Yes! You read that right… we are studying desserts this spring!
In search of a theme for activities that truly excite these young ones, what better than cakes, cookies, pies and ice cream! We came to this idea in February when chatting with a few older kiddos on the playground. When asked what they would like to study next, a 5-year-old said “My mom’s birthday is tomorrow and we will have cheesecake! I wish we could study cakes?” The rest of the children cheered and agreed. Recalling that following the children’s passion is key to keeping them curious and excited to learn, we made it happen.
So this spring, we have made materials that present lessons on types of desserts: different types of cooking, ingredients, nutrition, where food comes from, the food pyramid, and more. For example, on our language shelf, the older children will practice writing and learning the words for many dessert-type foods. Younger ones will match photos and labels to strengthen their visual discrimination (see photo of cake and pie ingredients, right). In addition, we have found some nice books on food and desserts to add to our library.
Like so much we do, studying desserts wouldn’t be complete without help from some of our parents. We are looking forward to tasty treats from around the world: from Norway, the Philippines, Brazil and, of course, the USA. During these tastings, we wonder about the taste and texture. Will it be sweet or sour? Hard or soft? Gooey or crispy? In the process, we’ll practice making and reading charts, making predictions and understanding the results.
apple pie or lemon merengue?