The Gingrbread Man

In small groups children took part in a baking activity to enhance their learning about the focus text, 'The Gingerbread man'.

The cheeky Gingerbread man keeps running away so the adult asked the group to help cook some new ones.

Ingredients were explored with the adult commenting on the textures, 'gloopy, sticky, soft, powdery, dry, wet.'

Cooking is full of mathematical and scientific learning opportunities. Quantities were explored through pouring and scooping, as spoons of water were counted and numbers recited, sometimes in order.
The groups  had to listen to the adults instructions and with ongoing support follow each steps one at a time. Taking turns they passed and shared the resources, used their fine motor muscle to mix, stir, pour and squeeze.

Utilising this practical experience the adult talked about safety and the need to keep safe in the kitchen both  at home or nursery. The cooker can get 'hot' and only adults should touch it.

The adult models saying the repeated refrains from this terms focus text, ' Run, run, you can't catch me...' encouraging  the group to join in.

All of the children were excited to see their Gingerbread men come out of the oven and once cool it took all their concentration to not eat them before decorating. Subitising skills were used as buttons were added, faces depicted and fingers used to squeeze the icing out of the tubes.

We were hopeful the Gingerbread men made it to their houses and that there wasn't a river to cross on the way home or a cunning fox!