Santa's Stuck!

On Friday we read a story called Santa's Stuck by Rhonda Gowler Greene. In the story Santa eats too many sweets at one house and then...he can't get back up the chimney! The reindeer, the dog, cat and even the mice in the house try everything to help Santa get back to his sleigh. Ask your child to tell you how the story ends! Each child then made a picture of Santa as he was stuck...in the chimney!

Then each child wrote about how they would help Santa out of the chimney! Some kids decided they'd use a feather to tickle Santa or soap to help him slip out or a rope to pull Santa! Read these to hear about how a few first graders might help a stuck Santa get out of YOUR chimney. (It's interesting to note that not one child suggested leaving HEALTHY treats for Santa this year!!! Ha, ha!)

"Help Santa said.  I need to go and help Santa to get Santa out of the chimney.  I used a rope to get Santa out of the chimney."

"Help! cried Santa.  I'm stuck!  I tied a rope to the sleigh and pulled but he didn't budge so I put in soap and tumbled down."

"Oh, no!  Santa's stuck.  The reindeer push on Santa's head while I tickle Santa with a feather, but Santa's stuck."

Hanukkah Menorahs

Today was the last day we'll be learning about Hanukkah and the kids finally finished their menorah craft.  On Monday they used paint rollers to make patterned paper.  Yesterday they cut strips of paper to create the menorah and the candles, and today they finished by using glue and glitter to create the "flames" on each candle.  I love how every menorah is the same and yet unique!

Hanukkah Latkes!

Today we made latkes as part of our study of Hanukkah!  While the kids were playing the dreidel game, I worked with kids to make the potato pancakes which are a big part of the Jewish holiday.  I had lots of help peeling potatoes (now you know what your kids can do to help at dinner time!)

Then we had to grate the potatoes!  It's hard to keep your knuckles safe while grating potatoes!

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't comfortable letting kids very  near the hot plate so I did all of the actual cooking!  With lots of company!

I did wonder if they'd like potato latkes, BUT I left out the onion from the recipe!  Everyone tried at least a tiny bite AND the pickiest eater in the class came back for more!  Several kids asked for the recipe so here it is:

Potato Latkes a la Lass

4 or 5 potatoes, peeled and grated by a first grader
1 egg cracked into the bowl with the potatoes (fingers crossed that no pieces of shell fell in)
1 Tablespoon of flour, more or less, added to the bowl to soak up the water from the potatoes (or you can drain the excess liquid from the bottom of the bowl before you add the egg and flour)

Mix all of the ingredients above with a spoon, or your hand

2-3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil

Put 1 or 2 Tablespoons of oil in a skillet and heat till the oil "shimmers" (that's what it said in the recipe I referenced...I think that means it should be pretty hot!)
Add little plops of the potato mixture (flatten slightly with your spatula) to your hot skillet and allow to cook until the potato parts you can see on top start to look cooked.  Flip.  Continue to flip until both sides are browned.  Put on a plate with paper towels to absorb the extra oil and salt, if desired.

Then let the first grader who worked so hard on the potatoes have the first bite!  You'll see this:

They came back for seconds...and thirds...and would have come back for fourths if we'd had more potatoes!