At another Mommy & Me at Garden of Eve, Eve led us in picking wheat, threshing the wheat to separate the grain from the chaff, grinding the wheat (in a blender..though my kids have stone-ground grains at some local colonial-themed events), stirring in the eggs, sugar, baking powder, and milk, and frying up the pancakes.

Unless you have a field of wheat growing in your backyard, you may need to take a few shortcuts–but making a batch of pancakes is a great cooking with kids activity that we do most weekends with our children.

Pancakes, Pancakes! A great book for this fun and tasty activity is Pancakes, Pancakes!, by Eric Carle. A boy wants pancakes for breakfast and his mother sends him on errands to get flour from the mill, select an egg from the hens, milk the cow, churn the butter, and gather firewood for the stove.  The young man learns everything that goes into making his favorite breakfast and enjoys the delicious pancakes all the more.

Making Pancakes with Your Kids

Your children will also discover that food you make yourself just tastes better.  My daughter has her own whisk and loves stirring the batter with her Daddy or her Papa.

You can use a simple pancake recipe to make them from scratch or try these banana-cormeal pancakes at Crunchy Domestic Goddess.

Even using a just add water pancake mix provides opportunities for pouring, measuring, and stirring.

Go maple sugaring for added fun and a scrumptious treat!

Make sure to observe kids in the kitchen safety rules for a fun and memorable experience!  We have a Guidecraft Kitchen Helper that allows our kids to safely measure the ingredients into the bowl, stir the batter, and even pour batter onto the griddle and decorate the pancakes with chocolate chips or fresh fruit slices.

Educational Opportunities

• Math: measuring the ingredients
• Motor skills: pouring and stirring
• Science: What is the importance of each ingredient? Why does the batter transform into solid pancakes when fried?
• History and Culture: What role did this simple treat play in our culinary history? Why were pancakes important on the frontier? What types of pancakes are popular in other cultures (crepes, dosa, blintzes)? Wikipedia has a good starting place for pancake research.
• Ecology: What is the origin of the ingredients that go into the pancakes? Can these all be found locally or do some come from other regions or nations?
• Literature: Read Pancakes, Pancakes!, by Eric Carle. Make up a similar story about another favorite dish.

We have the good fortune to live near an organic farm (Garden of Eve) owned by young parents. The mom runs a summertime “Mommy & Me” that includes a circle time and a farm “chore”. One week the children picked blackberries and turned them into jam!

The process was fairly simple:

1. Pick the berries
2. Wash and dry the berries
3. Meanwhile, sterilize glass jars in boiling water
4. Crush the berries in a bowl
5. Add mixture to a pot and pour in pectin according to the recipe
6. Bring to a quick boil and stir
7. Add sugar according to the recipe and bring to a boil again
8. Ladle jam mixture into the sterilized glass jars.

Since we did not plan to keep the jams for a long time, we did not process them in a Boiling Water Canner.

Books About Jelly, Jam, and Berries

Jamberry (ages 0-3)

My daughter’s favorite book when she was a baby, Jamberry is a rollicking, rhyming journey through the land of berries.  With just the right amount of playful silliness, a boy and his bear pick blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries for jam.  Their journey through Berryland ends in an explosion of flavorful berries as delicious fireworks fill the night sky.

Blueberry Shoe (0-3)

A clever story that makes a connection between a young family’s berry-picking and the natural environment.  A young toddler loses a shoe hiking with his family and the local wildlife makes use of his unintended gift.  When he finds it again the following year, he brings a bit of nature home with him.  Amazon has this listed as a book for 4-8 year olds but despite the more advanced vocabulary, the simple sentence structure, short pages, and beautiful woodcut-style illustrations will keep younger children’s interest.

Jam and Jelly by Holly and Nellie (Ages 4-8)

This touching story focuses on the bond between a mother and her daughter.  Holly’s mother wants to make sure she does not miss a single day of school for lack of a warm winter coat and boots.  So, the pair gather the bounty of the forest to make and sell jams and other berry treats.  I love the focus on the importance of education, personal responsibility, and hard work.

