GTMS Life > Blog October 31, 2022

Ms. Michelle: October 2022

Hello Everyone, October has come and gone already! Over the past two months, the children have been helping to make our daily Hearty Snack, and I have noticed that their interest in food preparation has deepened. In true Montessori fashion I am following their lead and extending this idea of preparing food to the next […]

Hello Everyone,

October has come and gone already! Over the past two months, the children have been helping to make our daily Hearty Snack, and I have noticed that their interest in food preparation has deepened. In true Montessori fashion I am following their lead and extending this idea of preparing food to the next level. Take a look at the food preparation work with which your children have been exploring.

Practical Life: Food Preparation

Making Apple Sauce

The children are working together to make apple sauce every week for our Hearty Snack. I set up the apple cutting tray on the counter, in front of the rice cooker. The child who chooses this work first will wash all of the apples and dry them. An adult will precut apples, slicing them on each side, and then will place the pieces into the yellow bowl on the left. The child will then take a piece and place it on the cutting board. The child will use the crinkle cutter to push down onto the apple, slicing it into a smaller piece. The child will continue slicing, and then place the smaller pieces into the yellow bowl on the right. Once the bowl on the right is full, the child will pour the contents into the rice cooker and then continue slicing until they are finished. They may choose to slice all of the apples, or allow a friend to have a turn. Once the apples are all sliced and in the rice cooker, we add a small amount of water and cinnamon. The child can push the button down to turn on the rice cooker. As the apples and cinnamon heat up, the classroom is filled with the most delicious scent. When ready, the soft apples are mashed together and voilà! Applesauce!

Independent Baking Work: Avocado Blueberry Muffins

The avocado blueberry muffin baking work is now a daily activity, as long as we have all of the ingredients. When changing a work from a group work to an individual work, preparation is key. In the morning, I set up the work in a way that allows the child who bakes to do it without needing an adult for help. The ingredients are measured out and placed in containers that sit on the left side of the mixing bowl. They twist off the lids, pour the ingredients into the bowl, and use the whisk to mix everything together. Once they are finishing mixing, they will use a spoon to scoop up the batter and pour into an already greased muffin pan (once they have more practice, greasing the pan will become another step for them). After the child scoops out all of the batter, they help walk the pan to the kitchen, and then return to the classroom to scrub the dishes and then the counter. At Circle we will sing, “Do you know the muffin friend, the muffin friend, the muffin friend? Do you know the muffin friend at Greene Towne Montessori School?” “Yes, I know the muffin friend, the muffin friend, the muffin friend. Yes, I know the muffin friend, their name is _ _.”

Pouring the ingredients from the left into the bowl on the right

Ingredients and Instructions for the Independent Baking Work

Self-Service Snack

In addition to preparing our Hearty Snack, the children are also engaging with our Self Service Snack. Currently there is a clementine peeling work and an apple cutting work. The children will take the tray to the table before washing their hands. Once their hands are clean they are able to start their work. The apple cutting work mirrors how they cut apples for applesauce, except they eat the apple rather than adding it to the rice cooker. Some children enjoy dipping their slices into honey, for which we will give them a tiny bit.

For clementine peeling, there are two bowls on a tray. In the left bowl sits a clementine, which has been opened. The child peels off the rest of the clementine peel, placing them into the bowl on the right. Once the peel is completely removed, the child is able to pull apart the pieces and eat it.

In the next two weeks, I will introduce spreading work for snack. The children will use a spreader to spread apple butter onto crackers.

Coffee Recap

Crinkle Cutter
- This is what we use in the classroom
Winter Boots for Children
- Bog Boots: These are great because of the handle to pull up
Birthday Celebrations
- Birthday Poster with Photos of your child, may include as many as you want on the board. Labeling the photos helps us to tell the story when sharing the poster at Circle.
- Suggested Treats: these are nut free, egg free, dairy free, and gluten free (and the children ate them up!)
Practicing “Up & Over”
- Here are some photos of a child putting on their own jacket. She places her jacket on the floor, pushes her hands through the arm holes, and then flips it over her head. As she flips it over her head she continues pushing her arms through the arm holes until her hands are out.