POTATO PRINTS
You can use an old potato to make paint prints with your children.

• Cut the potato into pieces that are easy for your children to grasp.
• Set out some paint on a small paper plate.
• Give your children each a piece of construction paper and a potato piece.
• Show your children how to dip one end of a piece of potato into paint and use it to make a paint print on their paper.
• Additional paint plates can be set out if you wish to have pictures of more than one color.

SHAPE POTATO PRINTS
You can use potatoes to make specific shapes for stamping on paper; such as hearts, circles, diamonds, etc.

• Cut a potato in half, and draw a large shape on the top of one half.
• Now using a small sharp knife, cut away the part of the potato that is around the shape.
• Go down about ½ inch, leaving the shape jutting out.
• Give the shape stamp to your child along with a small paper plate with paint poured on.
• Show your child how to dip the potato stamp into the paint, and then press it onto a piece of paper.
   

POTATO STICK PUPPET

• Using brown construction paper, cut out potato shapes for your children.
• Set out the shapes, some craft sticks, some tape or glue and black crayons and moving eyes.
• Have each child choose a potato shape and glue two moving eyes onto the potato.
• Then have them use the black crayon to draw a mouth line on their potato shape.
• Finally, using the glue or the tape, help your children attach a stick handle to the back of their potato shape to create a potato stick puppet.
• Let your children hold up their potato puppets when you recite or sing potato rhymes.

POTATO GAMES

COUNTING POTATO GAME

• Have children sit in a circle on the floor.
• Pass out small potatoes, one to each child.
• Then have the children take turns holding up a potato as you recite the following rhyme.
  
• One potato, two potato, three potato, four.
• Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more.
•  Count how many more are left.
   

POTATO SORT

• Set out a basket filled with two different kinds of potatoes; such as small red and small white.
• Have children take turns sorting the potatoes into two piles.

POTATO SIZE

• Set out 4-5 potatoes for your children of various sizes.
• Mix them up and let your children take turns putting them in order according to size.
   

HOT POTATO

• Have your children sit in a circle on the floor.
• Give a potato to the first child on your right.
• Have children pass the potato around the circle.
• Tell your children that when they hear the (bell, whistle, etc.), the person holding the potato is out of the game.
• That person, passes the potato to the next person in the circle and scoots back out of the circle.
• The game resumes, until the bell is run again.
• Continue the game until there are two players left.
• Stop here for young children.  For older children, continue on until there is just one winner.

ROLL LIKE A POTATO

•  Have your children roll on the floor or grass like a potato.
• If you have a hill in your yard, children like rolling down the hill.
   

MR. POTATO HEAD

• Purchase or borrow a “Mr. Potato Head” game.
• Play the game with a small group of children.

POTATO LANGUAGE

POTATO WORDS

• Teach your children the names of different kinds of potatoes, such as; brown, white, red, and sweet.
• Teach your children the names of different ways to cook potatoes, such as; mashed, fried, boiled, baked, etc.
   

POTATO RHYMES

• Teach your children simple poems about growing or eating potatoes.
• Teach your children simple songs about potatoes.

POTATO BOOKS

• Look for books at the library about growing potatoes.
• Look for counting books about counting potatoes.
   

“P” WORDS

•  Teach your children to notice how the word “potato” begins, with the “P” sound.
• Ask them if they can think of any other words they know that begin with the same sound.
• You may want to go around your room and let your children help you fill up a basket with items that begin like the word “potato”.  Such as; pillow, pencil, puppet, paint,paper, etc.

GROWING POTATOES

• You can have fun growing potatoes with your children.
• First you will need, some seed potatoes, potting soil and some fertilizer.
• Since I have no real experience growing potatoes, I will direct you to the internet for instruction on how to grow potatoes.
   

GROWING MR. POTATO HEADS

•  You will need a potato for each child.
• Cut ½ inch or so off both ends of each potato.
• Stand the potatoes upright on a flat surface and use a melon-baller to scoop out holes in the top ends.
• Have your children place two cotton balls in their potato’s scooped out top.
• Let the children sprinkle some water on the cotton balls, then sprinkle some grass seeds on top.
• Carve a face on one side of each potato, and place them in a sunny spot.
• Watch Mr. Potato Head’s hair grow!

TYPES OF POTATOES

• Set out an assortment of potatoes.
• Show your children the many varieties of potatoes.
• Set out two of each type of potato and have your child find pairs.
• Teach your children the names of each potato type.
   

POTATO SNACKS

POTATO SNACKS

• Each day this week, let your children help you make or set out a different potato snack.
• Examples; French Fries, Mashed Potatoes, Boiled potatoes (perhaps made into potato salad), Baked potatoes with different toppings, Potato Chips, etc.
   

POTATO PANCAKES
                The recipe for Potato Pancakes can be found on the Food Station, under Winter Pancake recipies.

FOUR BROWN POTATOES
Four brown potatoes, sleeping in the ground,
Down comes a hand and one is found.

Three brown potatoes, sleeping in the ground,
Down comes a hand and another one is fond.

Two brown potatoes, sleeping in the ground,
Down comes a hand and another one is found.

One brown potato, sleeping in the ground,
All the potatoes have now been found.
                                                Jean Warren
 

POTATO PATCH
Tune: "Way Down Yonder In The Paw, Paw Patch"

Digging up potatoes and put ‘em in my basket.
Digging up potatoes and put’em in my basket,
Digging up potatoes and put’em in my basket,
Way down yonder in the potatoe patch.
                                                Adapted Traditional

 
DOWN IN THE GARDEN
Down in the garden, early in the morning.
See the green leaves growing on the vines.
See the little flowers, turn slightly yellow.
Dig, dig, dig, dig, potatoes you will find!
                                                Jean Warren
 

THE POTATO MAN
Sung to the tune of “The Muffin Man”

Let’s invite the Potato Man, the Potato Man, the Potato Man,
Let’s invite the Potatoe Man, home for Sunday dinner.

We will give him a nice hot bath, nice hot bath, nice hot bath,
We will give him a nice hot bath, before our Sunday dinner.

Next we’ll give him some milk and butter, milk and butter, milk and butter,
Next we’ll give him some milk and butter, before our Sunday dinner.

Then we’ll twirl him around and around, around and around, around and around,
Then we’ll twirl him around and around, before our Sunday dinner.

Then we’ll gobble him up real fast, up real fast, up real fast,
Then we’ll gobble him up real fast, for our Sunday dinner!
                                                                                Jean Warren
Another fun song, for children to act out as they sing.