More berry book suggestions at Gardenaut…

Educational Connections

• Mathematics: Measure out the ingredients.
• Science: What makes berries sweet? What is pectin and why is it important in making jam? Which fruits are highest in natural pectin? Why do we boil the jars?
• Ecology: What other animals eat the berries? What is the difference between cultivated and wild berries? (Remind children to never eat berries without confirming with an adult that the berries are safe to eat.)
• Colors: Even young toddlers will enjoy identifying which berries are ripe and which are not yet ready based on the color.

The educator at the nature center urged kids to exclaim “Oooo!” instead of “Ewww!” and I think that she has the right idea to encourage the children’s sense of wonder instead of forcing adult ideas about propriety on the kids. Of course, along with that sense of wonder they need a healthy dose of respect for not only the fragility of the ecosystem but also the potential dangers of nature–which is why the kids got to handle the Madagascar hissing cockroaches and Vietnamese walking stick bugs but not Rosie the Tarantula.

And don’t forget–there are some bugs that even adults think are pretty neat–ladybugs, fireflies, dragonflies, and butterflies!

The kids also made a very simple bug catcher craft at the Nature Center.

MAKE YOUR OWN BUG CATCHER CRAFT

Supplies

• Two Clear Plastic Cups
• Wire Mesh (for patching up window screens)
• Rubber Band
• Stickers and Permanent Markers (for decorating your bug catcher)

Instructions

1. Cut off the bottom of one cup.
2. Wrap the mesh around to cover the bottom of that cup and secure with a rubber band.
3. Use the stickers and markers to decorate the other cup around the rim (don’t go much lower than an inch below the rim).
4. Catch bugs in your cup and then place the cup with the mesh inside to trap the bugs in for observation.

If you want to be extra fancy, your child can make a Bug House out of an oatmeal canister (Your Wild Child) or you or an older sibling could make this Bug Catcher out of plastic canvas (The Mama Dramalogues via The Crafty Crow).

Enjoy your bug hunting and remember, this is a catch and release activity, only!

We like to make homemade, crafty gifts for the family and for this Father’s Day, the kids made mosaic coasters.

Materials:

• metal jar lids
• plaster of Paris
• sea glass, seashells, smooth pebbles, mosaic tiles, broken pottery, letter beads or tiles or scrabble tiles to spell names or words
• felt
• scissors
• glue

Directions:

1. Mix plaster of Paris
2. Pour into the metal jar lid.  If your “mosaic” pieces are much thinner than the lid is shallow, you might want to allow the plaster of Paris to start to set for about 10 minutes.  Alternatively, you could pour a layer, allow to set to create a base, then pour another, fresh, wet layer.
3. Kids can place words (like “Daddy” or “Love”) and then put other tiles and pebbles around the word in any design they like.
4. Allow to dry (plaster will be dry in about 20 minutes).
5. Trace and cut a circle of felt and glue to the bottom of the lid to prevent table scratches.

Educational Connections:

Mathematics: Measure the plaster of Paris and discuss the idea of proportions (two parts plaster, one part water).

Science: What happens to the plaster when you add water? What happens to the mixture after 20 minutes?

Ecology: Why is it important to use recycled materials?

Art / Art History: Identifying colors.

Advanced Art / Art History: What cultures made mosaics? Why might mosaics be useful? (recycling broken materials, making pictures out of waterproof and durable materials, etc.)

Literacy: Identifying letters, spelling words.

Fine Motor Skills: Placing tiles, tracing, cutting.

Find a local Maple Syrup Festival or take a road trip!  If you are heading to Vermont, check out Find & Go Seek’s listings of Vermont Maple Festivals.

