Eat

Cookies

Zuby & Beans

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Optional

  • Choice of jelly
  • Powdered sugar

Directions

  1. Mix together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and egg. Mix well.
  2. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. Slowly add dry ingredients and add milk. Alternating between the two and mixing as you go.
  4. Once it forms a dough, wrap and place in fridge for one hour.
  5. Remove from fridge, roll dough to about 1/4 inch.
  6. Use cookie cutters to cut out bottom and top shapes that will later be sandwiched together.
  7. I like to cut out a small window into the top layer, so that you can see the jelly.
  8. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes at 375 F.
  9. Allow cookies to cool.
  10. Assemble cookies by spreading jelly on bottom cookie and then placing the top cookie overtop.
  11. Sprinkle with powder sugar, if desired.
  12. Enjoy this holiday treat 🙂
create

Fall Lantern Jar

Zuby & Beans

Supplies

  • Mod podge
  • Plastic or glass jars
  • Paint brush
  • Leaves
  • Battery powered tea light

Directions

  1. Gather leaves that have fallen from the trees. There are so many beautiful colours this time of year. Different shades of yellow, orange and red!
  2. Paint the jar with mod podge and then stick the leaves to the wet surface.
  3. Allow to dry.
  4. Paint over your design with mod podge to seal.
  5. Allow to dry.
  6. Place your battery powered tea light in the jar and admire. This makes a beautiful fall decoration.

Skills

  • Botany
  • Science
  • Creative
  • Art
  • Fine motor skills
create

Fall Leaf Paint Prints

Zuby & Beans

Supplies

  • Leaves
  • Paint (or paint sticks)
  • Paper

Instructions

  1. Go outside and observe signs of Fall.
  2. Collect fallen leaves.
  3. Use paint or paint sticks to paint a leaf.
  4. Press the leaf down onto a piece of paper.
  5. Keep painting and pressing until you are happy with your work of art!

Skills

  • Fine motor
  • Sensory
  • Creative
  • Art
  • Colours
  • Shapes
  • Science
We used the paint sticks seen in the picture above to paint our leaves.
Read

Ordinary People Change the World

Zuby & Beans
  • Shares the inspiring lives of individuals from all walks of life
  • This series is written by best selling author Brad Meltzer and illustrated by Chris Eliopoulos
  • Emphasis is put on the character of an individual and how an ordinary person can change the world
  • Inspires children to build character, kindness and compassion
  • Some of these books touch on serious social issues, such as racism, prejudice and discrimination
  • Written and illustrated in a way that is age appropriate and simple for children to understand
  • Educational for children and adults alike
  • Adults will enjoy reading these books too 🙂

Skills

  • Literacy
  • Diversity
  • Empathy
  • Compassion
  • Socieoemotional
  • Language
  • Self-confidence
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • History

*Adapted from: https://www.ordinarypeoplechangetheworld.com/

Academics

Roll to 100 Game

Zuby & Beans

Supplies

  • 2 Players
  • 1 Die or 2 Dice
  • 2 objects that represent each player (paper clips, counters, small stones, play dough etc)
  • Printable “Roll to 100 Game Board”

Instructions

Game Options

Option 1: Counting
  1. Lay the printable “Roll to 100 Game Board” on a flat surface.
  2. Place players on start.
  3. Player one rolls the die and moves the indicated number of steps (ie. if you roll a 4 then you would count 4 steps).
  4. Player two rolls the die and moves the indicated number of steps.
  5. Repeat until a player reaches 100
  6. Alternatively, this game could be played cooperatively rather than competitively by allowing each player to reach 100.
Option 2: Addition
  1. Lay the printable “Roll to 100 Game Board” on a flat surface.
  2. Place players on start.
  3. Player one rolls the dice (2 dice) and adds both numbers together (ie. if you roll a 2 and a 5, you would demonstrate 2+5=7 and move 7 steps).
  4. Player two rolls the dice, adds both numbers together and moves the resulting number of steps.
  5. Repeat until someone reaches 100.
  6. Alternatively, this game could be played cooperatively rather than competitively by allowing all players to reach 100.

Adaptations

  • Create your own game!
  • Look for number patterns
  • Practice counting
  • Laminate and use as a play dough mat: find numbers and cover them with play dough. Example: ask your child to find the number 24 and place a small ball of dough on the number found. Don’t forget to give it a squish!

