"Desserts are the fairly tales of the kitchen." -- Unknown
I don't know about you, but I sure enjoy a good fairy tale after dinner! December is a really sweet month for those who enjoy a yummy dessert! These are just some of the days celebrating tasty treats:
- December 3: National Cookie Day
- December 6: National Cotton Candy Day
- December 7: National Brownie Day
- December 14: National Pumpkin Pie Day
- December 18: National Hard Candy Day
It's hard to decide—which one is your favorite? Do you think you'll have any of the specified goodies on their special day? Check out the books and activities below to learn about and explore more of the world of sweets, and be sure to treat yourself to a few of our programs this month (your dentist would approve)!
READ: From Cocoa Bean to Chocolate by Robin Nelson
How does a cocoa bean turn into tasty chocolate? Follow each step in the food production cycle--from planting cocoa trees to eating a sweet treat--in this fascinating book!
Use your library card or apply for an ecard here to access our digital library!
Questions to think about while you read:
- Cocoa beans come from plants. Did you know that? What other plant-based foods do you enjoy?
- Are the cocoa beans naturally sweet? What happens to make them into the chocolate that we eat?
- What did you learn about chocolate production that you didn't know before? Were you surprised by that?
PLAY: Host a Sweets Walk!
Gather a group of family and friends together and share your favorite sweets and tasty treats in this fun game for all ages!
Supplies:
- Construction paper or copy paper
- Markers or crayons
- Bowl or container
- Variety of individually wrapped treats, such as:
- Candies (chocolate bars, lollipops, small bags of candy, etc.)
- Snack cakes and small pies
- Crispy rice treats, chocolate covered pretzel rods, etc.
- Any other sweet treats you like!
- Music (something upbeat and fun!)
Game prep:
- Use the markers or crayons to write large numbers on the construction paper. You'll need as many numbers as there are people playing (and maybe a few extra).
- Arrange the numbered papers in a circle on the floor.
- Number slips of paper to match the numbers on the floor; put these in a bowl.
- Arrange all the goodies on a table.
To play:
- Designate someone as the caller. This person will play & stop the music and pull the numbered slips from the bowl and read them out loud.
- All other players choose a number in the circle to stand on.
- The caller will start the music and the players will walk (or dance!) around the circle, stepping on the numbers as they go.
- When the caller stops the music, everyone must stop and stand on the number closest to them.
- The caller will draw a number from the bowl and announce it; the person who is standing on that number gets to go to the table and choose a treat.
- Continue playing; those who've had a number called can continue to play or sit out a round. Ideally, all players will either visit the treat table at least once, or those who have chosen multiple treats will share.
EXPLORE: Can You Float a Sunken Candy Bar?
This is one of many fun experiments with candy that you can find in Candy Experiments 2 by Loralee Leavitt.
Supplies:
- Small or mini Milky Way or Snickers bar, unwrapped. Make sure it is not cracked or smashed.
- Small, clear glass with about 1 cup of water
- Table salt
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoon
- Spoon for stirring
Instructions:
- Put the candy bar into the glass of water. Does it float or sink?
- Remove the candy bar.
- Add three tablespoons of salt to the glass. Stir until the salt is dissolved.
- Put the candy bar back into the glass. Now does it float or sink?
What's happening: When a candy bar is denser than water, it sinks. But when you add salt to the water, you make the water denser. If you make it dense enough, the candy floats.
MORE FUN: Can you make a Milky Way bar magically swirl to the surface? To find out, try this: pour one cup of water into the clear glass. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and stir until it dissolves. Add the candy bar. Then add another tablespoon of salt and gently stir the solution. Does your Milky Way bar float?
JOIN: Attend a program!
View all school age programs and events offered this month.
Registration is required for all programs; if space allows, walk-ins will be admitted. Use the link in the program information to register.
