Home Work: COOKING and NUTRITION
Cooking projects address science, math, literacy, physical, socioemotional, and cognitive skills, and also fosters creativity and self-expression. Children as young as 2 can begin mastering cooking techniques. Based on Laura J. Colker’s book “The Cooking Book: Fostering young children’s learning and delight”, through NAEYC, here are some appropriate ages and activities:
Children ages 2-3 can:
Stir and mix (mixing pudding in a bowl), shake (shake salt, shake cream into butter in a closed jar), spread (spread peanut butter or jam or cream cheese on crackers or bread), scrub (scrubbing vegetables with a brush), grease (spreading butter on a cookie sheet or cake pans), tear/break/snap (tearing lettuce, breaking off end of beans), dip (dipping break into egg for French toast), knead (kneading bread dough), wrap(rolling cabbage leaves around filling, wrapping foil around potatoes), use basic cooking utensils (whisk, baster, spatula, strainer, colander, cookie cutters), roll (with a rolling pin or hands—cookie dough or meatballs)
Children 3-4 can:
measure (fill measuring cups and spoons); peeling with hands (husk corn, take off eggshells); cut soft foods (slice bananas, boiled carrots or potatoes);crack eggs; use non-electric appliances such as food grinder, chopper, eggbeater, juicer with adult supervision; cut with a knife with adult supervision (cheese, hard boiled eggs, bread); grating, with adult supervision ; mashing (using masher or fork for bananas, boiled foods); peeling with a vegetable peeler; cracking nuts; coring, hulling, pitting with adult supervision.
Here is the recipe South Hills uses for its famous playdough:
2 cups of water
1 package of unsweetened Kool Aid (for coloring and scent) (see substitutions below) (DO NOT USE if your child is sensitive to food dyes!)
2 T vegetable oil
2 cups of flour
1 cup of salt
2 t cream of tartar
Poor water into mixing bowl. Heat water in microwave for 1-2 minutes until it is boiling. Remove bowl from microwave and stir in Kool Aid powder using whisk. Add vegetable oil and stir. Place flour, salt and cream of tartar in saucepan, and mix. Gradually add Kool Aid mixture to saucepan and stir. When smooth, cook on medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden sppon. When dough is done, it will pull away from sides of saucepan. Let dough cool, and remove from saucepan. Knead dough into smooth ball.
We often add items to coordinate with the holidays or projects instead of the Kool Aid, or in addition—such as peppermint extract for Christmas, pumpkin pie spice for Thanksgiving, white glitter for winter, red/white/blue glitter for July 4th, etc. There’s no limit to the variety!
Long winter days are a perfect time to have your children assist in preparing snacks, lunch or the family’s evening meal! Children can also certainly assist with the cleanup process, and will enjoy serving what they have helped to create! Picky eaters may also be encouraged to eat what they have made themselves!
Children ages 2-3 can:
Stir and mix (mixing pudding in a bowl), shake (shake salt, shake cream into butter in a closed jar), spread (spread peanut butter or jam or cream cheese on crackers or bread), scrub (scrubbing vegetables with a brush), grease (spreading butter on a cookie sheet or cake pans), tear/break/snap (tearing lettuce, breaking off end of beans), dip (dipping break into egg for French toast), knead (kneading bread dough), wrap(rolling cabbage leaves around filling, wrapping foil around potatoes), use basic cooking utensils (whisk, baster, spatula, strainer, colander, cookie cutters), roll (with a rolling pin or hands—cookie dough or meatballs)
Children 3-4 can:
measure (fill measuring cups and spoons); peeling with hands (husk corn, take off eggshells); cut soft foods (slice bananas, boiled carrots or potatoes);crack eggs; use non-electric appliances such as food grinder, chopper, eggbeater, juicer with adult supervision; cut with a knife with adult supervision (cheese, hard boiled eggs, bread); grating, with adult supervision ; mashing (using masher or fork for bananas, boiled foods); peeling with a vegetable peeler; cracking nuts; coring, hulling, pitting with adult supervision.
Here is the recipe South Hills uses for its famous playdough:
2 cups of water
1 package of unsweetened Kool Aid (for coloring and scent) (see substitutions below) (DO NOT USE if your child is sensitive to food dyes!)
2 T vegetable oil
2 cups of flour
1 cup of salt
2 t cream of tartar
Poor water into mixing bowl. Heat water in microwave for 1-2 minutes until it is boiling. Remove bowl from microwave and stir in Kool Aid powder using whisk. Add vegetable oil and stir. Place flour, salt and cream of tartar in saucepan, and mix. Gradually add Kool Aid mixture to saucepan and stir. When smooth, cook on medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden sppon. When dough is done, it will pull away from sides of saucepan. Let dough cool, and remove from saucepan. Knead dough into smooth ball.
We often add items to coordinate with the holidays or projects instead of the Kool Aid, or in addition—such as peppermint extract for Christmas, pumpkin pie spice for Thanksgiving, white glitter for winter, red/white/blue glitter for July 4th, etc. There’s no limit to the variety!
Long winter days are a perfect time to have your children assist in preparing snacks, lunch or the family’s evening meal! Children can also certainly assist with the cleanup process, and will enjoy serving what they have helped to create! Picky eaters may also be encouraged to eat what they have made themselves!