Fairy Tales in Different Cultures: The Persian Cinderella

Today we are going to share The Persian Cinderella by Shirley Climo. Now Persia is known today as Iran. Iran is known to be home to one of the world's oldest civilizations. In the 7th century, Rashindun Muslims invaded Persia (putting an end to the Roman-Persian Wars). During the Islamic Golden Ages Persian literature, art, philosophy, and medicine played important roles in the development of the Muslim Civilization. 

Source: Samuel Augustus Mitchell [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Teaching to Pray

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The other week, I was in charge of Hazel's Sunday School class. I love the craft we made and had to share it here. It came from the Kingdom of the Son Vacation Bible School Curriculum. For the summer we are doing Vacation Bible School lessons in Sunday School and having volunteer parents teach it. The goal of this Vacation Bible School is to teach the Lord's Prayer. I had the first week and we worked on the first part of the prayer and the message that God listens. The craft we chose to do was a simple one.

We traced each child's hands and had them cut them out. They decorated them with crayons or tissue paper squares. (Hazel did not make the best one, but I still love it. The squares make it hard to see the hands.) After they finished decorating we glued the hands together at the fingertips and then onto a piece of cardboard at the wrists so the hands would be in prayer position. Then we wrote "God Listens" on the cardboard.

Isn't it a cute craft. Plus it reminds children the position of their hands for prayer and that God listens to them pray. 

Looking for some more fun Christian crafts and/or lessons, check out:

• Footprints Cross Craft from Oriental Trading
• Baby Moses Story Book & Craft
• Noah's Ark
• Teaching the Trinity
• Prayer Beads for the Jesus Prayer
• My Religion/Church Related Pinterest Board

Fruit Explorations-- Lemon

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Ok, we did this exploration on Friday, but I did not get the post written, so you get it today. Hazel has been asking for more fruit explorations, and I thought about lemons and making lemonade. Summer officially started today and what is better on a hot day than a cool glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade? So Thursday Hazel and I went to the store and bought some lemons in two sizes--regular or jumbo.

She could not wait to get started, so we did our exploration in our pajamas. She used a new magnifying glass to examine the outside and then I cut one in half for her.

After examining the inside as a half she asked me to cut the half in half so she could see the center better. 

She had fun examining it. She tasted a lick of one piece, but did not like it. Then she started squeezing them for the juice.

When I researched lemon crafts I discovered this neat one at Teach Preschool: Lemon drop painting.The idea is to dissolve lemon drops in a little bit of warm water to make a paint. Since we did not have lemon drops, we tried lemon lifesavers and had no success. Then we found some lemon hard candies and added them, but again no luck. We decided to add some lemon peel, so I made some zest. Hazel of course asked to have some to examine as well.

After our failure with non-lemon drop painting, we pulled out the yellow paint and got creative. Hazel made lemon prints with the half rinds.

Hazel even managed to find one that had a bit of the inside structure left and got some interesting prints. Then she wanted to paint the lemon, so she had fun painting as well.

Now we stopped painting to make the syrup and the rest of the lemonade. She had squeezed about one cup of lemon juice, so we mixed one cup of water with one cup of sugar in a saucepan and Hazel stirred it until the sugar dissolved. Then we heated it to a boil to keep the sugar dissolved.

Then we let it cool for a bit. Finally we mixed the lemon juice, syrup and about three and a half cups of water in a pitcher.

We put it in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes. We did a little more since we went back to painting. I pulled out a small square colored canvas and started painting a lemon on it. Hazel was suppose to paint the inside of it, but got upset since she thought my lemon looked better than hers. She started over and told me to paint the lemon's inside. 

Since my lemon did not fill the canvas enough, I made a lemon print and painted the inside of the lemon. then I added some strawberries to fill the canvas better. I started painting the strawberry seeds white, but was informed they are yellow. While finishing my painting we enjoyed the lemonade. Then while I cleaned up, Hazel drew in her fruit journal.

Since I had not planned ahead enough, I did not get any books on lemons yet, but will share some with you sometime soon. I also have the song Lemon Drops and Gum Drops in my head from searching the library database for lemon. Hazel learned the song and sang it at school in two concerts. I was singing it all Friday morning.  Hazel has also asked to explore all the fruits again. Stay tuned!!

For more fruit ideas check out: 

• My Fruit Pinterest Board
• Pineapple Exploration 
• Raspberry Exploration 
• Blueberry Exploration 
• Strawberry Exploration
• Needle Felted Strawberries with Acorn Tops

Sharing Saturday 14-25

Thank you to everyone who shared with us last week!! I know I am so inspired and have been pinning and commenting all night on so many great ones. I had a very hard time choosing which to feature, so there are three categories this week. The first, with summer officially starting here tomorrow morning, Summer Lists, the second, with Hazel and I becoming obsessed with Disney's Frozen, Frozen Features, and finally a few of my favorites plus one special one. First our special one.

From Danya Banya: Octonauts Party Starring Dashi

The perfect ideas to go with my current giveaway of the soon-to-be-released Octonauts: Calling All Sharks DVD. Have you entered yet?

Summer Lists

1) From From ABCs to ACTs: 10 Fun Camping Games for Kids
2) From Powerful Mothering: Best Summer Activities for Kids Under 5 Years Old
3) From Carrie Elle: 15 Fun and Free Outdoor Activities for Kids
4) From From ABCs to ACTs: 101 Family Friendly Summer Bucket List Ideas
5) From The Jenny Revolution: Free Summer Reading Programs for Kids
6) From The (Reformed) Idealist Mom: 3 Ways to Crush Your Summer Bucket List

Disney's Frozen Features

1) From Some of the Best Things In Life Are Mistakes: Frozen Crafts and Ideas Round-Up
2) From Here Come the Girls: Frozen Birthday Cakes
3) From Here Come the Girls: Olaf Juice Cartons for Kids

Did I mention Hazel is thinking of perhaps a Frozen theme for her next birthday party? I have already started a Pinterest Board to keep ideas for it and have added these.

A Few of My Favorites

1) From Felt with Love Designs: Ocean Exploration Finger Puppets (Free patterns!)
2) From Like Mama ~ Like Daughter: Enchanted Childhood Preschool - The Letter V
3) From Danya Banya: An Invitaiton to the Fairies: DIY Fairy Door
4) From Lou Lou Girls: I Spy with My Little Eye! Kids' Road Activity

Thank you to everyone who shared last week!! I hope you will join us and share again!! If you are featured here, please feel free to grab a featured button to display proudly on your blog. 

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From Your Hostess: This week we visited my parents at Cape Cod and I did not get all my posts written, but we did share our creative and simple mermaid craft, our exploration of Hungary for Around the World in 12 Dishes, our review and giveaway of Octonauts: Calling All Sharks! dvd, and our seashell art!

Make sure you enter our giveaway!

Now for This Week's Party  
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Shell Pictures

 Disclosure: I was sent these craft items to review free of charge from Oriental Trading. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I added links to the particular products for your convenience, but not for any compensation. 

Well, Hazel and I went to visit my parents this week and I got lazy on here. Sorry. I started writing a post last night, but never finished it. I'll safe it for next week. Of course visiting my parents always brings beach ideas since they live on Cape Cod. Although we did not go to the beach this trip, we did check out one of our favorite stores that always has fun shell artwork. We are inspired to do even more with these products that Oriental Trading sent us.