April 2015

FunMation FunMation is a publication of fun activities and information for families with young children published by

Kids Incorporated of the Big Bend.

Spring Poem

Some days seem like winter,

Some are nice and warm.

Rainy days and windy days,

Maybe it will storm.

Warm or cold or wet or dry,

What will the weather be?

I think Spring is trying to play

Peek-a-boo with me.

April Calendar

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Pick-Up Basketball Jefferson County EHS Male Involvement Event from

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at Jefferson Recreation Park, Monticello, FL.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Volunteer Orientation from 12:00 p.m.– 1:00 p.m. at Administrative Office

Community Resource Fair Parkway FEA from 2:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 23, 2015 - Monday, April 27, 2015

Come Read With Me - Budd Bell FEA

Monday, April 27, 2015

Volunteer Orientation 5:30 p.m.—6:30 p.m. at Administrative Office

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Volunteer Orientation 5:30 p.m.– 6:30 p.m. at Administrative Office

Spring Fling Bright Days FEA from 10:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Spring Fling Bright Beginnings FEA from 10:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m.

360 Community Resource Fair Jefferson County EHS from

2:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Friday, May 1, 2015

The Wild Rumpus: 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. at N. Fl. Fairgrounds, $25 per person

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Kidsfest: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at N. Fl. Fairgrounds, $3 per person

Songs & PoemsSongs & Poems

The Itsy Bitsy Spider Tune: (“The Itsy Bitsy Spider”)

The itsy, bitsy spider, climbed up

the water spout.

Down came the rain and washed

the spider out.

Out came the sun and dried up all

the rain,

So the itsy, bitsy spider went up

the spout again.

Bunny Pooka Tune: (“Hokie Pokie")

You put your bunny paw in.

You take your bunny paw out.

You put your bunny paw in

And you shake it all about.

You do the Bunny Pooka

And you hop around a lot

That’s what it’s all about!

Continue with other items to put in and

take out, such as: bunny foot, bunny

nose, bunny ear and bunny tail.

Jean Warren

I Plant A Seed Tune: (“I'm a Little Teapot”)

I plant a little seed in the cold, cold

ground.

Out comes the yellow sun, big and

round.

Down come the raindrops soft and

slowly

Up comes the flower grow, grow,

grow!

Nine Little Flowers

Tune: ("Ten Little Indians")

One little, two little, three little flowers,

Four little, five little, six little flowers,

Seven little, eight little, nine little flowers,

Peeping through the ground.

Give them rain and lots of sunshine,

Give them rain and lots of sunshine,

Give them rain and lots of sunshine,

So they'll grow up tall.

As they grow, they'll bud and bloom,

As they grow, they'll bud and bloom,

As they grow, they'll bud and bloom,

In the lovely springtime.

Family ActivitiesFamily Activities

Pom Pom Egg Painting

What you’ll need:

Washable kids paint

Clothespins

Pom poms

Black marker

A sheet of paper

Directions:

Start by drawing an egg shape with a black marker on a piece of paper.

Grab each pom pom with a clothespin and dip them in paint.

Have the kids press them on the paper making patterns with the colors.

Brown Bag Bunny

What you’ll need:

A brown paper bag (lunch bag)

White construction paper

Pink crayon or marker

Black crayon or marker

Pink pomp pom

Directions:

Cut 2 bunny ears out of piece of white paper. Color pink in the middle of them

with a marker or crayon.

Let your child glue the bunny ears on the back of the bag.

Then let them draw the bunny’s eyes and glue the nose on.

Draw, or have your child draw, the mouth and whiskers with a black marker.

What’s Cooking?What’s Cooking? Cheesy Veggie Bakes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

2 cups of cauliflower florets

1 2/3 cups of broccoli florets

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of flour

2 cups of milk

1/2 cup of grated cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Steam or boil carrots and cauliflower for 3 minutes. Add broccoli and steam for

another 3-4 minutes until veggies are almost tender.

Drain then set aside.

To make cheese sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Once bubbling, stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and stir in milk. Return to heat and bring to the boil. Reduce

heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper to

taste. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Arrange vegetables in 4 x 1 cup ovenproof dish (or small oven proof dish). Pour

over cheese sauce.

