Who can resist a chocolate truffle, with its soft center of ganache or butter cream and which is then rolled in cocoa powder or crushed nuts? The chocolate truffle debuted in France in 1895, and this confection remains among the most popular chocolate candies worldwide. A simple truffle recipe requires only semisweet chocolate, heavy cream, butter and cocoa powder. The cream and butter are heated, then poured over shaved semi-sweet chocolate, whisked and chilled until the next day when the mixture is shaped into bite-sized balls and rolled in cocoa powder or crushed nuts.
Few items of clothing say "France" more than a French beret. The beret was first worn during the middle ages by shepherds and made of ecru wool and then was widely adopted by French men, who donned the beret in black wool with a stiff brim. Military-styled berets are worn in many cultures, and Scotland modified the beret to create the Tam o' Shanter. Few hats have been so widely imitated worldwide as the beret. French girls and women now are the main wearers of berets in France, and they wear this classic hat in any color they choose. Typically made from felted wool, you can use any fabric for the beret. Allow a yard to make this circular hat.
The Galette des Rois, or "The King's Cake" is a tradition for Epiphany, which is celebrated on January 6th. This cake contains a small prize or favor hidden inside, and the girl who discovers the prize in her slice becomes "Queen for the day." The girls can make the cake, which is best accomplished with a spice or pound cake, and someone will hide the favor inside the cake, prior to baking. The girls can also make the crown while the cake is baking and then, once cool, cut the cake into slices. In France, the girl who's crowned Queen, also gets to lead in the dance that follows in this celebration.
The girls can make their own Impressionist-style paintings similar to those the French Impressionists artists painted. Monet, Degas and Renoir used delicate brush strokes to create an 'impression' of reality, rather than life-like paintings. Realism had been the core of French painting at that time, and the style the Impressionists used -- with its play of light and soft, intermingled colors -- did not become popular until later. Set up easels by a window and encourage the children to paint an impression of what they see, focusing on light and shadows. Acrylic paints would work, although oil paints would be more authentic. Each child or a group of children could study a specific artist, such as Claude Monet, as inspiration.