A
long time has gone since the last time I created an alphabet post on
this blog. Many things have happened that took priority over writing.
Hopefully,
this break is unique and we will keep discovering the alphabet
together, from this month forward, one letter at the time!
Z
Y X W V U T S R Q P O N M L K J I H G F E D C B A
The
star of this post is the letter X.
I
wanted to start with a joke or a story about the letter; however, I
could not find any that appealed to me.
I
stayed away from any sites that showed activities and such because I
want to come up with my own and not be influenced by those who
already wrote on the subject.
X
Marks the Spot
This
is a scavenger hunt activity. It can be modified to match the ability
of the child or children involved.
Decide
on the theme of the scavenger hunt as the clues will be based on such
theme. Prepare as many small exes to mark the spot as you have clues;
prepare one big X for the final location of the item being
searched.
For
the very young child you can use pictures as clues; for the one who
is beginning to read use one word clues. If you have different ages,
you can pair up the older child with the younger one and allow the
first to help the latter finding clues and the final object of the
hunt.
Place
your exes based on the clues and let the fun begin :)
How
about X oriented meal items?
This
is a dish you can make with your child. The recipe is from Food.com
and serves 6.
Ingredients:
1 lb potato, cut into wedges
3/4 lb broccoli floret, chopped (4 cups)
3/4 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1/2 cup nonfat milk, heated
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper
1 lb potato, cut into wedges
3/4 lb broccoli floret, chopped (4 cups)
3/4 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1/2 cup nonfat milk, heated
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper
Directions:
1. Bring one inch of water to a boil in a large pot. Place potatoes in a steamer basket and steam for 10 minutes. Place broccoli on top, cover and steam until the potatoes and broccoli are tender, 6 to 8 minutes more.
2. Transfer the broccoli to a large bowl and coarsely mash with a potato masher. Add the potatoes, cheese, milk, salt and pepper and continue mashing to desired consistency.
3. Serve immediately.
We
cannot leave out dessert. Also from Food.com, this 4 ½ stars out of
5 recipe should be a hit: X-RayVision Chocolate Chip Cookies. The batter yields 84 cookies.
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup nonfat milk
1/3 cup canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (6 oz.)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup carrot, grated
1 cup raisins
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup nonfat milk
1/3 cup canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (6 oz.)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup carrot, grated
1 cup raisins
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, milk and oil.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and nutmeg; add to the egg mixture and mix well. Stir in the chips, oats, carrots and raisins.
4. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets coated with nonstick cooking spray; flatten slightly.
5. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown; remove to wire racks to cool.
X-Videos on YouTube
There
are several short videos on YouTube that showcase the letter X.
I
am sure there will be one that appeals to you.
My
most favorite of all is the SesameStreet: Song “Hurray for X”
This
one is just a fun song about the letter.
My
next favorite one is Phonics:The Letter X
by
Nellie and Ned.
This
video shows you the words that contain the letter and sound it out as
well giving the child a chance to repeat the word.
Remember that the most important thing is for the children to have fun. Modify any of the activities and ideas to fit their likes and needs.