Skills

  • Number recognition
  • Counting
  • Addition
  • Early math skills
  • Fine motor
  • Cognitive skills
  • Academic
  • Socioemotional skills when having fun and connecting with adult/parent

Download the “Roll to 100 Board Game” below!

rollto100game-3Download

Play

Scarf Play

Zuby & Beans

Supplies

  • Scarves

Instructions

  1. Provide your infant or toddler with scarves and watch them play.

Note: As with all of our activities, we recommend that they be completed under the supervision of an adult.

Adaptations

  • Add music
  • Practice fast and slow movements
  • Peek-a-boo
  • Hide and find objects under a scarf
  • Sing songs (language)
  • Name colours and movements
  • Add musical instruments such as shakers
  • Use descriptive language, such as “ lift your scarf high to the sky like a cloud”, “shake your scarf low like a squiggly snake”
  • Add to block play
  • Incorporate books or stories

Skills

  • Grasping
  • Fine motor skills
  • Object permanence
  • Motor skills
  • Sensory skills
  • Cognitive skills
  • Sight – tracking and movement
  • Eye hand coordination
  • Imaginative play
create

Custom Carry Pouch

Zuby & Beans

Just in time for carrying back to school essentials such as hand sanitizer and mask.

Supplies

  • Plain carry pouch for decorating
  • Sharpie permanent markers
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Mini spray bottle or dropper

Instructions

Sharpie Tie-dye Method:

  1. Draw and colour your pouch with sharpie brand permanent markers.
  2. Spray your drawing with rubbing alcohol until the colours start to bleed.
  3. Allow your creation to air dry.
  4. Repeat process. Continuing to layer colours until you are happy with the result.

Note:

Use your customized pouch to hold your favourite mask and hand sanitizer. Working through activities such as this one can help children to feel more comfortable with having to wear a mask at school.

Adaptations

  • Use tie-dye kit
  • Use fabric markers to write your name and create unique patterns and drawings
  • Other fun items to Tie-Dye are t-shirts, pillow cases and tote bags

Skills

  • Fine motor
  • Creativity
  • Socioemotional
  • Artistic
  • Colour recognition
create, Play

Cloud Dough

Zuby & Beans

Supplies

  • 4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • Optional: 5 drops of lavender, orange or lemon essential oil

Instructions

  1. Add flour and vegetable oil together in a large bowl.
  2. Add 5 drops of essential oil.
  3. Mix the ingredients together with your hands and knead to form a dough.

Notes:

Cloud dough is as an ultra soft crumbly yet moldable dough.

This recipe can be made in full and stored in a plastic bin with lid for sensory play. Or, the ingredients can be reduced by half, if you would like to make a smaller amount.

Adaptations

  • Use ice cream props for an ice cream shop (pompoms for sprinkles)
  • Create a menu (writing skills and literacy)
  • Use little cups, mini sand toys and molds for play
  • Add animals for small world play
  • Use measuring cups for practicing math skills and measuring

Skills

  • Sensory
  • Math
  • Science
  • Fine motor
  • Small world play
  • Dramatic play
  • Creative play
Eat

Green Monster Smoothie

Zuby & Beans

Ingredients

  • 1 Celery stick
  • 1 Apple
  • 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Handful of spinach

Directions

  1. Blend all of the ingredients in high powered blender.
  2. Drink with your favourite green monster book. We recommend the book “Go Away Big Green Monster”.

Adaptations

  • We drew a monster face on a glass with permanent markers. The markers eventually come off in the dishwasher

Skills

  • Colour recognition – green
  • Math
  • Language
  • Socioemotional
  • Science
  • Cooking
  • Literacy when paired with a book
create

Taste Safe Paint

Zuby & Beans

Supplies

  • 1 can of condensed milk
  • Food colouring
  • Paint brushes or fingers

Instructions

  1. Divide condensed milk into multiple small containers and add a few drops of food colouring to each container.
  2. Paint!
  3. Remember process over product 🙂

Note:

Although this painting requires extra drying time, it is a wonderful taste safe paint for infants and toddlers. It dries with a beautiful shine.

Skills

  • Sensory
  • Fine motor
  • Creative
  • Colour mixing