My family headed to Benner’s Farm for their annual Maple Sugaring event. My children had an opportunity to learn about the Sugar Maple Tree (which New York, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia share as their state tree), tap trees for sap, watch the sap being boiled, taste fresh maple syrup, and even watch them making maple sugar candy.  I think the candy was the highlight for my daughter.

If you have Sugar Maples at home or near your school, you can also make your own maple syrup–we used to do this at my school when I was a child.

Discuss the process of photosynthesis and how the Sugar Maple is part of its ecosystem.

Learn about the history of Maple Sugaring, from the role it played in the lives of the native people to its use as a domestic (and slave-labor free) sweetener for colonists.  Changing technology has allowed large maple sugaring operations to flourish but small-batch maple syrup manufacture remains a cottage industry for many Americans today.

Calculate how many gallons of sap you will need to make one gallon of maple syrup.

Watch the temperature rise and fall as the sap reaches it boiling point and then cools.  Discuss why different fluids have different boiling points and why boiling turns the sap into syrup (and the syrup into candy).

Check out some more educational activities for enjoying Maple Sugaring Season and some great lesson plans about maple syrup from photosynthesis to weather to history to marketing the finished product.

And then whip up a batch of pancakes or waffles and enjoy some tasty syrup or try another maple syrup recipe!

Photo Credit: Hounds in the Kitchen

Like many children, my daughter is fascinated by birds–their spectrum of colors, array of tuneful songs, and familiar yet wild presence in our yard.

We’ve read her books on birds, taken her to the bird rescue at the nature center, and fed our local feathered friends.

In honor of National Bird Feeding Month, we went to a bird feeder craft playdate.  We made birdfeeders from pinecones, peanut butter, raisins, birdseed, and sunflower seeds.

I must confess, however, that we ended up feeding several fat squirrels.  Next time, I think we’ll try some squirrel-discouraging measures.

• Here’s a thorough round-up of some DIY birdfeeders.
• Check out the Best Backyard Bird Feeding Practices.
• PetCo’s blog has some important Winter Bird Feeding Tips, including nutritional needs.
• Check out some of the fun bird crafts at No Time for Flash Cards.
• If you are ready to invest in some bird feeding equipment, check out Audobon’s Bird Feeding Basics.

Educational Experience:

• Science: Find out the different names of the birds in your backyard. What other birds are common in your region? How do naturalists classify birds (raptors, song birds, waterbirds, jays, swallows, etc.)? What do different types of birds eat? (Check out some great activities for middle school students from the National Bird Feeding Society)
• Ecology: Consider how human actions affect birds. When we remove native plants or plant invasive exotics, we sometimes destroy habitats or a food source directly, or indirectly by discouraging certain insects. Insecticides can cripple birds when they eat the contaminated bugs.
• Mathematics: Participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count.
• Arts: Identify the various hues of birds found in your backyard. Enjoy some of Audubon’s paintings of birds and discuss how the descriptive drawings of the naturalist are considered art.
• Language Arts: Write a story or poem about the birds you observe in your backyard. Describe the colors and movements of the birds. Imagine the relationships between between the birds you see.
• History and Government: Find out the state bird and why it was chosen.

Extensions:

• Field Trip: Find your local aviary or avian rescue center.
• Agriculture: Research how to landscape to attract birds and plant some bird-friendly trees and shrubs.
• Language Arts: Birds have inspired many famous songs, tales and poems, from the upbeat rhythms of “Rockin’ Robin” to Poe’s haunting “The Raven”. Read an age appropriate story about a bird. Have your children use adjectives to describe birds.  Discuss why some birds have been seen in some cultures as powerful, frightening, mischievous, orcheerful.

