Children's Bakery at the Rainbow Academy Child Care Center Carol Stream Illinois

A very important part of our program is baking and cooking from scratch. A multitude of knowledge and skills are learned through baking and cooking. Our children are constantly creating in their very own Bakery. Many times they are preparing foods that they have grown and cultivated in their gardens which are located to the west of our building. Our Bakery and gardens offer a multitude of learning skills:

AN AWARENESS OF NUTRITION – Children will learn to recognize the beneficial effects of eating wholesome foods and the vital role it plays in one’s life.

EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT – From birth, food is a symbol of love and security. Food is an excellent vehicle for communication. Food preparation can give a child the feeling that his/her efforts count.

The success in creating something good to eat improves a child’s self-image and self-confidence. Learning the skills necessary for cooking helps the children develop a sense of independence.

Through food, the children can discover that in some ways people are alike and in some ways people are different. People enjoy different foods; i.e. Joey liked the coconut as soon as he tasted it; Mary didn’t like the coconut.

LANGUAGE SKILLS – There are many opportunities for children to learn new concepts as they prepare and eat food. When our teachers work with the children in our Bakery, they will be using such concept words as: pour milk, squeeze oranges, melt butter, dissolve powdered milk, freeze ice cream, beat eggs, knead dough, peel an apple, notice the bitter taste, etc.

MATHEMATICS – Buying, preparing and serving food calls for the development of a sense of quantity and measurement. Money, recipe measurements and timing, the dividing of portions, and the setting of the table all involve mathematics.

SCIENCE – Early childhood is a good time to begin the study of the origin of food and growing things. How does a plant grow? What does a plant need to grow? Where does it grow? When does it grow? What is an egg? How does it hatch? How does food make us grow and develop? What effect does food have on how we feel, look and behave; i.e. when we are hungry, we get restless and irritated.

The preparation of food also teaches us the value of making mistakes. If our results are not as the recipe described, we must solve the problem of why.

ART – Food can awaken the artist or the creative genius in everyone. Consider the satisfaction of making a loaf of bread. Colors and shapes may be learned through preparing food. Apples are red or green or yellow. Pumpkins are orange and spinach is green.

SOCIAL SCIENCE – Through experiences with food, the children can become aware and appreciate the role of the family. Children can discover much about their own families and ethnic background through food. Children enjoy hearing about and learning about different countries. The difference in climate, soil and culture could be made to come alive through stories, pictures and projects. Geography and transportation are major factors in determining the availability of foods.

SAFETY – The proper use of tools and ingredients for food preparation can be used to teach the principles of sanitation and safety.

COURTESY – Children will be guided to observe certain behavior while eating. Eating in a healthy manner by sitting straight in order to digest food, serving others before oneself, and taking a fair share of the food, develops in the child a sense of respect for himself and others. It also makes mealtimes a more pleasant experience for everyone. He or she can come to understand that working together, sharing the tools and dividing the work benefits all.

NUTRITION

Rainbow employs two full-time cooks that prepare our homemade meals and snacks for our children. Whenever possible, we purchase foods that are free from preservatives and artificial colors. Rainbow Academy attempts to make its environment as free from peanuts and peanut by-products as possible. We do cook and/or serve foods that have been manufactured in a factory that produces peanut products.

If your child has a peanut or tree nut allergy, please discuss the particulars of the allergy with the office and our cooks. Our Rainbow staff is very cognizant that good nutrition plays a major role in brain development.