During the month of October in School-Age 2, the children worked at developing various skills and enhancing their knowledge and critical thinking skills. The activity that sparked the imagination and creativity was that of yogurt and lemon popsicles. The group started by gathering all of the ingredients and materials needed to make the popsicles. This step provided the opportunity for the group to enhance their mathematical skills by measuring specific ingredients needed for the mixture. This also enhanced their senses as they were able to discover new flavors and textures throughout the measuring of the ingredients. The next step was to mix all of the gathered ingredients together. The group enhanced their teamwork skills as they mixed the yogurt with the grated lemon zest, followed by squeezing fresh lemon juice into condensed milk. One important step that the group engaged in was that of gathering the lemon zest. To achieve this, the children took turns enhancing their hand eye coordination by grating the lemon against a cheese grater. Nivaan quickly asked a nearby educator, “Do I have to hold the grater like this?”. Next up was a taste test, to ensure we had the right amount of ingredients. “I don’t like the skin of the lemon” Elliot exclaimed to the group. “To me it tastes like mint” Milo stated.
Throughout the process, no strainer was used when squeezing the lemon, therefore some seeds made their way into the mixture as well. “How many lemon seeds are in the popsicles?” Elliot asked his peers. Zoe quickly commented with, “It tastes sour!”, while Alexis exclaimed “I like it so much!”
The following day, after the popsicles had made their way to the freezer, the group got the chance to eat and enjoy their homemade popsicles. Some of the children thoroughly enjoyed them, while some others didn’t like the taste and texture of them. Throughout the entirety of this experience, the children engaged their teamwork skills, sense of belonging and engagement as they worked together to create their own afternoon snack. Engaging children in cooking/baking experiences provide so many rewarding aspects to their overall development.
