Johnny Appleseed

The boys were keen to do something different towards the end of the 1st week of their holiday.

I decided to do a fun study unit with them about Johnny Appleseed. Shhhhhh! They don't have to know they're learning!!! ;-)

We had a lot of fun and needless to say, both boys spend the evening walking around with pots on their heads.

We started by reading the story of Johnny Appleseed.

Johnny Appleseed, who was born as John Chapman (September 26, 1774–March 18, 1845), was an American pioneer who became known for his generous and kind ways. Legend says that Johnny wondered the American wilderness for around 50 years planting apple seeds to create apple orchards in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The only things he had with him was a bag of seeds, the Bible and a pot that he carried on his head.

The boys then proceeded to watch a cartoon about Johnny Appleseed. Which you can check out here

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xi99je_johnny-appleseed-1948_shortfilms

We then created a keepsake lap book about Johnny Appleseed and apples in general.

Here is Kaydens

We decorated and colored the lap books with interesting facts about Johnny and about apples
 

We covered things like; apple life cycles, parts of an apple, facts and things to remember.

We also read Johnny's grace, which goes like this:

"The Lord is good to me

and so I thank the Lord

for giving me 

the things I need

the sun, the rain and the apple seed

the Lord is good to me"

 

Kayden also did a cross section of a apple and labeled all the parts on the white board.

Here is a quick look a Dannys lap book

Danny's material was a little different, we talked about kindness and stewardship and ways that Johnny displayed these values to people, animals and plants.

We then spoke about apples. Did you know that there are more then 7 500 different varieties of apples in the world!!! Mummy learned something new ;-)

With so many wonderful varieties, we tried to come up with as may uses for apples - and we had PLENTY!!!

Of course we needed to try some! Taste test time

We had 3 varieties of apples, apple juice and dried apples. The boys took notes of which was sweet or sour and whether they liked the way they tasted. They liked everything LOL

The next day, babcia finished the unit in style with Apple pancakes for breakfast!!!! YUM!!! :-)

 

Lemon, ginger and honey cough syrup

My kids LOVE this cough syrup. It is one of my favorite home remedies for sore, scratchy throat, sinus problems and general congestion. Not only does it sooth the throat but also gives your body a much needed Vitamin boost.

Here are the the indigence - man this is soooo simple!

Lemon: High in vitamin C, strengthens the immune system and neutralizes the free radicals in your body. It also reduced inflammation and swelling.

Ginger: Helps sweat out the toxins from your body. Ginger is also helpful for settling upset stomachs, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and cold sweats.

Honey: Soothes a sore throat and is a effective natural cough suppressant. Honey has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and can fight bacteria. It improves the body’s ability to fight infection and decreases the risk of fevers. 

Combine it with the nutrients in lemon and ginger and you've got a natural, delicious way to treat cold and flu symptoms.

 

How to:

1.  Thoroughly wash the lemon and peel the ginger.

2. Dice equal amounts of lemon (including the peel) and ginger to fill a jar of your choice. ( I usually use 500ml to 1lt to get a decent amount of syrup)

3. Pack your lemon and ginger into the jar and pour over with honey, ensuring that it reaches all the way to the bottom. Use a knife to release any air bubbles trapped in between the ingrediance.

4. Secure a lid and let stand at room temp overnight.

5. Strain the ginger and lemon to get a golden delicious syrup. YUM! :-)

I believe I can fly!!!!

The boys really needed something fun to do in the garden. They have become experts at playing with sticks and stones, it was time to do something more exciting.

We decided to go with a 30m Flying Fox!! lol

Daddy has worked all morning, setting it up and making sure that it is safe. Love you Daddy :-) 

And now .... its time for FUN!!!!!

I think the photos speak for themselves ;-)

Needless to say, at the end of the afternoon they were absolutely exhausted, starving, thirsty and filthy dirty.  That's how you can tell the kids had a great day.