A Co-op Party

This week we had our last co-op for 2009. We had most of our regular classes, except that the little group did a couple of fun projects instead of their literature class. In preparation for a special Meals On Wheels delivery this week (more details later!), Dawn had the children make pretzel rods dipped in chocolate for those recipients.

Amber and Delaney work diligently:


Some of the finished products:


Helen, Melissa and I matched - how fun!


Max, Nina's youngest, let me get in some long overdue snuggle time - I just love him!!


After co-op classes, Melissa graciously offered to host a party for the kiddos. We began with a fun game for an inexpensive gift exchange. Here is what we did in case you want to try! Each child brought a gift that was $3 or less (or a baked good). They all sat in a circle holding a gift.


Now the fun begins! I read a version of Twas the Night Before Christmas that was a tad different. Throughout the story, there are a bunch of extra "lefts" and "rights" added in. Each time they heard left, they had to pass the gift to the person on their left and if they heard right, they passed it right. The gifts made their way around and around and back again before we reached the end and they got to keep the gift left in their hands! (or, they could trade if they wanted to!) It is a lot of fun and a neat way to do a gift exchange:


As if all of that wasn't enough fun, we then moved on to gingerbread houses! Each family brought a few kinds of candy and we all shared each others. We just used graham crakers, but we used hot glue to hold them together for better stability.

Here are Corbin, Jonathan and Tyler with their (unfinished) projects:


Caleb, Andrew and Jack show off what they have completed so far:


(From back to front) - Madilyn, Charlotte, Christina, Delaney and Amber show their projects:


MaKenna's creation:


Holly's creation:


Everyone had a great time, their were sugar highs and sugar crashes (didn't even mention the cookies and hot cocoa Melissa served!), laughs, fun and memories made that will last longer than the projects!