“Is it yummy?” is a question often heard in Joy’s PreK class and the usual answer is “yes.”
As a special treat for the children, teachers gave them the chance to make their own dinner. Together they constructed a chimney oven made from cardboard, construction paper, and foil, with some stickers for the controls. In just a few seconds and the ring of a bell, the food was ready. Of course the food was play-food, and the students were pretending to eat it, but once they figured out how the oven worked, they couldn’t stop “cooking.”
As an added bonus, Thanksgiving was around the corner, so mashed potatoes were introduced. They children were interested in making their own mashed potatoes, so each child was given one boiled potato. They all had great fun mashing the potatoes and getting their hands messy, while singing, “mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes,” to the tune of “Hot Potatoes.”
Once the potatoes were all mashed, a little salt was added and then it was time to taste them! Different mashing methods were tried over a two-day period, but somehow the children found that the messier the method, the tastier the potatoes!
More information about Joy to the World can be found at http://www.joytotheworld.info.
— LARIN PAKELE
