If you are teaching from books five times a week kids will get bored so like others I vary the material, and we sometimes do little cooking projects. Some teachers don't want to organize things like this as they think it is a lot of work and messy. It's neither. The kids do the prep and the cleaning up, I insist on this and they don't leave the room till things are in their right place. This is an introduction to science as well. Everybody washes hands before and after. Careful with the use of class time. The Montessori methods emphasize practical tasks and cleanup and I am a fan.

1. Boiled eggs. So simple, cheap, and you can combine it with an Easter theme by asking the kids to draw (don't bother with paint) a face on the eggs once they are cooked, and add paper ears. Many children are quite hungry in the afternoon as they don't go home till all the extra classes are finished. They are welcome to peel and eat the egg in my class. Make sure you teach the minimum vocabulary: Gas burner or electic stove, fire, lighter, water, boil, cook, egg, shell, yolk & white, yunmmy. I use a small gas camping stove and kids can watch but not touch it. Many kids in Asia have gas cooking at home so this is not seen as a risky activity.
Special note: If you add onion skins to the boiling water white eggs will be dyed yellow then brown, very educational. This snack requires no cups or utensils. Wipe down the table with moist tissue.

2. Banana Desert

Peel bananas and cut them into pieces.(Put the peels/skins into the school compost or garden. Feed the soil.) Stir and simmer in a pot with plenty of sugar. Serve in paper cups with spoons. If you want to offer the kids cinnamon powder try it from a small shaker avoids spillage).. Some like it, some don't. Same with nutmeg and vanilla or a dollop of icecream, not really needed.
I find banana is best cooked with a bit of butter (not margarine) but it is not necessary. Lots of vocabulary here so sketch the whole scene on the board and ask the kids to do the same in their notebooks with labels.

3. Spicy Instant Noodles..Children in Korea/Japan like these but they are a bit messy and require cups and chopsticks.

4. Cucumber or Melon Slices with Sugar or Lemon Tea Powder
This is not cooked. The fruit gets peeled and arranged on a plate, especially for a hot summer day. Children love this and they can serve themselves with toothpicks.

4. Coffee Hot Chocolate or Lemon Sugar Tea

We make this in class and use the hot water dispenser. You will need paper cups and a few spoons.

5. Caramel on a Chopstick

Heat and stir sugar in a pot until it melts and becomes caramel. This can be quite hot so warn the children. They help themselves with wooden chop sticks or a metal spoon. I sometimes let a trusted child do the stirring. If you fear a child getting burned by the hot caramel then chill the pot in cold water or pour the candy into a metal bowl or plate and chill on cold water. Then the kids can crack up the caramel and eat it. Inject science terms like solid and melting.

6.Cracking Nuts
Bring in an assortment of nuts and let the kids sketch and label them in their books and try opening them.

7. Bread Machine

I brought one to class and it was a big hit. We started a loaf in the class but could not eat it till the following day as the process took 3 hrs.

Be careful about flammable clothing, papers etc.
Children know you have arranged something extra for them and most do appreciate it.

Copyright Robin Day 2005