Jump Starting Your Child's Education: Recognizing Teachable Moments!

Helping your child prepare for the rigors of the modern education process can be as easy as spending time in the kitchen. Let me remind you how often your get-togethers or parties with friends end up with a lot of people hanging out in the kitchen. Often children are either forbidden to be in the kitchen at these times, or they are quickly moved to a different room during such times. The kitchen takes on a mysterious aura, especially with all the wonderful aromas wafting out of that magical room.

The kitchen provides many opportunities to share a teachable moment with your child. Here is one example that does not endanger dinner. You can mix math and science into a project that is as easy as making cookie dough. Make a batch of activity dough with your young learner. Most young children love to play with moldable, pliable, dough. Remember how much fun you had with it? Just like you once did, your young learner can squish and mold it into limitless shapes.

Recipe for Activity Dough

Here are the ingredients you need for this teachable moment.

2 cups finely sifted flour
1 cup table salt
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 box of food coloring
1 Non-stick saucepan

To make the activity dough:

First, add the food coloring to the water.

Second, mix all of other the ingredients together in a pan.

Next, cook your ‘recipe’ over medium heat, stirring gently until it forms a soft ball.

Then, allow the mixture to cool enough to touch safely.

Knead slightly into a ball.

You will need to store your activity dough in an air tight container to maximize its shelf life.