Cooking Using Stories

The team have been supporting children's understanding of number: cooking is a wonderful and meaningful way to do this. Following recipes, using measuring spoons, counting out and talking about the recipe.
Children have been focusing on stories about food which have then led onto cooking some cozy snacks to keep us warm this wintery week.
The book Mr Wolf's Pancakes inspired a large group of children to make some egg-free pancakes. The children all washed their hands thoroughly. All our children know that this is the first step when they come to have a snack or to cook. They took it in turns to measure out and mix the ingredients. Children sustained and worked well as a team. 
Our children are very used to cooking in small groups, therefore they understood that this larger group meant they may have to wait for a turn. Cooking is part of our ongoing provision and valued as such. Children enjoy being part of a cooking experience but also know they may have to wait if they are not on the list. 
The warm pancakes really helped to take the edge off a very cold day.
Pass The Jam Jim led to a batch of jam tarts being baked by children. We used ready rolled pastry which meant the children could be as independent as possible. 
They cut the shapes out, carefully tessellating so they could get as many tarts as possible out of one sheet.  They measured the jam and spooned it out carefully. Working in pairs, they shared talk and each took a tart home for tea.