Kid’s Corner: In the Kitchen
posted: 07.24.2015 by Jo-Anne Petrie, Manager of Operations
As a mom of two grown children and a veteran Early Childhood Educator, I have never met a child that didn’t love time in the kitchen, whether it was to cook or to create something to “get down and dirty” with.
As an ongoing series, I will share recipes that are parent tested and kid approved. When my children were young, I made sure whatever we created was a sensory experience following these simple rules:
- Involve the child
- Set ample time aside
- What you make should be visually appealing
- Enjoy your time together
This month’s recipe is Melting Sand Castles. Not only are they fun to make, but mixing the dough and squeezing the eye dropper on the castle to melt is a great exercise for hand strengthening and fine motor control.
You will need the following:
- Small sand castle molds
- 2 boxes of baking soda
- Vinegar
- Water
- Glitter
- Food coloring
- Baster or eye dropper
- Bowl
Dump two boxes of baking soda into a large bowl. Add just enough water until you get a crumbly dough that you can pack (it shouldn't be runny or soupy). Mix in a load of glitter to make it sparkly! Pack the mixture into sand castle molds and pop in freezer until solid. Run lukewarm water around the outside of the container to help release the castle. Drip the colored vinegar using your baster or eyedropper on top of the castle and watch it melt.