Bake until sauce is bubbling (about 20 minutes).

Take out of oven and let it sit until its cool enough to serve to your toddler

(sample it for temperature).

Orange Sorbet

Ingredients:

2 cups of orange juice

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

For mixer bag (large Ziploc bag):

5-6 cups of crushed ice

1 cup of salt

Gloves (optional, will get cold when you shake bags around.)

Directions:

Combine orange juice, salt, and sugar in a smaller Ziploc bag.

In a larger zip lock bag, combine 1 cup salt and 5-6 cups of crushed ice.

Place the smaller Ziploc bag in the larger Ziploc bag.

Shake the bags vigorously for 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture has

achieved ice cream consistency.

When it become too stiff to shake, massage it instead.

Transfer into a freezer safe container and freeze till ready to eat.

Male InvolvementMale Involvement

How can you be a active, present, and positive father?

An active, present, and positive father has been shown to:

Reduce psychological problems in girls

Reduce behavioral problems in boys

Reduce later criminal behavior in children

Enhance intelligence, curiosity, reasoning, and language development

Decrease the incidence of children smoking (as teens)

Have better friendships and social skills

Even have better marriages (at age 33) if their relationship with Dad was good at age 16.

Daddy and toddler bonding ideas:

For one– on –one dad time, take your toddler out to the local park, playground, or go for ice cream.

For family night, set aside one night a week and make it that special night where you do not take phone calls, television

and internet are turned off. Take these moments to play fun family games like I spy (finding shapes and colors).

Toddlers love when parents read stories to them. Make it a fun experience by asking them how the character in the story is

feeling and what they would do in the same circumstances.

Develop a project with your toddler. Do a fun craft or activity together where you build a raft, toy house, or a toy your

child can play with. Of course you can do more simple activities like the ones we have provided on the family activities

page.

Don’t let rainy days take over your fun days together. Instead play indoors by listening to music and dancing or pull out

the building blocks. Also, take this time to help them learn their ABC’s or a new song.

Good ReadsGood Reads April Books

Flower Garden By: Eve Bunting

Sunflower House By: Eve Bunting

The Carrot Seed By: Ruth Krauss

The Very Hungry Caterpillar By: Eric Carle

The Happy Egg By: Ruth Krauss

Where’s My Teddy? By: Jez Alborough

Duck & Goose Colors By: Tad Hills

Bunny Rabbit Show By: Sandra Boynton

Leon County Library events for March:

Collins Main Library:

Tuesdays and Wednesdays: Baby time from

10:00 a.m.– 11:00 a.m.

Thursdays: Story Time from 10:30 a.m.– 11:00

a.m.

Sunday : Family Time at 11:00 a.m.

Dr. B. L. Perry Jr. Branch:

Fridays: Story Time at 10:00 a.m.

Madison Public Library

Mondays: Little Learners from 9:15 a.m.–

10:00 a.m.

Tuesdays: Preschool Story time from 10:30

a.m.—11:15 a.m. and Book Baby from 11:30

a.m.— 12:00 p.m.

Wednesdays: Toddler Time at 10:15 a.m.

Visit their site for more detailed events

throughout the month: http://

www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/calendar/search

Jefferson County R.J. Bailar Public Library

Wednesdays: Children’s Story Time at 10:30

a.m.

@kidsincbb @KidsInc3

Our Early Head Start Centers

Brandon’s Place at Lincoln Budd Bell Early Learning Center

438 W. Brevard St. 306 Laura Lee Ave.

Tallahassee, FL 32301 Tallahassee, FL 32301

Bright Beginnings Jefferson County Early Head Start

1344 S.W. Grand St. 395 E. Washington St.

Greenville, FL 32331 Monticello, FL 32344

Bright Days Parkway Early Head Start

250 N.W. Hayne St. 1410 E. Indian Head Dr.

Madison, FL 32340 Tallahassee, FL 32301

Administrative Office

2326 Centerville Rd

Tallahassee, FL 32308

(850) 414– 9800

www.kidsincorporated.org

Email: info@kidsincorporated.org