Some of our favorite bird books for children:

Bird Calls (Hear and There Books)	The Bird Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta’s Alphabet Books)
Birds, Nests & Eggs (Take-Along Guides)	Backyard Birds (Peterson Field Guides® for Young Naturalists)

• Here on Naturally Educational, I have directions for an Apple Pomander–perfect for potpourri baskets or hanging around the house during the holidays.
• Veronique at Little Elephants, one of my favorite craft bloggers, has a huge round-up of Christmas Crafts, including recipes, gifts, and decorations.  We’re planning on trying the snow globes this year!
• No Time for Flash Cards has categories for both Christmas and Hanukah.
• Michelle at Scribbit has Gift Crafts Children Can Make as will as another post on Homemade Gifts.

Homemade gifts are in keeping with the spirit of the season and children love making gifts and then presenting them to friends and family.  Artwork from even very young children can be decoupaged onto candle holders or printed onto an iron transfer for a market bag.  Children learn the joy of giving and gain a sense of accomplishment when their items are lovingly displayed.  The tradition of handmade presents also places the emphasis on time spent with family rather than money spent shopping.

Even the simplest games can build a child’s confidence and skills.  Theater games utilize two of children’s biggest assets, imagination and energy, to build on their ability to focus, creatively problem solve, and cooperate.

Before today, I had worked with teenagers and children as young as eight, but since I have a 3 year-old, I decided to try some theater games with her playgroup and modify them for preschoolers.

My general format was:

• Introductions: We said, “Hello, my name is…and I like…” filling in our own names and something alliterative that we like.  Older kids can turn this into memory game in which you repeat everyone who has gone before you and then add your own.  For a younger or more shy group, you can choose a “hello song” in which the whole group sings hello to each child in turn.
• Warm Up: There are so many great theater warm-ups.  We played pass the energy ball.  Shay Shay Coolay, Zip Zap Boing, anything that  gets the group up and moving is good.
• Imagination Game: We used a tunnel and when kids emerged from the tunnel, they pretended that everything was really heavy, or silly, or that they had turned into something with wings.  With older kids, you could introduce simple scenes here.
• Dancing/Movement: After all that hard work, we get up and moving.  With younger kids, I recommend either dancing to a song that calls out the moves (Alligator Jump, alligator slide, all the alligators like to move from side to side…) or giving the kids instruments and leading them  in a parade around the room.
• Cooperation Game: At this point I would bring everyone back into the circle to re-focus their energy.  You could play a game like passing energy through a gently squeezed hand around the room, keeping up a balloon, or trying to count to ten without anyone calling out the number at the same time.
• Cool Down: Put on some quiet music and lead the children through a guided imagery exercise (Imagine you are in your favorite place, alone or with your favorite person or pet, then picture your favorite color gently filling the top of your head, making it feel warm and a little tingly.  It is relaxing and the color spreads to your eyes.  You feel your eyelids relax as you enjoy the feeling of being in this special place.  Then your cheeks relax and your lips…etc.).  This is a great feeling for kids to remember when they find themselves getting frustrated.

Theater games help children activate the creative portions of their minds, role play difficult emotions, learn to trust and cooperate with one another, and to better understand themselves.  It is also a lot of fun and a great chance to work out some physical energy in a positive way.

Photo Credit: edenpictures

Home baked goods can be shared, donated, or sold to raise money, teaching social skills and responsibility.

The process itself is a delight for the senses–the tactile pleasure of kneading dough, the crackle of popping corn, the sight of various foodstuffs browning, caramelizing or blending, and of course the smells and tastes of the finished product.

So, I thought it was a great question when an Education.com community member asked about easy recipes for children.

Here are some resources I know about and ones that others suggested as well:

• Teaching Tiny Tots Toddler Recipes
• Martha Stewart: Cooking with Kids
• Family Fun: Kids’ Recipes
• Food Network: Cooking for Kids
• The Science of Cooking

Even preschoolers can cook up a great time in the kitchen.  Check out these tips for age-appropriate kitchen activities for preschoolers to teens.

Safety is always of paramount importance anytime you are in the kitchen with kids.  Here are some great tips for cooking safely with kids from the BBC.

Do you cook with your kids?  What are your favorite recipes and tips?

Photo: Slicing