Cork Christmas Trees

Through most of our Thanksgiving break one (or both) of the boys were fighting some kind of bug. Not so fun for a holiday weekend, but on the other hand it did mean we got some much needed downtime at home.

On one of the days it was clear we needed something fun and festive to perk us up, which is why I pulled out the materials for these Cork Christmas Trees.

They were a quick, easy to assemble craft that definitely has us thinking about Christmas already. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

The season for pumpkin flavored treats is almost over, as the winter holiday baking season is fast approaching.

But, before it goes I wanted to share one last yummy treat. (Although I have to admit I love these enough to make them all year round.) I was introduced to pumpkin cookies several years ago through our Farm-to-School program. Over the years I've made a few tweaks to settle on this final recipe.

Turkey Name Plate

With Thanksgiving Day quickly approaching the last few weeks have brought some opportunities to play with turkeys.

This Turkey Name Plate activity proved to be a fun way for Little Brother to practice spelling his name while getting in the seasonal mood.

Veterinary Clinic Imaginary Play

It's always fun to mix up the boys' imaginary play by adding in a few extra props. Recently they've been playing with their stuffed animals more, so I decided to help them set up a Veterinary Clinic in the playroom for the day.

Before playing I put together a short "Veterinary Check-Up" sheet that the boys could use to keep track of their patients. Although we gathered several other toys together, this extra prop was really fun for the boys to add into the play. I made several copies so they could take in several patients during the day. 

Painted Pumpkins

This was a great rainy day activity a few weeks ago on a dreary Saturday afternoon. And although we did it as a lead up to Halloween, it would also be a great way to use any pumpkins that were not carved on Halloween.

Another great part of this activity is that it can be enjoyed by a variety of ages. We painted the pumpkins with our cousins, so the age range on this activity day were one 3 year old, two 6 year olds, and one 10 year old. Everybody took it to their own level and everyone loved their finished product.