A recipie for self esteem

The following is an activity to ensure children receive praise and encouragement in class:

Activity: Baking with a class of 5 year olds

Aim:
A ‘fun’ and cross-curricular activity for the class to be involved in and gives the TA a chance to encourage and praise the children. Gives children the opportunity to bake, which could be something they may not do at home.

Outcome:
To ensure all children have the individual experience of creating something they can be proud of, and take home to share achievement with parents/carers.

Starter: 10 minutes
5 minutes to read the story of ‘The Gingerbread Man’, which will include a brief description of the baking of the gingerbread man.
5 minutes discussion on what you need to make a gingerbread man, encouragement when they come up with ideas. Discuss the recipe and ingredients.

Activity: 30 minutes
Small group, adult supported activity, to make the gingerbread. Measuring and mixing the ingredients together as a group, each child having a turn. Lots of discussion on quantities and measurements, and following a recipe, and time for baking. (Numeracy & Literacy)
Individual decorating of the gingerbread man, independent choices of what to use e.g. smarties, raisins, cherries etc. (Creativity)
Adult to put the finished cakes into the oven and bake.

Plenary:
Memory game, writing up the recipe e.g. can you remember what we used? Praise and encouragement. Children can take the recipe home to ‘hopefully’ do again with Mum, and take their own gingerbread man home. (Sense of achievement/praise and encouragement: I made it on my own!)

P Clarke and Team