Bird's Nest Cookies MAKING WITH CHILDREN

These were all over Pinterest, FB and the web for Easter. However, I never saw anything discussing the finer points of making them with children. I know this post is late for Easter, but they are also good for a bird, spring, dinosaur or reptile theme/unit. If you've been living under a rock and don't know how to make these easy peasy cookies(?)/treats, here's a run down...

3 ingredients: 

• 12 oz. bag of butterscotch or peanut butter chips
• 12 oz. bag of chow mein rice noodles
• Egg shaped candies

Heat chips 30 seconds in the microwave, stir, repeat. Add in noodles, stir and drop by about 1/4 cup portions onto parchment paper, silicone mat or other non-stick surface. Indent the middle and add 3 candies or an appropriate number depending on the size of your chosen candies. We used Whopper Mini Robin Eggs. Let harden before attempting to move.

When I make them for an occasion such as Easter, I use my large scoop which holds a little less than 1/4 cup, mash the mixture in tight, release onto a silicone mat, and use the back of the scoop to make an indentention for the eggs. I get about a dozen good-sized treats. You could double that with a small scoop and using jelly beans.

Now here's the kiddo particulars. 

For children 3 and up, this is a great autonomous activity. I could have easily sat down several children over 3, given a demonstration, then put 3-4 portions in the microwave at a time, let them scoop out their own 1/4 cup portions of noodles from a bowl and provided a bowl of candy eggs in the middle of the table and let them go at it. I think it is a perfect supervised preschool activity.

"We have these eggs. Where do eggs belong? ...Yes, in a nest. So we are going to make some nests for these eggs today. What kinds of animals could these eggs be from?" [Ours had no pointed end, so no open rock layers, and they weren't perfectly round, so no turtles, etc...]

Discuss the ingredients and tools. Let them handle each.

"What do you think will happen to these chips when we put them in the microwave?"

I placed 1/4 cup chips into a microwave safe bowl [won't be hot to touch after heating]. It took the exact same time to heat the smaller quantity as it did to heat a whole bag...still 30 seconds, stir, 30 seconds. I let them stir the chips. While they may not look melted when you bring them out, they are. Just stir. I stuck my finger in a batch to see if they would burn, and though they were pretty warm, they were not to the point of uncomfortable for me so I don't think they get hot enough to burn, but microwaves can create hot spots in cooked food, so if letting 3 and ups do independently, caution to not touch while stirring at first. We discussed how the chips were no longer hard, but soft and could be stirred together.

As soon as they got the chips stirred just a little, I had them add the noodles and keep stirring.

  After mixing, I sprayed some non-stick spray onto their hands and they rubbed it over their palms. I don't think it did all that much to keep the mixture from sticking to their hands, but it was worth the try. Added an additional sensory element at least.

The smaller amount of chips seemed to cool much faster and be much safer than letting children help form cookies from a full batch. They patted it into a circle on a plastic oatmeal container lid.  

  Why a plastic lid you say? Well they are FREE, just the right size, can be marked and spread apart for individual project identification, and above all they are FLEXIBLE...

 I told them to push down in the middle with just one finger to make a spot for the eggs. Then said to choose 3 eggs for their nests. I was surprised about the exactness of the placement of the eggs. This was serious craft making.

As for younger than 3s, all it takes is doing it individual with the teacher, but as long as they can stir and have a pincer grasp, the little ones can do it all as well. Just watch the temp of the mixture to make absolutely certain that it is not too warm for handling. Before serving to eat, I smashed up the candy eggs for the under 3s.

SKILLS:

Math measuring, measurements, volume, shapes: circle, oval, ellipse

Fine Motor stirring, forming cookies, placing eggs

Gross Mostor stirring

Science heat, solid/liquid changes before/during/after, mixture

Language indent, indentation, mixture, volume, hard, soft, crunchy
Sensory texture: chips, noodles, eggs, warm mixture, stickiness, non-stick spray if used; smell of the chips; taste and texture while eating

Tags: Easter, egg, egg theme, egg unit, dinosaur, reptile, theme, unit, preschool, childcare, daycare, pre-k, prek, kindergarten, cookie, cooking, bird's nest, bird's nest cookies, nest, nests

You're a Good Egg!

Our take on a classic...tissue paper covered eggs. 

I created this blank for our craft. 
FREE on TPT

I collect tissue paper from birthday parties and Christmas celebrations. So, we get what we get as it's FREE! They really liked this pink polka dot. 

We used watered down glue, 2 parts glue to 1 part water to paint small areas of the egg at a time.

 They tore up the tissue paper at will, the littler ones producing larger pieces than the older girls. The younger ones used a two-fisted pull-apart technique and the older ones ripped it with dexterity.

 They ended up looking like this.

 We cut them out, using teacher-assisted scissors. For older preschoolers this would be a wonderful opportunity for scissor practice, as it has simple, large lines to follow.

 We punched the holes. 

We cut 2 pieces of yarn, one 12" long to attach the bottom card, and one 6" to tie at the top for a hanging loop.

 They threaded the yarn through with guidance and assistance. I tied a knot where I wanted it so that the card would hang a little below the egg. I tried just tying a bow, but it kept pulling the yarn too taught, so I found I had to knot it tight first and then tie the bow. 

Then I clipped the ends to the same length as the bow loops. I couldn't trust these children to not clip the bow, they are too unpredicatable with scissors in hand still, so this one thing I did myself. I tied the top hanging loop and clipped the ends close to the knot.

SKILLS:

Arts and Crafts tissue paper media, cut, paste, creative expression, colors

Math oval, rectangle

Fine Motor tearing, ripping, pulling, cut, paste, writing name, threading yard, punching holes

Gross Motor tearing, ripping, pulling

Language reading, vocabulary, names 

Tags: childcare, daycare, preschool, kindergarten, pre-k, prek, Easter, egg, egg theme, egg unit, spring, science, art, crafts, cut, paste, glue, scissors, yarn, tissue paper

Easter/Egg Coloring and Pre-writing Printables

FREE on TPT 

A coloring page for your Easter or egg unit...

And its pre-writing counterpart. Advanced level on the top and bottom. Don't forget to have them trace over Egg!

Also included is the printable for our You're A Good Egg! craft.

A Blessed Good Friday and Easter to all!

SKILLS:

Fine motor: tracing, coloring with the lines

Math: shapes circle, triangle, oval, symmetry

Language: spelling egg, letters e/g

Art: creative expression, color recognition

Tags: Easter, egg, coloring, pre-writing, prewriting, childcare, daycare, homeschool, art, craft, worksheet, crayon, crayons, marker, markers, paint, bird, theme, unit