BAKING CUPCAKES

I have noticed that the children have been interested in the cooking area, pretending to bake cup cakes. They used the play dough and glitters on this prentending play. I was amazed with the way they worked together in trying to plan step by step on how to bake the cupcakes. So I decided to cook with them but provided real ingridients. I added flour, sugar, egg, milk and chocolate. "Who want to bake cup cakes with me? I asked. Five children (near five years old) joined me. Then I  explained to them the ingridients I got and how to mix them. Then I gave each one of them an opportunity to involve in mixing the ingridients.

These five children love being involved with preparing and cooking cup cakes. They have learnt alot from this activity. For example, they have learnt maths and that is when we estimated how much of the ingredients is needed, how much time to cook the ingredients we have put together to the time we can eat it. They were not afraid to take risk and solve their own problems. They also learn the science concepts such as how properties of a food affect the different ways it can cook and used, that is chocolate cooked over heat makes its into liquid, which can be molded into a differnt shapes. According to Somerset (2000), the developing stages relate closely to language development,stimulation and encouragement received from adults and other children. This view is supported by Te Whaariki as it states that "children experience an environment where they discover and develop different ways to be creative and expressive" ( Ministry of Education,1996,p.80). The children were exciting as they socialise with each other. They felt pride on a good job done and they were sharing the cup cakes when its cooked. "Ka pai tamariki ma".

“Food technology includes understanding and using safe and reliable process preparing, presenting, and storing food and the development, packaging…..” (Ministry of Education, 2010, p.2). Therefore, in order to extending on this learning, I believe that it's important that the teachers are there to scaffold and collaborate with the children. I will add more material like apron and hat to promote food hygiene. I will reapeat this cooking again with the children. "Children can learn from repeating practices (Hutchins & Sims, 1999). Not only that but I will talk to the parents so that when they cook at home, they can include their children. As Hutchins & Sims (1999) also state that "the most influential settings for many children are the home and their school" (p.2). Bronfenbrenner refers to these settings as microsystems.

References:

Hutchins, T. & Sims, M. (1999) Introduction in Programme Planning for Infants and Toddlers, An Ecological Approach. Australia: Prentice Hall . Retrieved from http://www.peelearlyyears.com/pdf/Program%20Planning%20for%20Infants%20and%20Toddlers.pdf on the 21st of October, 2010 at 12:30am.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education. (2010). Mixing food, technology and good ideas. Retrieved from http://www.yetrust.co.nz/Corporate/Media/Media%202010/April/Food%20Technology.pdf on Thursday, 2010 at 11:58am.

Somerset, G. (2007). Work and play: In the early years. Auckland, New Zealand: New Zealand Playcentre Federation.