By Rinna Sanchez-Baluyut, Head Teacher
At the playdough table, Elliot carefully flattens some playdough using a rolling pin and says, “I’m rolling the dough out to make a cookie!” At the sand area, as Willy fills the muffin pan with sand, he gently places it in the oven saying, “Let’s put it in the oven. Bake it in the oven…10 minutes.” At the kitchen patio, Josiah excitedly shares, “I’m making ice cream pie!”
Children in our Twos classroom naturally gravitate toward kitchen play as they enthusiastically prepare a dish at the playdough table, in the sand, and in the patio area. Cooking play scenarios like these are quite typical in our Twos classes and it is a recurring theme that we witness daily. It is only natural to extend children’s growing interest in cooking after seeing them so involved in this play.
The children take great pleasure in the whole baking process, as the aromas of freshly made pizza, honey bread, banana muffins, and pretzels fill the Twos classroom. During the winter quarter, baking activities in our Twos classroom afforded children rich sensory experiences. The children explored a variety of tactile experiences as they kneaded, rolled, mashed, and mixed dry and wet ingredients together. Children had many opportunities to see the different shapes and sizes and the transformation of ingredients between the beginning and end of the baking process. When we cook, the children get very excited to taste their warm baked goods during snack time.
Baking has provided countless learning opportunities in our Twos classroom, starting with a social experience for children to come together as a group. With that collective goal in mind, the sense of being part of a community was strengthened. We were amazed to witness how the children were able to self-regulate their impulses as they waited patiently for a turn to stir, pour, or scoop ingredients in a bowl. The children grew increasingly more cognizant of helping their peers as they noticed when they were needed to hold the bowl in place so it would not tip or spin. While waiting for a turn, the children freely conversed and shared their thoughts and opinions.
When using a variety of ingredients and baking tools, and trying out different baking techniques, children gain first-hand experience understanding cooking terminology and increase their awareness of different ingredients, becoming more proficient in using these terms in their speech and expanding their vocabulary. At the baking table, we could hear the children talking with one another. For instance, as she waited for a turn, Sanaya politely asked, “Can I please have a whisk?” Ella listed the ingredients in her bowl, saying, “I have eggs, butter, and salt inside my bowl,” while Graham announced, “My dough is sticky. I think I need a little more flour,” as he kneaded the dough together.
Children practice mathematical skills as they bake in the classroom. They measure flour using measuring cups and spoons, count the number of bananas that need to be mashed, and count the number of eggs to be added to the mixture. What’s more, over the course of the quarter and after repeated experiences of following the same recipe, we noticed that the children began to understand the baking sequence and anticipate the next step. While baking honey bread, Ella excitedly exclaimed, “We need to put the water and that [pointing to the yeast] into the bowl!” While making pretzels, Ethan suggested, “Now we can put the cinnamon.” While mixing ingredients for the banana oat muffins, Alina added, “Now we put in the oats!” Following recipe directions allowed the children to have a better understanding that baking is a step-by-step process and must be completed in a certain order.
Fine-motor and hand-eye coordination skills are reinforced as children stir, roll, scoop, and knead. When children have frequent opportunities to bake, their confidence in baking and cooking increases, and parents delight in sharing that their children are showing greater interest in helping them cook at home. Not only does baking offer the children in our Twos classes the chance to develop numerous skills, but this shared social experience also brings much joy to our Twos community!