1. Session 3

1.7. Learning Activity 3

CCS3130 Session 3

Session 3: Developing Through Play

 
Learning Activity 3: Promoting Children’s Development Through Play Opportunities
 
Focus
 

Children’s social, physical, intellectual, creative, emotional, and language development can be promoted when child care providers plan and organize educational play experiences.

 

In Part A of this activity you will focus on how children’s social-emotional, physical, intellectual, language, and creative development can be promoted in well-planned play activities. In Part B you will prepare food with a young child and reflect on what children can learn by participating in such an activity.

 

Directions
 

Step 1: Read the scenario Water Play.

 

Step 2: Complete Part 1 of Learning Activity 3: Promoting Children’s Development Through Play Opportunities.

 

Step 3: Based on food preferences, possible allergies, availability of supplies and equipment, cooking skills, access to assistance (if necessary), and so on, choose one recipe from the list below to prepare with the child. To find the recipes, search the Internet for the Taste of Home website. Once on the website, use the website’s recipe search to find the following recipes:

  • Important: You will complete Part 2 with a young child. The child may be a child at the child care facility or may be a relative or the child of a friend or neighbour.

    Taco Dip Dragon
  • Ladybug Appetizers
  • Banana-Pear Caterpillar
  • Peanut Butter Teddies
  • Stuffed Celery Sticks
  • Honey Bear French Toast
  • Tuna Boats
  • Cucumber Canoes
  • Apple-Raisin Ladybug
  • Butterfly Sandwiches
  • Pizza Grilled Cheese
  • Pizza Biscuit Bears

Important: You can adapt the recipes to include foods that the child likes to eat and that will get the child excited about preparing the recipe.

 

If you are working at a counter that is too high for the child, use a stool so that the child can easily participate in the activity.



Step 4: Plan how you will prepare the recipe you have chosen with a young child. Consider the following:

  • How will you get the child interested in preparing the recipe with you? For example, will you choose the recipe together with the child? Will you encourage the child to choose the recipe? Will you engage in a conversation with the child about his or her likes and dislikes?

  • What jobs will the child do? What supports will the child need to be able to do these jobs?

  • How will you ensure the child’s safety?

  • How will you promote the child’s social, physical, intellectual, creative, emotional, and language development?

Step 5: Prepare the recipe with the child. Observe the ways this experience encourages and supports the child’s social, physical, intellectual, creative, emotional, and language development.

 

Tips and Ideas for Working with the Child

 

Can you use any of the following tips and ideas when you’re working with the child?

 

Simple Arithmetic

 

Compare amounts. Are we putting in more flour or more baking powder? What is bigger, a half cup or a whole cup?

 

Develop sequencing skills. What do we do first, second, last?

 

Sensory Awareness

 

Use ingredients with different textures, smells, and tastes. Feel, taste, and smell the difference.

 

Vocabulary Enrichment

 

Flour, sugar, eggs, tomatoes, and pepperoni may seem like everyday words to you, but they are not regular vocabulary to a three-year-old.

 

Concept Development

 

Use directions and descriptions to encourage understanding of hard versus soft, liquid versus solid, hot versus cold, raw versus baked, in the bowl versus out of the bowl, fast versus slow, and so on.

 

Cause and Effect Relationships

 

Children can learn how adding, leaving out, or changing one ingredient can change the entire product. What happens if you add bananas instead of strawberries or water instead of milk?

 

Cooperation

 

Improve the child’s ability to work with others and to wait for his or her turn.


 

Step 6: While preparing the recipe, take photos to record the experience.

 

Important: Remember, before you take photos of children, each child’s parent or guardian must give you written permission. If you do not have written permission, ensure that the child’s face or any other identifying features are not visible in any of the photos.


 

Step 7: After preparing the food, cleaning up the kitchen, and eating, answer the following questions.

  1. Which recipe did you prepare? (Remember to attach a copy of the recipe.)

  2. How old was the child with whom you prepared the recipe?

  3. At what age did your childhood experiences begin to include preparing food?

  4. How were these experiences in your childhood initiated and organized?

  5. How do you think the ways you interacted with the child in this learning activity were influenced by your childhood experiences of preparing food?

  6. Describe in detail how you tried to promote the young child’s development in each of the following areas.

    1. social-emotional
    2. physical
    3. intellectual
    4. creative
    5. language

Step 8: Review the Student Rubric for Learning Activity 3: Promoting Children’s Development Through Play Opportunities. Assess the quality of your work and make any necessary adjustments.

 

Checking In
 

Save your completed learning activity and your self-assessment in your course folder.