09/18/2026
Today we read Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola! Well..kind of. I recognized that our crew for the day was super young. Totally something I should remember for the beginning of our season. Luckily, I’ve read the story SO many times that I used the book more as a prompt to retell the story in a more succinct way and with some additional dramatics to help most of the participants stay engaged to their ability.
After our story, we used pasta paint brushes to play creatively. We also used the Yetti in My Spaghetti game to promote collaborative play.
Craft recipe:
Use a rubber band to wrap a small collection of spaghetti.
Add 2-3 inches to a small pot of boiling water.
Cook to al dente (as per directions).
The starch in the pasta helps to make a nice handle while the small portion of pasta gets all squiggly.
Use pasta paintbrush to mix paint colors on a large sheet of paper.
Please note: Gluten free families had a separate table with gluten-free brushes for painting.
Kids painted for about 5 minutes. THIS IS FINE! After painting, so many toys became “pasta pots” that adults were encouraged to eat—just like Big Anthony from our story.
Overall, imaginations were sparked, collaboration occurred, and good times were had by all.
