"Show and tell" is really going to test my creativity

Every Friday, the children in Grace's preschool class have the opportunity to participate in show and tell. At first, I thought this would be great. Well, actually, I DO think it is great - for the kids. They get the chance to show something that is important to them and have the experience of talking in front of other people each week. Great for memory, language development, social communication, self esteem....and so much more. But, it is really hard on the parents! Why? Because there are rules! No toys, the item has to be small enough to fit in the child's cubby box (about the size of a shoe box), and some weeks it has to coincide with the curriculum themes.

Last week Grace brought shells. I thought that was pretty good. We coached her about finding them on the beach at Nana and Ba's house, what creatures once lived in side the shells, their colors, etc... Not bad, right? Until I found out one of her classmates brought a boomerang! I have to give those parents credit. That was a cool thing to bring. And, Grace remembered it because she told Kyle all about how you throw a boomerang and it comes back to you. The bar has been set pretty high!

So, this week for show and tell Grace is bringing two pieces of wood. (I know...keep reading and it will make sense.) We made a bonfire on Sunday night and cooked marshmallows. Grace helped crumple paper and put wood in the outdoor fireplace,
...and watched (from a safe distance!) as the fire grew.We talked about how it gets really hot and how we use water to put out the fire if we need to. Then we cooked marshmallows and compared how they look, feel, and taste before they are cooked and are all gooey after they are cooked.So, on Friday for show and tell Grace is bringing some of these photos and the before and after pieces of wood to show what fire can do and how the wood changed after it got burned...and maybe some marshmallows to share!