.  

We soon enjoyed some of that good Italian food.  

This is our completed salt dough map after it had time to harden.  I attached our work to the back by using a sheet protector.  Now we can revisit Italy at anytime just by pulling the pizza box off the shelf.  Old Crow said he wants to make one of these for every country we visit.  I think that can be arranged. ;) 

Grazie for reading!  Ciao!

Jenny