Food! Ah, so much can be said about it. There are so many different types, textures, temperatures, colors, and sizes. It’s a delicious vessel that also is amazing to use for learning! When we are first learning colors, food is one of our points of reference. Apples are red, bananas are yellow, grapes are purple, so on so forth. So while we are doing distant learning, food is a great tool to help your children build on skills they already have and work on new ones too. Here are a few ways to use your kitchen and food as your new classroom!
New foods
While their pallet may not be as adventurous as yours, this is a great time to introduce new foods! They can tell you about the size, color, and shapes and get the chance to try them. Children express their likes and dislikes very clearly and we can use that to our advantage. Focus on what your children like and find similar foods for them to try. The exploration of food should be a positive experience! Forcing foods or reintroducing foods that are not liked too soon may leave, excuse my pun, a sour taste and an even harder battle to overcome. Giving the options of a variety of food is also giving them independence to learn how to decide for themselves, feed themselves, and give them autonomy over their diet effortlessly.
Get Messy
A great activity with your kids is to get messy and touch the food you want them to learn about. They can identify if a food is hard, soft, squishy, hot, or cold. It is also a great way to utilize things you may have at home to help create your own sensory table. Allowing them to discover new foods through touch is another way of encouraging them to taste them. It’s also a chance for everyone to let loose and have some fun during this uncertain time!
Colors, Counting, and Categories
Food is an easily identifiable object. We are able to instantly see what color they are, how many are there, and what it is. These skills are great to practice at home. We can learn if a strawberry is a fruit or vegetable and can count how many grapes are on a vine.
Responsibility
After we cook or eat, we clean our plates and dishes and wash up. Children being present while working in the kitchen can teach them skills that are valuable in everyday life. Cleaning up after ourselves is something we work on literally everyday in class and these skills can be used at home, too. Introducing responsibility at home will blend lessons from school and real life expectations.
Bonding Time
The kitchen is a place of gathering. We spend a lot of time there everyday and on special occasions. In a time where we are forced to spend a lot more time together, having an outlet where you can be messy and have fun increases the value of interacting with your family. Taking an unexpected situation and turning it into a positive experience helps deepen your connection with each other and can be a stress relief for everyone.
Here are some fun recipes to try at home with the kids!
Playdough Recipe
1 cup of salt
3 cups of flour
3 cups of boiling water
1 tablespoon of cream of tartar
⅓ cup of oil
Food coloring of your choice Let’s get our hands dirty and have some fun!!
Monica B.| Lead Teacher
Amanda M. | Teacher