December 2017 Tiny Tot Times Newsletter

Center Team
Betty Smith
Owner
Katy Roads
Director
Alexandra Cache
Assistant Director
Aubrey Jones
VPK Director
Jaycee Cobb
Marketing Director
Lisa Hallster
Aftercare Director
Betty Luigana
Bus Driver
Contact Directory
Main Office
(954) 555-5555
Office Fax
(954) 444-4444
Three Creative Ways To Volunteer During The Holidays
Gather the whole family and enjoy new ways to volunteer this season! 1) Invite your parent–
friends to drop their kids off at your house, so that they can finish their holiday shopping more
efficiently. 2) Visit an animal shelter where the whole family can help feed and care for animals
waiting to be adopted. 3) Help a teacher tidy and pack up the classroom for winter break and then
set it all back up again when classes start. Lending every pair of hands in your family can give a
teacher more time to enjoy the holidays.
Your Guide To Easy Holiday Prep
These easy prep ideas will help you enjoy a relaxed holiday season! 1) Traveling to a holiday
gathering? Pick up a quick–n–easy host⁄hostess gift, like a set of coasters from the city you live in
or locally– made soaps and take them with you. They'll come in handy during parties and
mealtimes. 2) Hosting visitors? Give them a five star hotel experience by making up the sofa or
guest room with fresh linens, a turned–down comforter, mints on the pillows, and neatly folded
towels. 3) In charge of decorating? Skip the clutter this year and put out just ONE holiday item that
has significance for every family member.
Promote Human Rights
Every year, Human Rights Day is observed on December 10 to raise awareness about areas in
the world where human rights are not respected. Bring this global initiative to your own community
by: 1) Showing up for local events supporting the rights of children, refugees, and other vulnerable
groups, 2) Donating to organizations that aid victims of human rights violations, and 3) Reaching
out to local government leaders to lobby for laws that protect human rights.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Peppermint White Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
1 bar white chocolate, broken into chunks
4 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
1 jar marshmallow creme (7 oz)
2 tsp peppermint extract
1 package candy canes
2 cups whipped cream
Instructions:
Combine the white chocolate, heavy cream, milk, condensed milk, marshmallow creme, and
peppermint extract in a slow cooker and stir gently. Cover with the lid and cook on low for three
hours, stirring every hour. Pour the hot chocolate into mugs, top with whipped cream, and garnish
with a candy cane.
Kiddo Learning Academy | director@kiddolearningacademy.com
1000 Kiddo Way Bay City, FL 54321

Hello,
GOODBYE,
2018!
2017
Wow! Another year is just around the corner! Before we
say hello to 2018, let’s look back at 2017. It’s been a
memorable year for learning, playing, and growing!
As parents, we’re all too familiar with the latest toys and
gadgets that most capture kids’ imagination. The year
2017 was the year of the fidget spinner, a toy that is as
therapeutic as it is entertaining. Fidget spinners are said
to help energetic kids concentrate on school work more
easily by keeping their hands busy. From spinners made
out of copper to ones featuring movie characters, these
devices dominated (and have been banned from) classrooms and minivans around the world.
2017 also saw the Mattel company’s makeover of Ken, Barbie’s companion. After decades as a
golden-haired heartthrob, Ken is now available in fifteen distinct looks, including a range of skin
tones, body types, hairstyles, apparel, and accessories. And Ken’s makeover isn’t all that’s new for
Barbie fans. A live-action Barbie movie is slated for a 2018 release!
In the world of education, an initiative is in the works to bring high-speed internet to every K-12
classroom in the United States. In 2013, only 4 million students had access to high-speed internet
at school. Now, 39.2 million students have access, thanks to the Federal Schools and Libraries
Program, known as E-Rate. What will it take to get every student online by 2020?
Okay, 2018, here we come! It’s time to introduce your
family to all sorts of new opportunities and adventures.
With STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)
becoming more accessible to kids, you can stock up on
games and apps that teach STEM concepts. Or, how about
taking music classes together? With one family member
singing lead vocals, another on drums, and another
strumming a guitar, who knows? You could start a band!
For quiet evenings at home, fill up a jar with 365 dinner
conversation starters like “If you could have a superpower,
what would it be?”...one for every night of 2018.
CRAFT: DIY Sock Snowman
No holiday season is complete without family craft time! This December, create a
team of sock snowmen to get everyone in the holiday spirit. You’ll need: 2 white
tube socks for every snowman, rubber bands, 1 five-pound bag of rice, buttons in
assorted shapes, orange felt, and long strips of plaid flannel.
First, cut the tops off the socks and set the feet aside. Turn one top inside-out and
wrap a rubber band around the end. Turn the sock right-side-out. This will be the
base. Fill the sock with rice and close the top with another rubber band. Wrap a
third rubber band around the rice-filled sock, about halfway from the top. This will
create the snowman shape. Tie a strip of flannel around the middle rubber band
to make the scarf. Glue on buttons for eyes and the mouth, and down the front
of the snowman’s shirt. Glue on a triangle of orange felt for the nose. Use another
sock top as a stocking cap, pulling it partially down and around the snowman’s
face.
Repeat these steps for each snowman. They make great door stoppers, party
decorations, and holiday gifts!

MATCH the Mittens
Can you match the pairs of winter
mittens? Find and match the rows
that are identical to each other.
WINTER SENSORY BIN Activity
Stimulate your kids’ senses this
winter with a sensory bin! Gather
winter-themed objects such as
cotton balls, paper snowflakes,
jingle bells, toy penguins, pine
cones, small evergreen tree
branches, and ice cubes. Arrange
the objects in a wide, shallow
plastic bin. Before the ice melts,
have your kids explore the objects
in the sensory bin with their fingers
and describe the sensations!
RECIPE: Merry Berry Holiday Punch
Ingredients:
4 cups cranberry juice
4 cups pineapple juice
2 tsp coconut extract
2 L ginger ale
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 package cinnamon sticks
Instructions:
Combine the cranberry juice, pineapple juice, coconut
extract, ginger ale, and lime juice in a punch bowl and
stir. Add the cranberries. Serve the punch in clear glasses
and garnish with cinnamon sticks.
WINTER HAT Shadow Match Game
Answers 1-4, 2-6, 3-5

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