Bring together math, science and creative thinking for a whole bunch of yummy activities! Learn simple ways you can use everyday items to create educational fun in the kitchen.
For our young children, writing serves as a window into their language and literacy development. We want them to feel comfortable and confident in expressing themselves through writing, so we provide a forum for them to take risks and explore written language. Handwriting and letter formation is an important dimension of children's early writing process.
Once children are starting to get comfortable with the global contours of written letters (straight lines, curves, and circles), begin to put these together to form letters. If you have a handwriting curriculum already in place, you can use that. If not, and you are looking for some guidance, get some ideas in Playful Activities for Reading Readiness: Laying a Foundation for Literacy like this activity that allows children to practice forming shapes and letters in "goopy bags".
Literacy Cooking LanguageThis fun snack-tivity will not only introduce preschoolers to making food for themselves, but also help them develop fine-motor skills. Check out more activities like this one from GIANT Encyclopedia of Preschool Activities for 3-Year-Olds.
printable Cooking Large GroupThanksgiving is a tradition-filled day that kicks off the end-of-year holiday season of shopping, decorating, exchanging gifts and, hopefully, charitable giving. No matter how your family honors Thanksgiving, it is full of opportunities to create new family traditions that help children understand how lucky they are to have the comforts of home, food, and family and that teach family members to express gratitude for all of the goodness in their lives.
Seasonal Learning: Fall Cooking Social EmotionalChildren start developing eating habits right away. From the time they get teeth and begin to eat solid foods, children already have a pattern to their mealtimes and are beginning to determine what foods they like and dislike. This is why it’s so important to teach nutrition early! With the right teaching, children can learn how to choose healthy foods and determine what their body needs to feel good, making it easier to continue those healthy habits in adulthood.
Movement and Play Lesson Planning CookingPlay food is a fantastic way for children to play and learn! By playing with toy food, children are able to emulate the adults in their life by “cooking” and “baking” while also developing motor skills, logic skills, sense of cause and effect—the list goes on!
Movement and Play Art CookingGetting young children interested in healthy eating is no easy task! When compared to junk food or sugary snacks, fruits and vegetables aren’t very attractive choices to kids. But, healthy cooking activities for kids are a wonderful way to interest your little ones in healthy eating and bring some fun experiential learning into your kitchen.
Lesson Planning Cooking ScienceTeaching kids life skills doesn’t have to be boring! Cooking with kids is a great way for parents and teachers to share valuable life skills and have a little fun along the way. Whether you’re at home, or cooking in the classroom, MaryAnn F. Kohl and Jean Potter’s Cooking Art: Easy Edible Art for Young Children, is full of activities sure to inspire your budding chefs.
CookingSt. Patrick’s Day is the perfect opportunity to let your students have some fun! A St. Patrick’s Day party is a wonderful way to do this, giving students a chance to socialize, do crafts, and learn through play.
CookingJuly is National Ice Cream Month and science activities for toddlers involving food are a fun way to learn while celebrating this tasty treat. Preschool science experiments give students a chance to explore the world around them in a variety of ways, which also helps them develop in other areas of learning such as social-emotional, math, and literacy. National Ice Cream Month is the perfect opportunity to add simple science experiments for kids, like making ice cream in a bag, into your toddler lesson plans.
Lesson Planning Cooking ScienceOne week until Independence Day! We're looking forward to the fireworks, food, and family time that the holiday brings, but we also love the significance of the holiday: the day that our first Congress approved the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and we established ourselves as a new nation. Many celebrations involve barbecues and picnics, and nearly all celebrations include fireworks!
Summer Learning Outdoor Learning CookingToddlers and preschoolers love playing in the kitchen, and now you can encourage learning through their explorations. Teach 2 to 5-year-olds about kitchen safety and basic science and math principles through cooking projects that are loads of fun and easy to prepare (and clean up).
Browse through lists, author interviews, excerpts, and articles that connect theory and best practice in early childhood education.
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