Winter

For our theme for the new year, we'll be looking at winter, winter animals, sports, clothing and of course snow!

The night before I spent time converting my dining room table to an interesting snow cave, I also had some glow sticks for them to use. They loved, spending a fair amount of time in the cave, reading stories and playing games with the soft toys.

We used some puffy paint -  shaving foam and pva glue to make some snow/snowmen pictures.

They used the snowman match up game from the Montessori Print Shop, to play a solo game of  matching pairs

and then we played a group game of matching pairs.

Made some delicious, gingerbread snowflakes which they decorated with white icing.

We painted snow storms, using masking tape and snowflakes we had cut out,

                            

                           

then painted over them

                            
         
                            

once the paint was dry, I removed the masking tape etc to reveal the snow pictures.

                           
                       
                            

                           

Our Winter Display

Cereal Bars

These are a couple of our favourite cereal bars, my little ones just love these. We usually double the recipe and freeze some for later. They are easily adapted to dairy free, just use your normal dairy free margarine, for gluten free just make sure the oats are the gluten free ones or just use buckwheat flakes, I personally like using half oats and half buckwheat for these recipes.

                                                           Raisin and Oat Bar

                                                    200g oats / buckwheat flakes
                                                    60g to 80g dried fruit /seeds
                                                    110g  butter/margarine
                                                    60g brown sugar
                                                    10g golden syrup (optional but makes a more chewy bar)

Mix the oats / buckwheat with whatever dried fruit and seeds you are using.
Melt the butter and sugar in a pan, let it come to a boil and while stirring continually, let the mixture gently bubble for about 6 minutes. Then mix into oat mixture. Tip into a lined tray and press down well and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at gas 5.
When cooked, gently cut into pieces, it will be a bit crumbly at this stage but leave to cool in the tin and it should have set nicely by then.

                                                        Apricot and Coconut Bar

                                                    180g oats / buckwheat flakes
                                                    40g dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
                                                    40g desiccated coconut
                                                    120g  butter/margarine
                                                    10g golden syrup
                                                    60g brown sugar

Mix the oats / buckwheat with the diced apricot and coconut.
Melt the butter, sugar and syrup if using in a pan, let it come to a boil and while stirring continually, let the mixture gently bubble for about 6 minutes. Then mix into oat mixture. Tip into a lined tray and press down well and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at gas 5.
When cooked, gently cut into pieces.