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Reaping what we sow - yum!

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During the month of January the Gecko room teachers and children transformed their outdoor area. We planted two fruit trees - an apple and a mandarin. We've also added a few grasses to add some colour and texture as well as a variety of herbs including mint, parsley, pizza thyme, chives and chamomile lawn. It has been wonderful seeing the children taking care of our environment, each day the teachers put the watering cans out and the children take responsibility for watering all of our plants, they do such a great job! 

As our herbs have been flourishing we decided to use them in our baking. I placed all of the needed ingredients on the bench along with the necessary cooking utensils. I then let the children know I was going to cut some of our herbs for our cheese and herb muffins. They watched me do it with such curiosity. We then began our baking experience!

We started with measuring out two cups of flour, then added two teaspoons of baking powder. Then I placed the chopping board on the table which had our cheese and herbs on it. The children all had a taste of the cheese and then sprinkled two cups worth into the bowl. Lots of "yum" sounds all around. I then held the chives and began chopping it with the scissors, the children tasted it, a few unsure faces at this stage. We did the same with the parsley and pizza thyme. The children then took turns at mixing the dry ingredients together. We cracked the egg into the cup and then added it to the dry ingredients. Lastly we added one cup of milk, the children took some more turns at mixing. We then filled the muffin cases and placed them in the oven to bake. 

So much learning took place during this experience as children explored their senses through tasting the individual ingredients. Children practiced patience as they waited and took turns at the various roles involved. Children engaged socially and shared their feelings. I created a language rich environment through explaining the process and labeling objects throughout. Children learnt mathematical and scientific concepts as we measured and counted our ingredients. The children learnt about how to create a healthy afternoon tea option. 

Once the muffins were cooked the children each ate two for afternoon tea and based on how quickly they went down, they must have been delicious!