Who's hungry? This is a time of year when we gather together with friends and family and enjoy all kinds of delicious food! There are so many yummy things to choose from—what are some of your favorites? Check out the activities below for food-themed fun as well as for books that feature stories about food and recipes for delicious dishes—there's even one that instructs you how to make treats for your furry friends! And you always have an open invitation to join some programs this month!
READ: How to Feed Your Parents by Ryan Miller
Matilda Macaroni loves to try new foods, whether it's her grandma's jambalaya or sushi at a sleepover. But, in this fun, twisted picture book, it's finicky mom and dad--not the child--who eat only pizza with pepperoni (delivered), burgers from a bag, or noodles from a box. Eager to experience new flavors, Matilda secretly sets out to learn how to cook, satisfy her hunger for something more...and expand her parents' palates, too. There's also a Macaroni family recipe for quiche that young cooks can try!
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Questions to think about while you read:
- What do you think about the parents being the picky eaters in this book? Who is the picky eater(s) in your family? What foods do they not like and why?
- What do you think is scary about trying different kinds of foods? Have you ever tried and liked a food you thought you wouldn't like?
- Do you think you'll try the Macaroni Family recipe for quiche? Why or why not?
PLAY: Making Stone Soup
This is a fun memory game to play with a crowd; the more, the merrier!
To play:
- Gather all players together and decide who will start first.
- The first player starts the game by saying, "I'm making stone soup. I am adding ________ to the pot." They can say whatever ingredient they want!
- The next player repeats the phrase to include what the previous player put in the pot and then adds their own ingredient: "I'm making stone soup. I am adding ___ AND ____ to the pot."
- As each turn is taken, the list of ingredients gets longer and longer. If a player makes a mistake, they are out of the game.
- The player who can remember the most ingredients in the correct order wins!
EXPLORE: Make Bread in a Bag!
Kids can absolutely cook! Get an adult to help you with a few steps to make this easy bread from five basic ingredients in about 2 hours.
Supplies:
- Gallon zip-top bag
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Loaf pan
- Clean kitchen towel
- Timer
- Oven mitts
Ingredients:
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 1 c. milk (can substitute non-dairy)
- 3 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. yeast
- 3 c. flour plus extra for dusting (can substitute gluten-free flour)
- ½ tsp. salt
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray.
- Ask an adult to assist with heating the milk: place in microwave 20-30 seconds until warm, but not hot (about 110 degrees). If it's too hot, it will kill the yeast and the bread will not rise.
- To a gallon zip-top bag, add warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Seal the bag and mix well. Let sit for 5 minutes. Bubbles should start to form, which lets you know the yeast is working.
- Add flour and salt to the bag and seal. Mix well for about 5 minutes, and let rise for 5 minutes.
- Add a dusting of flour to a clean work surface. Remove the dough from the bag and knead for 5 minutes.
- Put kneaded dough into prepared loaf pan. Spray the top of dough with nonstick spray and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let rise for 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, remove the towel and ask an adult to assist with putting the bread into the hot oven; bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Use oven mitts and adult help to take the hot bread out of oven. Let cool slightly, and slice. Enjoy warm with butter or your favorite toppings!
From: CreateKidsClub.com
JOIN: Attend a program!
View all school age programs and events offered this month.
Registration is required for all programs; if space allows, walk-ins will be admitted. Use the link in the program information to register.
