In Part One, we looked at some general autumn subjects. In this installment, we will focus on autumn agricultural subjects.
The turkey is an animal many of us in North America associate with autumn. For many fun facts and activities related to this interesting bird, visit:
Autumn is apple harvest time, and this crop is so beloved and important that it inspires harvest festivals all across the country in towns like Fortuna, California; Arendtsville, Pennsylvania; Martinsburg, West Virginia; and Wenatchee, Washington. The University of Illinois Extension offers the following interesting facts about apples: http://urbanext.illinois.edu/apples/facts.cfm
Everyone seems to have a favorite apple recipe (or several favorites!), and here are a few AMC Resource Directory members have shared.
A great “no-cook” apple dessert you can make with very young children, Apple Sauce Parfait, comes from Kathy O’Reilly’s Cooking With Kids Can Be Easy. http://www.amonco.org/creative/montessori_fall2.pdf
If you want to try your hand at making your own applesauce, for Kathy’s parfait or eating plain, Dale Gausman of North American Montessori Center offers a simple recipe with safe cooking tips. http://www.amonco.org/creative3/montessori_fall3.pdf Dale also shared a recipe for Apple-Cinnamon Muffins. http://www.amonco.org/creative5/montessori_fall5.pdf
Dianne Knesek of Conceptual Learning uses fresh apples and pecans to dress up a boxed angel food cake mix. http://www.amonco.org/creative7/montessori_fall7.pdf
Want to celebrate apple season without cooking? Jaye from Creative Care has a cute apple wreath art project for kids 2 to 5 years old. http://www.amonco.org/creative5/montessori_fall5.pdf
Pumpkins are a favorite symbol of autumn and harvest time. They’re especially popular with children, probably because of their bright color, impressive size, and fun traditional uses. For more facts and activities about pumpkins, visit: http://www.pumpkinnook.com/facts.htm, and Sara L. Ambarian’s article on Canadian Thanksgiving. http://www.amonco.org/creative7/montessori_fall7.pdf
Other fall harvest items
Many home gardeners find they have lots of zucchini in late summer and fall. If you have extra zucchini to use up, you might enjoy Farm Country General Store’s Favorite Zucchini Bread:
Tomatoes are another bountiful crop this time of year. Garden Artisans offers a recipe for Homemade Fresh Tomato Ketchup, which is a great way to combine home and garden arts together. Many children do not realize that almost every type of food product we can buy was once homemade, so this is a great opportunity to show them the old-fashioned origins of what is arguably the most popular “kid condiment”. http://www.amonco.org/creative9/montessori_fall9.pdf
Lots of other interesting fruits and vegetables are also harvested in the fall. You might enjoy trying something new like sweet or hot peppers, pomegranates, quince, persimmons, elderberries or high-bush cranberries. You might be surprised at the variety of produce available in your area.
To find out more about the bounty of autumn, visit the following listing of fruits and vegetables which are harvested in the fall in the Northern Hemisphere.
Hearty autumn supper for busy teachers and/or families
For a quick, hot and hearty meal after a busy day at the pumpkin patch or in the garden, try the recipe for Hot Baked Chicken Salad shared by Karen at the Farm Country General Store. http://www.amonco.org/creative/montessori_fall4.pdf
To view all offerings in the new 2011 fall newsletter, please visit http://www.amonco.org/montessori_fall_handson.html