Snack prep & Sensory Play
Allowing children to assist in food making offers multiple benefits including sensory play! It is an easy and natural way to integrate sensory play in an organic way through snack prep. The key is in eating whole foods, rather than processed food straight out of the packages, which offers lots of opportunity for small hands and BIG senses. Here are a few of the many ideas:
choosing fruits & vegetables from the market
washing produce
removing peels
rinsing grain
sorting debris from legumes
eating the food they helped prepare!
Pictured is my son helping me sort out debris from our legumes at the kitchen table. At this age, to be honest, he is not much of a help; but just like anything else he watches, he models and then next thing you know….he is doing it all by himself! This is just one of the many ways that snack prep can equal sensory play.
Preparing snacks is one of the most consistent and cherished activities we perform at De La Madre Daycare. It is not just a duty the staff must carry out but a true labor of love for of the community to be involved in.
