Friday, August 24, 2012

Reading Time: The Sheep of the Lal Bagh

Unfortunately, this book is out of print, but there's a good chance you can find it at your public library.

Ramesh is a sheep who lives in the Lal Bagh, a public park in India. His job is to keep the park's grass "mowed." He does a good, creative job of it, but he's best at is loving the people who come to the park. In an effort to modernize, the village scrapes up enough money to buy a real lawn mower, and Ramesh is out of a job.Will the park be the same without Ramesh there to give kids rides on his back and crop the grass in interesting patterns?

The kids in your co-op will like this book. It's a soothing book, perfect for times when you need to get everyone back under control.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Frozen Snacks for Kids



Beat the heat with do-it-yourself frozen snacks. These are easy, cheap, and highly customizable. You can use whatever fruit is on sale this week, or you can skip the fruit altogether. Below is a sample recipe, but you can add or subtract ingredients to suit your taste.

4 cups ripe strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1/3 cup powdered drink mix (like Kool-Aid)
6 paper cups
6 small wooden popsicle sticks

Blend the strawberries and powdered drink mix in the blender until smooth. Pour the mixture evenly into the paper cups. Freeze for 1 hour. Insert a popsicle stick into the center of each cup, and return the cups to the freezer until the pops are firm. To eat, peel the paper cups off the pops and enjoy!

Other ingredient ideas:

Buttermilk
Yogurt
Bananas
Tang
Mangoes
Peaches
Avocados
Soda
Powdered milk
Raspberries or blackberries