Arts and Culture: For a Four Year Old

I wanted to share some of our current favorite books.

This first is my favorite, and the kids just get to reap the benefits. If you have young children, this book is a must-have, in my opinion. It will get you through some dark, long, lonely, crabby afternoons. Mary Ann Kohl’s First Art : Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos. I love Kohl’s philosophy of art for young children, that it is a process, without so much the finished “product” in mind. It’s about learning, experimenting, doing, touching.

Kohl says:

During the process, toddlers and twos discover their own independence, as well as the mystery of combinations, the joy of exploration, the delight of creating, and the frustration of challenges–all important pieces in the puzzle of learning… The art process allows toddlers and twos to explore, discover, and manipulate their worlds…Art process can be a way to ‘get the wiggles out’ or to smash a ball of clay instead of another child. The adult’s job is simply to allow this process to happen!

There are six chapters full of activities (and recipes!!) divided under the categories:

• paint activities,
• dough and clay activities
• making marks in various ways
• sticking on and gluing things
• making prints
• activities for adults to enhance their children’s explorations

There’s a great variety of activities which are specific enough to help you figure out what to do, but general enough to act as a launching for further creativity. There’s also a helpful key with each project so that you’ll have an idea how long it may take and what the mess level might be.

I know the book is listed for toddlers and twos, but my four-year-old and one-year-old are both having a great time. In fact, I even used some of the ideas for our church’s VBS crafts–all the way to 5th grade, so don’t let the title scare you. (Though Mary Ann Kohl has many other tantalizing books.)

Other books we’ve been enjoying this summer (now that I’ve finally paid the, ahem, library fine) are the “Small” books by children’s author Lois Lenski (1893-1974). When I was kid, I read her Strawberry Girl
over and over, so I was tickled to find this other series of books for my son. There’s Fireman Small, The Little Train, The Little Auto, The Little Sailboat, etc. Each book features the main character, Mr. Small, as he goes about his day on whichever adventure. Brief explanations of trains, sailboats, autos, etc are woven into the story. And since these books were written around the 1930s, it’s a fun little history lesson, too, because traffic laws for Policeman Small are much different than what we know today.  The illustrations are simple and charming. We have been enjoying these books immensely, and I’m tucking them away as Christmas present ideas.

Because Food Blogging is Fun

After dreaming and dreaming about it, we finally signed up for a CSA share.* I’d like to say I’m excited about supporting local agriculture (and I am! that’s very close to my heart, actually), but I think I was a tad more excited about being presented with a box of food that I can cook with but that I didn’t have to exert the brain power to actually choose. It’s really hard for me to feel inspired when I look at a blank piece of paper that says “Menus for the Week.” I cringe every week. I never do it. My brain is totally dysfunctional lately in terms of food planning. I’ve bought magazines, surfed the internet, read through old cookbooks, desperately trying to find that little bit of inspiration. Totally stymied. So I will freely admit, I was looking toward the advent of the CSA box with messianic proportions. Save me from the ennui!

Today I went to pick up our first box. Beautiful!!! Green!!! GREEN!!!!!! I brought it home and opened it. Reveled in it. Smelled the herbs which actually had scent and flavor! I held a head of green leaf lettuce that was like a foot in diameter. I wouldn’t have known it was spinach if they hadn’t said so. So robust! Hubby came into the kitchen and witnessed my madness, “So, you geeking out?” Yea, pretty much.

I mean, look at these beautiful radishes.

All of a sudden I can think of a few meals to make. (Well, something besides pizza, taco salad, and spaghetti.) My buddy Joanna is going to be blogging about her CSA box and what she’s making with it. I think it will be cool to do, too. Since the stuff we get comes at its season, it’ll be interesting to see how roughly the same ingredients we’ll be getting changes throughout the spring and summer. And Joanna has some pretty cool food blogging anyway.

So here’s my first contribution, which is actually, recently, becoming a quick favorite meal in our family. I love it for it’s speediness and versatility.

Boil some pasta (I use penne).
In a pan saute some onions and garlic (like one small onion and 1-2 garlic cloves)
Add some meat or white beans or chickpeas or lentils (versatility: vegetarian options)
Add some herbs (basil, rosemary, cilantro all good choices; tonight I used cilantro from teh box)
Add some lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper (to taste) (if I have an actual lemon on hand, I grate some zest, too).
Add some tomatoes (crushed, diced, or sundried–I prefer the sundried tomatoes that come in a paste in a jar)
If the mixture is a little dry, add some of the pasta water before draining.
Drain the pasta and toss the noodles in the pan (leaving some out for your very picky kid who doesn’t like sauces).
Add fresh spinach and toss until it becomes wilted.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

From the box: cilantro, spinach, and our side salad of spring greens.

*CSA=community supported agriculture. it works by buying a share in a local, organic farm, and every week during season, you get a box of whatever produce is in season.

Cross-posted at asteroidb612