More Visits from Parents in Ganon Aleph

Zac N.'s mom came in this week to make ice cream with the children - from scratch!  It was an exciting and scientific process shaking the bag and watching the liquid ingredients turn into solid ice cream.  We have the recipe for anyone who is interested in trying this at home.

We were also happy to welcome Maya's dad who is a urologist, and Maya's mom who is a nurse, who came to talk to the children about our bodies.  Maya's mom showed the children the different instruments she uses to examine patients, and demonstrated on Maya's dad how they are used!  Maya's dad reminded the children how important it is to go to the bathroom when they feel the need, and not to hold it in.

Family members are always welcome in Ganon Aleph!!

Making Playdough in Ganon Aleph

Thank you to Eli's mom who came to our class to make playdough with the children.  They each took some home in a little zip-loc bag! 
Here is the recipe in case you want to try this at home:
(Use this amount for each color)
1 cup flour
1/3 cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup water
food coloring
Mix and cook over low heat.  Keep stirring until smooth.

Challah Baking in Ganon Aleph with Esti's Mom

The children learned in this week's Parashat Chayei Sarah that when when Sarah Emainu passed away, the candles which always stayed lit from one Shabbat to the next were extinguished, and that the challah dough which always rose stopped rising.  When Yitzchak brought his new wife Rivka to his mother's tent, the candles  burned and the dough rose once again.  To acknowledge this significant part of the parasha, Esti's mom came in to help the children make challah.  She then read them the book, "Way Too Much Challah Dough" by Goldie Shulman.

We love when parents, grandparents, and other family members come to work or play with the children in Ganon Aleph!

A Swedish Delight in Ganon Aleph

Ronnie's "bachia" (grandmother) came to visit all the way from Sweden and helped the children in Ganon Aleph make a special Swedish pastry called "kanel bullar" (cinnamon buns).  The children had fun rolling out and buttering the dough, sprinkling on some cinnamon, rolling it back up, and slicing it into bun-size pieces.  They especially enjoyed eating them at our Shabbat party!  Thank you to Lala and to Ronnie's mom for visiting our class and bringing us a yummy taste of Sweden!!

Fun With Moms in Ganon Aleph

Our Chanukah fun was enhanced this week by all the moms who came in to bake, cook, read, and play with the children in Ganon Aleph.  Thank you to Evan's mom who came in to make Chanukah chocolates with the children,

Ronnie's mom who made cupcakes which became this edible chanukiyah,

Julia's mom who helped the children peel and grate potatoes and then fried them up into scrumptious latkes,

Ani's mom who came in to play fun games with Chanukah music,

Helena's mom who came to make delicious sufganiyot with the children,

and Daphna's mom who came to play some interactive games with the children on our new i-Pads.

We love when family members come in to work and play with us.  All are welcome!!

Ganon Bet Does Yoga!

This week Ganon Bet was lucky to host a bunch of guests including Mommies and Grandma's! On Wednesday morning, Zachary's Mom who is a Physical Therapist helped us stretch our muscles and learn various poses from yoga. We became volcanoes and threw out lava, ice cream, and monkeys! We loved listening to the calming nature music and seeing how hard we could push ourselves!