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Never underestimate the power of a good snack! Food is a simple and easy way to carry over the learning from the school table to the kitchen table.
Homeschooling with Food
I was first introduced to the idea of using food to enhance our learning when we started using Five in a Row. Each week we read a story and then one night during that same week was our Five in a Row dinner. We would make something that corresponded to our story even if it was only a side dish or a dessert. It was an effective way for the kids to share with their dad why we were having a particular food item and and how it related to the story. Using the Five in a Row cookbook was helpful, but it isn’t too difficult to come up with your own ideas either.
Several years ago the younger kids and I worked through a Letter of the Week program. Each week we had a tea time and had a snack that started with the letter that we were working on. The kids still talk about how much they enjoyed that. I almost always picked easy snacks, here’s the list I used for my A-Z snacks, so it wasn’t a burden for me and the kids loved it.
Now as the children are getting older, it’s still something that can be accomplished. The trick really is to have a meal plan in place and incorporate a meal into the week or the month. In just about any book there is some mention about food and what people eat. If not, take into account the book setting, the time frame, if the characters are wealthy or poor, or if they live in the city or a more rural area.
Not only is food a fun way to extend the learning, preparing food is also a great way to introduce kitchen skills. Not to mention a way to get kids to try some different foods. If their favorite book character loves broccoli, they just might be inspired to try it as well!
Curriculum Ideas with Cookbooks:
Mystery of History
Tapestry of Grace
Five in a Row
Galloping the Globe – geography studies are begging to have meals included!
Laura Ingalls Wilder Cookbook
The complete 5-Day series on Tools to Enhance the Homeschool Learning:
Tools to Enhance the Homeschool Learning {Intro}
Enhanced Learning Begins with Mom (oh yes it does!)
Enhanced Learning with Field Trips
Enhanced Learning with Food
Enhanced Learning – Miscellaneous Ideas
Be sure to visit the other ladies participating in the 2014 summer hopscotch!
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