Kids gain literacy, math and science skills in addition to cooking skills in a cooking class.
Kids love helping in the kitchen, and a cooking club offers opportunities for kids to gain valuable skills in a fun, social setting. The key to a kid's cooking club is preparation. You'll lose the children's attention if you have to go rummaging for ingredients. Before the children arrive, set up a preparation area with everything you'll need. Spend some time during the first few cooking classes teaching basic skills such as using knives safely, measuring ingredients and using mixers. You'll encounter fewer problems later, and the children will be able work to independently.
Instructions
1. Wash fresh produce ahead of time if you have a tight schedule. Teaching children to wash produce in a colander or salad spinner is a valuable learning experience, so try to fit it in at least once during your classes. Store the produce in plastic bags or boxes in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Peel and cut any hard produce, such as carrots, potatoes and apples. Children ages seven and older can cut soft foods like bread, fruit and salad greens, but they are more likely to cut themselves preparing hard foods. Store the foods in plastic bags or containers in the refrigerator.
3. Set out all the ingredients needed for a baking activity at the prep table. Store flour, salt, sugar and other dry goods in plastic containers rather than the original bags to avoid spills. Don't forget bowls, measuring cups and spoons, rolling pins and pans. Have everything ready before the children arrive. Older children can learn to crack eggs into a small bowl, but crack eggs ahead of time for children younger than age seven.
4. Write simple recipes on chart paper or poster board. Include pictures for young children. Refer to the recipes as you work to incorporate following directions and literacy skills into the cooking activities.
5. Plan ways to include all the children. For example, if you're baking cookies, allow each child to add one ingredient. Take turns stirring or mixing, counting to ten for each turn. If each child is making something individually, provide paper plates or small cutting boards to separate the work spaces. Young children work together better if they have a visual boundary of their space.
6. Line cookie sheets with aluminum foil ahead of time if you are working on a baking project. Place each child's baked good on the sheet and write his name next to it with a permanent marker.
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