Author: Keri Botch

This author has written 20 articles

Morning Basket With A Gentle Feast

Morning Basket:
Family friendly
Quality Subjects + Literature
Sets a positive tone for the day

Our morning basket changes every so often to fit our growing needs. There were a few seasons where the kids had simple handicrafts available while I read, and other times we cuddled on the couch and enjoyed character study through picture books. We have a special “holiday season” basket and another for summertime.

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Lentil (FIAR)

Lentil, by Robert McCormick is a beautifully illustrated story about a boy who can’t sing or whistle and takes up playing the harmonica instead. He ends up using his new talent to save the day and make a huge difference in his small hometown.

Monday:

We read Lentil for the first time, and learned all about Ohio. After doing a little map work with our puzzles, we read through a few books about Ohio including this one that we really enjoyed.

Tuesday:

“There sat Old Sneep, sucking on a lemon. SHLURP! Old Sneep knew that when the musicians looked at him their mouths would pucker up so they could not play their horns.”
This was the perfect opportunity to revisit the 5 senses, particularly sense of taste. I set up a simple arrangement of salty (goldfish crackers), sour (lemon), bitter (tumeric), and sweet (honey) foods for the kids to try. I blindfolded my oldest so he could really concentrate on what each one really tasted like and when we were done we made homemade lemonade.

Wednesday:

All of the people in Lentil’s hometown welcomed and celebrated Colonel Carter back home with American flags and a parade. I purposefully saved this book for the week before the 4th of July. We thought it would be fun to make a patriotic cake and the kids decorated it all on their own. I sang the Star Spangled Banner, and we read some books about the United States Flag.

Thursday:

We talked about disagreeable people and how jealousy can make us miserable and unhappy. We also explored a new art medium. Since Robert McCloskey used charcoal, we thought we’d give it a go. I can’t believe this was our first time using it! I picture our leaf rubbings this fall being taken to a whole new level. ?

Friday:

Since Lentil plays the harmonica, I surprised the kids with a new one. We also listened to an audiobook version of Lentil and ate ice cream cones!

We’re taking next week off from FIAR to enjoy the week of the 4th of July. (more…)

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