Purpose:
What could be better than
combining what the children know about animals, a little creativity, and then
eating your finished product? Do this activity for a thematic study of
animals or just for fun! It will also stimulate all kinds of descriptive
language use. As children talk and describe, they are developing a
knowledge base as well as vocabulary and sentence structure, all of which help
build a foundation for later reading skill development.
Materials:
- sliced bread (preferably whole wheat since it is healthier and
sturdier)
- popsicle sticks or plastic knives
- smooth peanut butter*
- raisins
- thin Chinese fried noodles
- other edible decorations (shredded carrots, slices of celery, etc.)
- paper plates
Directions:
- Each
child spreads some peanut butter on the bread. Try doing the following
chant:
Peanut, peanut butter and jelly (repeat line)
First you take the peanut butter and you spread it, you spread it (repeat line
and then keep repeating the whole chant) - If
you want to make the heads round, have the children nibble a little bit from the
corners (or before spreading the peanut butter stamp out circles using a coffee
can or jar lid that is the right size).
Nibbling is a lot of fun,
but warn the children that if they nibble too far the animal will disappear.
-
Use
raisins for eyes and fried noodles for hair and whiskers.
- Slices of celery
can be used for eyebrows.
- Let
the children use their imaginations.
- Before eating them for snack, show
off the creations:
Ask the
children describe how they made their animals and why they did each thing.
*Notes: Always be sure to check with parents about food
allergies before doing an edible project!
Eric Gidseg
Animal Sandwiches