Make-It Topic: Hot Chocolate

Imaginative:

• Set up a hot chocolate stand with cups, pitchers, tea kettles, spoons encourage the children to make hot chocolate
• Place a picture of a fireplace on the wall set up some large pillows with cups
• Set up a hot chocolate store

Language:

• Read “Lucky Pennies and Hot Chocolate”
• Make a story with the help of the children on how they like hot chocolate
• Read Ginger bread baby, or the Hat by Jan Brett while enjoying some hot chocolate

Art:

• Use cocoa powder to finger draw with
• Place out a cup brown crayons and cotton balls encourage the children to make a cup of hot cocoa
• Paint with whip cream
• Place out marshmallows and glue, toothpicks, allow the children to make marshmallow characters

Water/Sand:

• Place different size cups in the water table dye the water brown
• Use large color marshmallows in the sand
• In place of sand use cookie sparkles (make sure you wash your hands before and after)
• Place spoons and strainers into the water table

Gross Motor:

• Place a large bin at one end have the children toss bean bags or marshmallows or cotton balls into the container
• Fill spray bottles with warm water dyed with brown paint go outside and spray the snow to make pictures
• Walk/Jump/roll on marshmallows (place cushions with a sheet over top)

Science/Curiosity:

• Have the children melt marshmallows in hot cocoa and time how long it takes
• Make some brown gloop for the children to explore
• Place 2 drops of chocolate syrup onto a cookie sheet see which one drips to the end first when the sheet is tipped

Blocks:

• Place cotton balls for snow
• Use many different cups and cans for building
• Collect butter and whip cream containers allow the children to build with them
  

Conceptual/Tabletop/Fine Motor:

• Make chocolate scented play dough

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup salt
1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup boiling water

Mix the dry ingredients. Add the oil and boiling water. Stir quickly, mixing well. When cool, mix with your hands. Store in an airtight container.

• Have a color matching game
• Lacing cards of mugs and marshmallows
• Beading marshmallows
• Counting marshmallows match to the cup

Music:

• Sing the song Hot Chocolate Song

(to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?")
Nice hot chocolate,
Nice hot chocolate,
Yum, yum, yum,
Yum, yum, yum!
Marshmallows are floating.
Whipped cream is melting.
Yum, yum, yum,
In my tum!

Quiet:

• Place large pillows with a white sheet over top for laying on “whip cream” to relax

Cooking:

• Make Hot Chocolate in a jar

Materials:
Baby Food Jar
Hot Cocoa Mix
Miniature marshmallows
Hershey Kiss Candy
Small Candy Cane
4-inch or Larger Fabric Scrap
Ribbon
Glue

Instructions: Clean the baby food jar and make sure it is completely dry. Put a one cup serving of the hot cocoa mix into the jar. Fill to the top with the miniature marshmallows. Put the cover on the jar tightly. Cut the fabric into a 4-inch circle. Cut a piece of ribbon about 12 inches long. Set the fabric circle centered on top of the jar lid. Tie the ribbon around the fabric along the edge of the lid. Tie a bow in the ribbon. Glue the Hershey kiss to the top, center of the lid. Glue the small candy cane onto the side of the jar. Include these directions with your gift: To warm yourself on a cold afternoon, pour this jar of cocoa and marshmallows into a cup of hot water. Unwrap the kiss and drop it into the cup. Stir with your candy cane and enjoy!

Field Trip:

• Go to Tim Horton’s for a tour and hot cocoa 
• Go for a walk for a Hot cocoa then walk back