“Get Out the Mad” Cookies Recipe from PBS KIDS

Hey! It's National Cookie Day! 

What a great day. I celebrated early by making chocolate chip cookies last night. Ha!

But let's talk about turning this day into a teachable moment. PBS KIDS has put together a recipe for making "Get Out the Mad" Cookies. Inspired by DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD, making these cookies helps encourage social-emotional skill development. Baking these cookies with children not only hones math skills, but also encourages conversations around an array of emotions, which helps social-emotional skill development. In order to make the most out of the educational baking activity, start by asking your child what some common feelings are and when last time they remember feeling happy, sad, mad, etc. was. Then, explain that there are things they can do when they’re angry besides shouting or hitting, like pound on clay or dough. Research shows that kids learn the most when the adults in their lives talk to them about what they’re watching and how they’re feeling.

So here are the directions for making some awesome cookies with your little ones!

“Get Out the Mad” Cookies:

Ingredients

• 3 cups oatmeal
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/2 all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• Bowl
• Cookie sheet

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Ask your child to help measure out the ingredients. This is a great opportunity to talk about reading numbers and following directions carefully. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

3. Give your child a manageable chunk of dough. It’s okay for your child to mash it, knead it, and pound it. The longer and harder your child mixes the dough, the better the cookies taste!

4. When the mixing is done, show your child how to roll the dough into balls about the size of ping-pong balls, and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes.

A New Series from PBS KIDS: Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood

You may already know that I am a PBS Ambassador. That simply means that PBS allows me to share exciting opportunities and information with all of you on a regular basis. This thrills me because I am a proud supporter of educational public television, and PBS KIDS is pretty much the only channel I allow my kids to watch without supervision.

I grew up watching Sesame Street. In fact, my mami likes to laugh and say I watched it until I was 12 years old :/. And my favorite show ever was Reading Rainbow (I was crushed when they discontinued it), followed closely by Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and 321 Contact.

And you all may have figured out by my incessant shares on Facebook and Twitter that my kids and I are AVID WordGirl stalkers fans - isn't everyone? - and both my son and daughter love Wild Kratts.

Anyway, last week, I attended the PBS Annual Meeting in Denver. (You may have seen my picture on the MM Facebook page!) It was so much fun! I got to meet many of the characters my kids have fallen in love with, including the Cat in the Hat, Princess Presto, Hooper, and even Curious George.

But I think the highlight of the trip may have been meeting Joanne Byrd Rogers, wife of the famous Fred Rogers. She was there for the exciting announcement that PBS is launching a new series based on her late husband's show.

PBS is describing Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, a show created specifically for preschoolers and focuses on their emotional development, as their next signature series. The show is a collaboration between PBS, the Fred Rogers Company, and Out of the Blue Enterprises (Blue's Clues, Super Why). And you can definitely see the influence of each organization on the final product. Take a look...

 

Many of the characters from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood are back in this new, animated series. But now they are all grown up with preschool-aged children of their own. The main character is the most adorable tiger cub, Daniel (son of Daniel Tiger from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe), who enjoys wearing a comfy, red sweater and sneakers.

Each episode is composed of two, 11-minute segments based on the same curriculum theme and weaves practical strategies into each lesson, teaching children how to deal with a changing world. It provides the children with the tools they need to manage their feelings. And it is done in an engaging manner. For every theme, a coping strategy is set to catchy music that can be easily remembered by parents and children alike.

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood will premiere with a one-hour special right after Sesame Street on Monday, September 3^rd. You can learn more on their new website.

As a parent who grew up loving Fred Rogers' show, I was moved by all the familiar elements that have been incorporated in this new series. Trolley, King Friday's castle, O the Owl's tree, even the song that little Daniel sings, take me back to my own childhood. And I'm SO thankful that my own children can now experience a similar show and create their own special memories.

Un abrazo...