A Holiday Treat

Each year the children at our little yellow school make a holiday present for their parents.  This year we wanted to make something that utilized some of the skills the children had acquired through their Montessori work.  We came up with a wonderful idea.

What's in the bag?

Some of the first activities a child is introduced to in a Montessori environment are those of the Practical Life area. Many of these activities allow the child to do what the adults around him/her are seen doing everyday.  These activities are divided into Manipulative Skills, Care of the Environment and Self-Development.  The children in the following photographs are refining their manipulative skills.  The making of our holiday present would focus on these skills.

Spooning

Pouring

Tonging

Pouring

We only needed a few key items - cocoa, sugar and salt - to make our holiday present.

The Ingredients

Each child participated in the making of the present.  The five year olds were in charge of measuring the cocoa.

The four year olds were in charge of measuring the sugar.

 

The teachers added the salt.  This is what it looked like.

Now it was time to stir.  The three year olds were in charge of stirring.

Each child scooped the mixture into a container.

Some marshmallows were spooned on top.

Can you guess what we made?

The Finished Presents

We made Hot Cocoa Mix.

Hot Cocoa Mix

We hope all of our families enjoy their holiday treat!