Portland Metro Area Child Care News

Where can you get information on healthy food and environmentally safe products to use in your daycare all in one event?  The 16^th Annual Northwest Woman’s Show Friday, October 24^th through Sunday, October 26^th at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon.

There will be chef demos showing how to whip up healthy meals for the little ones in your care, product demonstrations showcasing the latest products to make mom’s and provider’s lives easier, free samples of healthy treats to feed, and guest speakers.

Doors open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Get your $2 off coupon by visiting any Thriftway store in October, or by clicking http://www.thriftwaystores.com/

Tickets are available online

For more information, goto http://www.portlandwomenshow.com/index.php

What you’ll need-

• Paper Plate

• Black Tempera Paint

• White Tempera Paint

• Pie Pan

• Marble

• Plastic Spider, spider sticker, or spider stamp.

What to do-

•  

  1. Paint the paper plates black and let them dry completely.  This is best done before the day you will be making this craft.

  2. Fit the paper plate into the pie pan.

  3. Place a small dab of white paint in the center of the paper plate.

  4. Place the marble in the white paint.

  5. Have the student roll the marble around inside of the pie pan.  If the students are young, and not able to do these themselves, help each one to roll the marble around.  Ask questions about what’s happening.  Let them discover that they can control where the marble goes to make the design they want.  Explain that the marble must roll through the paint again and again to make the design.

  6. Remove the marbles and set them in a glass of water out of reach of little hands.

  7. Remove the paper plates from the pie pans.

  8. Let the paint dry completely.

  9. Have the students glue a plastic spider on their spider web.  Other options are to place a spider sticker on their webs, or stamp a spider shape.

This project is sure to keep your students engaged, as it utilizes their imagination, and allows for exploration.  It opens the door for you to have a lesson about cause and effect.  Before the students start to move the marbles around, ask them what they think will happen.  After you’re done, discuss whether or not they were correct, and ask them why they thought it was different than what happened. 

DLTK’s Growing Together website is a must-have tool in any Provider’s toolbox.  From arts and crafts to charts and home-made coupons, this website has everything a Provider on a budget needs to keep that education going.

For ten years, Leanne, a wife and mom of two girls and the creator of this site has been compiling information, crafts, educational tools, coloring pages, projects for holidays, themes, and more.

Not only is this site packed full of anything a Provider would need to end Creativity Block, it also has a section for Bible Crafts, so that homeschoolers and Providers have a springboard to offer religion into their curriculum.

This site gets a high five for offering so much for no cost.

October is here, and that means most local area day cares will be scheduling field trips to one of the many local pumpkin patches.  If you’re looking for something a little more special than a hay ride and a corn maze, take a trip out to Fantasy Trail.

Take the kids on a walk through woods decorated with fun Halloween sights and sounds.  There is also a 40 foot castle packed with Halloween scenes.  That’s not all, there’s a tunnel, a maze, a crooked house, a suspension bridge, pumpkins, and refreshments.

Fantasy Trail is located at 19754 South Ridge Road, Oregon City, Oregon, 97045.  The Halloween Fantasy Trail is open from October 1st-30^th every day except Sunday, October 5^th.  The hours of operation are 12 p.m.-5 p.m. and 7 p.m.-10 p.m..  Prices are   $4 for adults and $3.50 for children 12 and under.  Group rates are available, so they are field trip friendly.  For more information, call Fantasy Trail at (503)631-2047 or find them on the web at www.fantasytrail.com.

*Fantasy Trail also decorates for Christmas!