Explorers: Summer Dips (Fun in the Sun)

Today,  we engaged in one of our favorite activities: COOKING.

Hands-on cooking projects are not only great fun for kids of all ages and skill levels but address all areas of development:

Social/Emotional: turn taking and sharing the different materials and tools; working together toward a common goal, namely preparing a meal together; promoting independence and self-direction by following a recipe; helping each other; trying new things; sitting down together and enjoying a meal as a group.

Language/Communication: learning new vocabulary (e.g., names of ingredients, cooking utensils); practicing asking questions and making comments while cooking; requesting; expressing an opinion (likes/dislikes);

Fine-Motor Skills: pouring, squeezing, cutting, mixing.

Cognitive Skills: following multiple directions; attention to task; understanding a sequence, organizational skills; measuring and counting.

We split up into two small groups and each group prepared a different summer dip: HUMMUS OR GUACAMOLE. YUMMY!!! And it was a toss up at the end: Some of us liked the hummus better and others preferred the guacamole.

HUMMUS

• 2 cans garbanzo beans: drain, keep liquid   

• 1 clove garlic crushed with garlic press
  
  

•  2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
  

• 1 teaspoon salt (or less: TASTE)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
  

Combine ingredients in a blender. Blend on low speed, gradually adding bean liquid, until desired consistency is achieved.

Guacamole

• 4 avocados: slice avocados in half the long way (adult), pull out the pits. Use a spoon to scoop out all the soft, green insides. Put them in shallow dish and mash them with a potato masher.

• Add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice

• Add 1 teaspoon cumin

• Add 1 clove of garlic, crushed with garlic press

• 1 teaspoon salt (or less: TASTE)

• Mix all the ingredients together until the guacamole is completely blended. Tip: If you are not going to serve the guacamole right away, put the avocado pits back in. The pits will keep it from turning brown.

Adventurers: Summer Dips (Fun in the Sun)

SUMMER DIPS (for detailed recipes see Explorers, 7/16/2014)

Today, we made our summer dips "Hummus" and "Guacamole." We worked in small groups. One group created the guacamole, and the other the hummus. Each group had a team leader, who had to make sure that everyone was following the recipe and was taking turns fairly.

Ocean in a Bottle Relay
First, we had to form a single file, standing shoulder to shoulder and each of us was holding a yogurt cup in our hands. The first player filled his or her yogurt cup with dyed water and then poured the water into the next player’s cup. We then passed the water down the line until it reached the last player and that player poured the water into a bottle. The player then moved to the front and the game continued until the bottle was 2/3 filled with water or until the initial first player had made it to the beginning of the line again. Then, we gathered as a group and we added oil, sea creatures, small rocks, glitter, etc. to the bottle and turned it into an ocean in a bottle.The first part of the game, i.e., passing the water down the line with the help of yogurt cups requires everyone paying close attention to their partners, e.g., where is the cup with the water, is it my turn next?