Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Counting Bat Cookies


I noticed this week, that C (age 5) has taken a step backward with her counting. Suddenly, although she can count off the numbers below 10 and over 20 just fine, she's stumbling through the teens. I've been casually counting everything out loud with her for the past few days, playing Chutes and Ladders, focusing in on the teens, and watching countless Sesame Street counting clips with numbers over 10 at SesameStreet.org.

With C's favorite clips being the ones with The Count, and our unofficial theme, this week, already being bats, it didn't take much imagination when it came to snack time - bat cookies were kind of a "duh".

We made them pretty much the same as our bat cookies from last year, only smaller, using the clean top of a salt shaker to cut circles out of a half batch of sugar cookie dough (click here for the recipe).


We cut 20 circle bodies, and squished them out little on the cookie sheet.


Then, we cut 20 more to cut in half with a zigzag cut...


...for wings.


We added chocolate chip eyes, before baking the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, and once they had cooled completely, I filled a plastic baggie with melted white chocolate chips, snipped a tiny corner, and piped on the numbers from 1 to 20 (I would probably suggest using frosting instead - melted chocolate is very hot, and difficult to pipe on without burning your fingers).


I set them out on plates, and E (age 6) helped her sister count them. "1, one bat cookie, aw-ha-ha-ha...2, two bat cookies...aw-ha-ha-ha..."


Finally, the older children stepped in to demonstrate division with remainders (20 cookies divided among 6 children gives each child three cookies, with two left over for Dad), and multiplication mixed with subtraction (3 bat cookies each with two wings makes 6 wings, unless two wings fall off while you're moving the cookies to the plates, leaving only 4 wings).

Tip: If you let the cookies cool completely before removing them from the cookie sheet, the wings are more likely to stay attached.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Oh, and I'll be linking this post to a new meme - Watcha Making Wednesdays - hosted by the Ramblings and Adventures of a S.A.H.M., and to Math Monday at Love2Learn2Day.

11 comments:

  1. What a great project...and yummy!!! Thank you so much for linking up! :-)

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  2. These are great. C LOVES bats and I am always looking for new bat ideas for him.

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  3. Bat cookies are cute, but counting bat cookies are simply brilliant.

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  4. I love these. I know Selena would enjoy eating her way through the numbers!

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  5. I was waiting for a bat cookie...but the counting was a nice surprise. Quentin is still stumbling over those tricky teens...perhaps we should do some cookie counting!

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  6. It never ceases to amaze me how wonderful you are, your ideas and mostly the awesome fun that comes out of your Kitchen! Really I think it's sooooo cool and always come away with much inspiration! Just wish you had the same season's as me so all these wonderful ideas I could use NOW!!!!
    Have the best day,
    SMiles SHarnee :)

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  7. Now there's motivation! Super cute idea.

    On a totally different subject, you and I had exchanged comments about books regarding ancient animals coming from a biblical stand point. My parents sent Little J Dragons: Legends and Lore of Dinosaurs, from the Creation Museum. There bookstore might be a good resource for you.

    Kelly

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  8. So, do you ever use cookie cutters?

    Most kids struggle with teens at some point, they don't follow the patterns.

    2 ah ah ah! Love the count, and yes I am rather scatter-brained today.

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  9. Ticia - I have cookie cutters - and sometimes I use them - sometimes even to make the shapes they're supposed to be - sometimes :)

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  10. How cute!! I love that you didn't need a cookie cutter for these :0)

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