A Recipe For Learning
To children, the world of cooking is magical. We combine all kinds of ingredients, and simmer ,mix , boil, or bake, and then presto! – Something delicious is created.
I told the children yesterday that we might cook something and completely forgot. At the end of the day they called me out on it. First thing this morning I was reminded again so cooking we did.
Being asked to help with cooking makes kids feel grown-up and important. And when they cooperate with others to make a dish,they take great satisfaction in producing something for everyone to enjoy.
Cooking actually is a time of learning as well. Reading and following directions , and math concepts abound in cooking experiences. Children learn to recognize numbers and words from recipes and terms like half / whole or gentle ( cracking eggs 😬). Also they observe how ingredients change when they are mixed together.
Kids also learn basic math concepts such as counting and measurements. It will take years before young children fully understand concepts like numbers, weights, measurement, time, and temperature. Experiences with cooking promote the development of these concepts.
Cooking with young children does take more time than cooking alone. But the learning that accompanies cooking and the closeness and shared experience are worth the extra time.
( After the pumpkin bread cake out of the oven I asked everyone to help clear the table so we could try it . Some friends did not help and they were reminded of the folk tale called “The Little Red Hen”. )
We also did a science experience with one of our pumpkins. We’ve gotten a lot of mileage from those pumpkins. If you donated A THANK YOU !
http://siloampreschool.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_1293.mov
It was another great day. We are on a roll. Enjoy your weekend.