Summer Boost
Activity:
Father's Day Cookies
This year on Father’s Day--or on any other day of appreciation for someone special—try taking a break from paper and pencil, while still putting your love into words. Here’s an idea for an edible “note” that also happens to give your second grader some practice in recognizing adjectives and using a fancy new tool: the thesaurus.
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What You Need:
- Bag of rectangular sandwich cookies
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
- About 1-2 tsp. water
- Food coloring “markers,” available in the cake decorating section
What You Do:
- Pour sugar into a bowl, and add about 1-2 tsp. water. Mix the sugar and water into a paste, adding extra water as needed to reach the consistency of loose yogurt.
- Use a spoon or table knife to spread a thin layer of this icing on top of 12-15 cookies. The icing should dry and harden slightly within minutes.
- While you’re waiting, have your child brainstorm adjectives—words that describe a person, place, or thing. For at least three, look up the word in a thesaurus and see if you can find two more synonyms. Let’s say, for example, that you want to thank dad for being “funny.” A thesaurus will add “hilarious,” “humorous,” and “droll.”
- Now put your child to work with the food coloring markers. Have him use his best writing to decorate each cookie with a special word.
- When you’re done, you’ll have a sweet, original collection. Wrap them in a basket, and give them with pride. In just an hour or so of ridiculous, hilarious, creative fun, you’ve expanded your child’s language skills while creating a gift that’s downright delicious!
