Purim is an exciting time of year for adults and children alike. Families are busy creating costumes, preparing shalach manos, and arranging all the other myriad details that go into making this Yom Tov special. What a wonderful opportunity to spend time with your children in an enjoyable and educational way. This blog will discuss the educational advantages of working together with your child in the kitchen.
Baking and cooking are two activities that utilize and reinforce various life skills such as following directions, sequencing, and using measurements for real-life application. In order to be successful in the kitchen, your child must be accustomed to breaking down complex directions into small steps, and being sure to follow those steps in a precise order. In addition, he/she will need to incorporate his/her math skills to measure out the proper amount of each ingredient.
Baking is also a multi-sensory experience, as it requires auditory, visual, and tactile processing. Your child must listen to directions, follow the recipe cards, and use his/her hands to create a culinary creation.
How can a parent maximize the aforementioned skills through baking hamantashen for Purim ? Below you will find detailed instructions. Enjoy and Purim Sameach!
1. The first step in setting your child up to succeed in the kitchen is to encourage him/her to write down the recipe they will be following on an index card or a sheet of paper. Using a large piece of poster paper is lots of fun, and will make the directions even clearer. Encourage your child to write neatly along the margins, and to number the steps clearly. This is a good time to explain any vocabulary words that your child is not familiar with. It’s also prudent to point out any abbreviations that are included in the measurements
(i.e. T = Tbs. = Tablespoon.) The recipe should be hung up in an easily visible spot, so your child can refer to it as needed.
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| Click here to print the Hamentashen Recipe |
2. Next, have your child read through the list of ingredients, and collect them. Then, they should collect any measuring tools needed. If necessary, show your child how to read and use the tools.
3. As your child begins to bake, it’s important to maintain a healthy balance of giving your child the confidence to work through the process independently, while at the same time subtly redirecting as needed.
4. Print the Hamentashen recipe and a checklist of activities that your child can fill out as he/she bakes. This is a generic checklist that can be also be used for future adventures in the kitchen!
Don’t forget that one of the biggest benefits to your child is spending quality time with you. Enjoy!
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