Whether reading Swimmy or Moby Dick, your students will enjoy creating their own edible ocean (or aquarium) scene using cream cheese tinted ocean blue (using food coloring), spread on a cracker and topped with fish-shaped crackers. Determining the number of fish could be a math lesson for younger students. Used as a Center activity, children could follow directions on a recipe chart, counting out the correct number of fish crackers.

from The Primary Chatboard

While birds are busy outdoors building nests and starting new families, you and your students can create edible nests in the classroom.

Heat one container of chocolate frosting in a saucepan. (It liquefies when heated.) Then add 1 bag chinese noodles. Blob the mixture onto wax paper and have kids "form" nests using plastic spoons. Use jelly beans for eggs. Nest hardens as it cools.

Submitted by Sherri Mcwhorter

For Mother's day, I do a Mother's Tea. We send nice invitations to each Mom. I start 15 minutes before school actually starts so that I can get more of my working moms. I make coffee, tea and offer juice. I spend a few weeks ahead of time making muffins and buy mini bagels, maybe some fruit as well. I offer several kinds of cream cheese or flavored butters. (Grocery stores will donate some of these items.)

I use real tea cups that I have collected from Good Will and garage sales. Moms sit in the kids' seats. The kids have made them place mats and set the desk for them the day before. The kids serve like waiters showing a menu and taking orders.

After the moms have food, we read a Mom book like "Love You Forever." Each child reads a page or we divide it as evenly as possible. Kids make a book, "All about Mom" that is given at the end of the time. Each child is told to kiss Mom on the cheek and say "I love You." I cry, the Moms cry, the kids think we are weird. If a Mom doesn't come, we will double up on a friend's Mom or get to do special jobs like announce what to do next, give lumps of sugar, hand out extra napkins.

Submitted by Rhonda in Florida