Monday, June 20, 2011

K is for Kitchen - ABCs of Homeschooling

On 5 Kids and a Dog, there's a series called the ABCs of Homeschooling.  This week's letter is "K." 

Alphabet ATC or ACEO Available - Needlefelted Letter K...is for Kitchen.

When I think of homeschooling, one of the places that we spend a considerable amount of time in is the kitchen.  The girls and I enjoy cooking and baking, so incorporating a culinary aspect into homeschooling is a natural fit.

The girls have been helping in the kitchen since they were about 18 months old.  As they have gotten older, the new skills they learn match their developmental and physical abilities. 

Both Sophia and Olivia will look at recipes as I'm planning meals for the upcoming few weeks.  When I'm doing this, they often will look at the pictures that accompany the recipe (the majority of my recipes come from cooking and women's magazines).  They'll see a picture of something that looks good and will ask if they can make it. 

Trying a new recipe, having it be a part of the meal, and seeing what it tastes like is something that makes the girls happy and proud.

Olivia with Pumpkin Pie
Olivia holding a pumpkin pie she made.

During the past few years, I created an ABC Journey Around the World in which the girls learned about a different country in alphabetical order (e.g., Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, and so forth until ending with Yemen and Zambia). 

One of their favorite parts of learning about other countries was seeing what people would eat in different parts of the world.  I found recipes on the internet as well as through recipe books from the library. We tried anywhere from one to six recipes per country (some were easier to find recipes for than others).

Making Mexican Hot Chocolate
The girls made Mexican hot chocolate
using a recipe found in a children's cookbook.
They also made Mexican scrambled eggs
that morning for a complete breakfast.

French Green Bean Recipe
Sophia is holding a green bean sidedish
using a French recipe. 

Olivia Making Swedish Rolls
Olivia is making Swedish cinnamon rolls.
The recipe came from a local church cookbook
that had a whole section on Swedish cooking
(we live in a community that was founded
by Swedish immigrants).

The kitchen is more than a place to cook and bake food.  With homeschooling, the kitchen also becomes an area to do science experiments and hands-on activities.

One of the science lessons that the girls did focused on marine life and pelicans. Apparently a pelican can hold 13 1/2 quarts of water in its pouch. The water drains out, leaving only the fish which the pelican then can swallow and eat.

Sophia Being a Pelican
Sophia trying to catch a marshmallow
as part of a science lesson about pelicans.

In the photograph above, there are 2 marshmallows in the sink representing fish. Sophia's job is to catch the marshmallows. It's harder than it looks.

The girls learn best when they can make a hands-on, tangible connection with the subject about which they are learning.  This is so important when the concept might be more difficult for them (e.g., electricity) or would benefit from a visual example (e.g., lung capacity).

Lung Capacity Experiment
Olivia learning about lung capacity.
She took a deep breath and then blew air through the tube
that led into the water-filled 2-liter pop bottle.
The air would push out the water from the bottle
and show how much air was in her lungs.

Sometimes when we're cooking, the girls learn new words or make a connection between what they're cooking with something else they've heard or learned.  For example, when we were making cheese, the curds separated from the whey.  They immediately made the connection with the nursery rhyme they had heard many times:

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds and whey,
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

Cheesemaking - Curds Separating from Whey
Learning to make cheese.  In the process,
the girls saw the curds and whey separate; and
made the connection of a nursery rhyme they heard.
(The curds are the white part; the whey is the liquid.)

For one nature study, we focused on learning about dandelions.  In addition to the science part of the study, we added a culinary component where we made dandelion cookies, dandelion vinegar, and dandelion oil/salve.

Making Dandelion Oil for Salve
Olivia making dandelion oil.
The oil can be used as a base to make salve.

The kitchen also is a place where the girls create things for the holidays and different seasons. 

Borax Snowflake - Step 3 - Sophia
Sophia making borax snowflakes.

Homemade Marshallows for Valentine's Day
Olivia holding homemade marshmallows
she made for Valentine's Day.

Gretel Waiting for Pumpkin Guts
Sophina carving a pumpkin while Gretel looks on.

An important part of our time in the kitchen is when we make food to help others.  We have made many meals and desserts for people experiencing medical/health challenges; and have chosen to donate some of our food to those in need. 

Cereal to Donate
The girls packaging up some of food to donate
to an organization that serves people who are homeless.


We also make food for animals - treats for the dogs, cats, and horses; and for wildlife.  Making food for the hummingbirds to drink during the summer and suet for the birds during the winter are regular activities. 

Sophia Helping Make Bird Suet on a 25 Degree Below Zero Day
Sophia making suet for the birds on a
very cold 25 degree BELOW zero day.
Needless to say, the birds needed the energy
and were constantly eating the homemade suet.

Seeing how excited the animals are to get a treat...and to see the variety of birds that now visit the feeders is a lot of fun.  Being able to observe animals up close (especially birds) is such a highlight of homeschooling.
So many subjects are covered in the kitchen beyond home economics - reading, math, science, community service, and geography. The kitchen truly is one of the centers of learning for homeschooling...and one of our favorite places to learn! 

7 comments:

OurWanderingAdventures said...

That all looks so fun and definitely a wonderful learning experience! Great job!

Mary Prather said...

I would say the kitchen is pretty much the center of our learning at home, too! Great post!

Head Ant said...

Wow! Those are the kinds of things I aspire to do in our kitchen.
How did the marshmallows taste?

Dawn @ 5 Kids and a Dog said...

What a great way to study countries! That sounds so fun AND tasty too. :) Thanks for linking up!

Harvest Moon by Hand said...

Thanks for the nice comments, Michelle, Musicalmary, Head Ant, and Dawn!

Head Ant: the marshmallows have a totally different texture than the purchased ones. They are more dense, but the flavor is great. I was hoping they could be used in hot chocolate, but they don't melt in the same way. They really are a "stand alone" type dessert or treat item.

amber @ classichousewife said...

What an amazing amount of fun and learning that goes on in your kitchen!! This is one area I fall down in. I stress out with kids underfoot in the kitchen.. probably because I really don't like to cook and I'm really not very good at it. I need to focus. But I've been trying to involve them in cooking more, they're getting old enough to NEED to start learning some things. So I'm trying to get over my kitchen inadequacies. =)

Naomi said...

Wow! You do a lot in your kitchen! Any chance those marshmallows were made without gelatin? If so, I sure would love the recipe!