Cooking at PHN

The preschoolers at Play House North really love to cook.  In the past they've made vegetable soup, oatmeal raisin bars, homemade peanut butter, and watermelon agua fresca.  Cooking, and food preparation activities in general, are wonderful ways to engage children across many areas of development.  

Self & Social Development:
By working on a project together, children can practice impulse control, how to take turns, and how to negotiate space and materials.

Vegetable soup

Language & Literacy Development
By using recipes, children are learning to follow increasingly complex instructions.  Recipe and process discussions also promote new words and terminology.

Oatmeal raisin bars

Cognitive Development
Recipe analysis helps them learn cause and effect and helps them engage in critical thinking.

Homemade peanut butter

Mathematical Development
Using the right amount of each ingredient helps them practice measuring skills.  

Watermelon agua fresca

Physical Development
Chopping, pouring, and stirring helps them with their fine motor skills.