Explorers: Ice Cream in a Bag (Fun in the Sun)

 ICE CREAM IN A BAG
 After our friends in the Adventurers group loved making ice cream in a bag so much, we had to try it as well.

HERE IS WHAT WE NEED:

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• ½ cup milk (any kind: whole, 2%, chocolate milk) or half and half.

                          

• ¼ teaspoon flavoring (or to taste, if the flavor is pure a couple of drops might be enough). Flavor suggestions: vanilla, chocolate, mint.
  
  

                 

• Ice

                         

• 6 tablespoons rock salt

                     

• 1 gallon-sized/1 quart-sized Ziploc freezer bag

                    

HERE IS HOW IT WORKS:

• Measure the ingredients and pour sugar, milk and flavoring in quart-sized Ziploc bag. IMPORTANT: Seal bag securely.

                            

• Fill the gallon-sized Ziploc half full with ice and add rock salt.
  
  

                               

• Place the quart-size Ziploc bag into the gallon-sized Ziploc bag and seal (you may want to double bag).

                 

            

• Zip outer bag shut (make sure is sealed well) and shake, turn, toss and mix the bag for at least 5 minutes.

     

Caution:

• The hands will get cold very quickly. You can use some towels as a protective layer.

YUMMY!!!

Adventurers: Recue Relay and Ice Cream in a Bag (Fun in the Sun)

“Rescue Relay”
This game is a great game that does not require lots of preparation or props but at the same time promotes good sportsmanship behavior. The game is from the book "The Ultimate Playground & Recess Game Book" by Guy Bailey, a wonderful resource with an endless supply of ideas how to keep students in large and small groups active. We tweaked the game a little bit to make it work for our group:

First mark  off two lines, approximately 30 feet apart. Students sit down next to each other on the ground behind the line with the exception of 1 player. who stands at the opposite site behind the other line, facing his teammates. On a starting signal, the single player runs across the field, chooses a teammate, and runs back to his line with his teammate, both students holding hands. The rescued player then runs back and rescue another player. The relay continues until all players have been rescued. 


Cooking/Science Project “Ice Cream in a Bag”
(see Explorers on 7/23 for detailed recipe):
  We were divided into small groups and made ice cream using Ziploc bags. 

 This activity is a great way to spark conversations and interactions. Here are some ideas:

• Offer a variety of flavors that can be made and let the students in their small groups decide what ice cream they want to create.
• Encourage cooperation throughout, e.g., one student holds the Ziploc bag open, while the other pours the ingredients into the bag.
• Facilitate conversations by asking structured questions: "What will happen when we start shaking the bag?" "How long do you think we will have to shake the bag?"
• Let the students vote on their favorite flavors.

Explorers: Summer Dips (Fun in the Sun)

Today,  we engaged in one of our favorite activities: COOKING.

Hands-on cooking projects are not only great fun for kids of all ages and skill levels but address all areas of development:

Social/Emotional: turn taking and sharing the different materials and tools; working together toward a common goal, namely preparing a meal together; promoting independence and self-direction by following a recipe; helping each other; trying new things; sitting down together and enjoying a meal as a group.

Language/Communication: learning new vocabulary (e.g., names of ingredients, cooking utensils); practicing asking questions and making comments while cooking; requesting; expressing an opinion (likes/dislikes);

Fine-Motor Skills: pouring, squeezing, cutting, mixing.

Cognitive Skills: following multiple directions; attention to task; understanding a sequence, organizational skills; measuring and counting.

We split up into two small groups and each group prepared a different summer dip: HUMMUS OR GUACAMOLE. YUMMY!!! And it was a toss up at the end: Some of us liked the hummus better and others preferred the guacamole.

HUMMUS

• 2 cans garbanzo beans: drain, keep liquid   

• 1 clove garlic crushed with garlic press
  
  

•  2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
  

• 1 teaspoon salt (or less: TASTE)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
  

Combine ingredients in a blender. Blend on low speed, gradually adding bean liquid, until desired consistency is achieved.

Guacamole

• 4 avocados: slice avocados in half the long way (adult), pull out the pits. Use a spoon to scoop out all the soft, green insides. Put them in shallow dish and mash them with a potato masher.

• Add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice

• Add 1 teaspoon cumin

• Add 1 clove of garlic, crushed with garlic press

• 1 teaspoon salt (or less: TASTE)

• Mix all the ingredients together until the guacamole is completely blended. Tip: If you are not going to serve the guacamole right away, put the avocado pits back in. The pits will keep it from turning brown.

Adventurers: Summer Dips (Fun in the Sun)

SUMMER DIPS (for detailed recipes see Explorers, 7/16/2014)

Today, we made our summer dips "Hummus" and "Guacamole." We worked in small groups. One group created the guacamole, and the other the hummus. Each group had a team leader, who had to make sure that everyone was following the recipe and was taking turns fairly.

Ocean in a Bottle Relay
First, we had to form a single file, standing shoulder to shoulder and each of us was holding a yogurt cup in our hands. The first player filled his or her yogurt cup with dyed water and then poured the water into the next player’s cup. We then passed the water down the line until it reached the last player and that player poured the water into a bottle. The player then moved to the front and the game continued until the bottle was 2/3 filled with water or until the initial first player had made it to the beginning of the line again. Then, we gathered as a group and we added oil, sea creatures, small rocks, glitter, etc. to the bottle and turned it into an ocean in a bottle.The first part of the game, i.e., passing the water down the line with the help of yogurt cups requires everyone paying close attention to their partners, e.g., where is the cup with the water, is it my turn next?