Clothes Pin Animals

This is an adorable idea from Martha Stewart Living.  The kids loved it!  I used white cardstock and crayons.  I let the children draw whatever animal (we focused on farm animals) they wanted.   I discussed the importance of making the images big.  Kindergartners tend to draw small.  I demonstrated making one first and then let them loose.  The drawings were cut out and clothes pins attached as the legs.  So dag cute!

The "en" Word Family

This is a great Little Red Hen project that I first saw my friend, Mrs. McCain do in her class.  It is excellent tracing and cutting practice as well as the word family work.

 I love to see how the children embellish the hens with details.

 I prepare brown paper with paint and cut some of it up into strips for the nest.

 I feel it is important to let the children put it all together in their own way.  I do not like every one looking the same.  It is so much more fun to let them do it their way!

These are the tracers I provide for the children.

Helping Hands

One of the most powerful lessons inside the story of the Little Red Hen is helping others.   I have homework  where the children take on a chore at home for a full week.  Every child who completes the full week of doing a chore - receives a Little Red Hen Helping Hand Award.  (I do not have the original document files but I have taken pictures of both the homework sheet and the award.)  

Children love being able to contribute to their families.  Chores provide a meaningful and purposeful task for children to give helping hands.   

Handprint Little Red Hen

Simple but darling!  It is two steps. 
Day one - each child makes a red handprint. 
Day two - let the children transform their handprint into a little red hen.

Playdough Bakery is Open!

 During the Little Red Hen unit - I add a wonderful selection of pans, bowls, buckets, muffin tins, plates. . . even a cheese slicer.  The boys love that slicer!

 Wooden spoons, pizza slicers. . .

 Several colors of playdough. . .

 Ooo, how the fun abounds!

 I need another cheese slicer!  The girls adore it as well!

 Mmmm, a bucket full of slices!  Stir it!

The fun is endless!

Little Red Hen's Bakery

A little peek into my current housekeeping center:

 I stock the center with lots of baking tools, containers of baking ingredients, the pretend bread items the children made, and more.

 I put a little lamp on the table.  It creates such a special mood.

 I love to use the bright red and white gingham print for the playstands and in the window.  I have this sweet table cloth I found at a garage sale that has red needle work for the table.

 Play money, menus and ordering pads are the finishing touches.

The Little Red Hen: Making Pretend Bread

Good old fashioned bread dough clay is the best treat for the children during our Little Red Hen unit. 


Basic Bread Dough Ornament Recipe
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups warm water

I make my dough in my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook.  I mix it until it is very much like a clay.  Add more warm water if it is too dry.  Bake your "pretend" bread in a 325 degree oven until hard (about 45 to 60 minutes.

 I put out sheets of parchment paper for each child to work with their "bread dough."

 They spend quite a bit of time just seeing all the different ways of creating a bread item - rolls, biscuits, donuts, muffins, pizza. . .

 cinnamon rolls!

 Look at all our bread goods!

 Which one is yours?

 Here they are just out of the school ovens!

 Off the bread goodies go to housekeeping center!  It is the "Little Red Hen's Bakery."

 The bakers are checking the bakery and stocking the shelves.

 "What would you like today?  A pretzel?"

Oh, so much goodness. . .