¿Qué se Está Cocinando? (What’s Cooking?)- Reinforcing the Theme at Home

We serve breakfast, lunch and snacks everyday in our centers, cooked on-site using fresh, organic ingredients. This month, our curriculum focuses on the food we eat, how to cook it and what it does for us!

Many of the infants in our care are beginning their journey with solid food, and we’re here to support their transition and milestones! During this curriculum theme, our infant classrooms will discover the senses in the kitchen- the sounds of cups or plates hitting together, the feel of pots and pants, the textures of different ingredients. We’ll also begin to identify fruits and vegetables, in English and Spanish! At this early stage, we reinforce a healthy relationship with food for life!

Toddlers are starting to eat a variety of things, and as they do so, we’ll start to learn about table manners and how to use utensils! We’ll use forks, spoons and napkins, and start using “por favor” and “gracias” as we enjoy our meal with friends!

Our preschool and pre-k classrooms are always asking for seconds at lunchtime! We’ll ask and answer the question- what kinds of ingredients are included in the delicious meals we eat? The food pyramid and healthy eating are at the forefront of our discussions this month.

At home, involve your little one in kitchen activities! We have a playlist of colorful, healthy Tierra Encantada recipes straight from our recipe book. Young kids can work on their fine motor skills as they pour and stir, older kids can begin to work with numbers and math as you measure ingredients. 

If your little one comes home raving about a meal, work with them to identify the ingredients and categorize them by food groups! Is the tortilla a grain? What group do tomatoes fall under? This can be a fun game as you cook dinner together!