*Read to the children in your life every day. You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!
Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Farm By: Joy Cowley Illustrated by: Elizabeth Fuller
Ages: Toddlers through First Grade
The Mrs. Wishy-Washy books are among our favorites and Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Farm is one of the best. In this story, the cow, pig and duck get really tired of being scrubbed in the tub and run away to the city. They soon realize that the farm is a great place and that being scrubbed by Mrs. Wishy-Washy isn’t such a bad thing. This book is not only a good story, but is also done in rhyming text with some repetition, which is great for early literacy development.
Tips for Reading:
- Before reading Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Farm, look at the pictures in the book with the child and discuss what the story might be about. (Picture walk.)
- On a second reading of the book, ask the child to read the repetitive text with you. (Wishy-washy. Wishy-washy.)
- As rhyming words appear in the story, ask the child to think of other words that would rhyme. (pig/big, tail/jail, etc.)
- After reading the story, ask the child to tell you what the farm animals learned after being in the city.
- With older children, discuss with the child the saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side.”, and how it relates to this story.
Additional Books:
- Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Tub By: Joy Cowley Illustrated by: Elizabeth Fuller
- Little Blue Truck By: Alice Schertle Illustrated by: Jill McElmurry
- Old MacDonald Had a Farm Illustrated by: Anne Kennedy
- Piglet and Mama By: Margaret Wild Illustrated by: Stephen Michael King
- Blue Goose By: Nancy Tafuri
- Farmer Will By: Jane Cowen-Fletcher
Cooking Time:
Wagon Wheel Sloppy Joe
When we think of a farm, we think of wagons, so the wheel pasta in this recipe is a fit. This dish combines the taste of spaghetti and sloppy joe to make an easy and delicious pasta. Children can help by adding the ingredients and kitchen clean-up.
1 16 ounce package of wheel pasta
2 pounds ground chuck
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 jar (28 ounces) spaghetti sauce (Use your favorite.)
1 jar (15 1/2 ounces) sloppy joe sauce (We used Manwich.)
1/4 cup sugar
- Prepare the pasta according to the directions on the box.
- While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, cook the ground chuck, peppers and onions until the ground chuck is no longer pink.
- Drain the ground chuck mixture and put back in the skillet.
- Add the spaghetti sauce and sloppy joe sauce to the chuck mixture and stir.
- Add the sugar and stir.
- Heat until mixture is hot and bubbly.
- Drain the pasta.
- In a serving dish, pour the sloppy joe mixture over the pasta and serve.
Makes 8 to 10 servings. Makes a lot.
Fried Egg Candy
These delightful candies really do look like fried eggs! They are super easy to make and really good to eat. Children will really enjoy helping with these sweet treats. The recipe can be altered to make a lot of these or just a few. Children can help by laying out the pretzels, adding the yellow centers and clean-up.
Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
1 package (7 ounces) white melting chocolates (wafers)
64 small pretzel sticks
30 to 40 yellow M & M’s
- Place pretzel sticks on parchment paper in groups of two, leaving a small space between each.
- Melt the white chocolate in the microwave. Start with 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each.
- Using a tablespoon, drop the white chocolate over each pair of pretzel sticks.
- Immediately, add one or two M & M’s to form the yolk.
- Put tray into the refrigerator for a few minutes to help set the white chocolate.
Makes approximately 30 candies.
