Holidays always bring to mind all sorts of fond childhood memories and traditions. They can be a homeschooler's dream as they provide some "extra" time to share some things "old" and to try some things "new"!
Cooking and baking have always played a significant role in my life, and never more so than at Christmas. Holiday recipes are passed down from generation to generation ... they are part of my heritage. Sharing them with my children provides an opportunity to work together in the kitchen, tell stories that are related to the recipe, and allows my kids to gain a sense of accomplishment. Now that my kids are older, I love it when they request this or that favorite recipe that they recall from past holidays.
Here are some practical ways to integrate cooking and baking into your homeschool this Christmas season.
- Encourage your kids to check with grandparents or older friends for their favorite Christmas recipe. Have them ask *why* it is such a favorite, and what memories they recall when they make it. Then help them to cook or bake the recipe, and share the end result with the "author"!
- Enrich your Sonlight Core studies by creating some of the delicious dishes found in our Sonlight Cooks cookbook. Have your scholars prepare a history- or country-related meal and invite friends or relatives to share. Your kids can then share what they've learned as they serve their guests.
- Need a fun way to "spice up" your math studies this month? Or perhaps you just want to keep some math concepts fresh in your students' minds over Christmas break. Reviewing such topics as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division come alive when you're measuring ingredients for bread, or doubling a favorite savory dish recipe to feed more people.
- Use the Christmas holiday as an opportunity to teach your students the value of giving. Prepare some simple gift bags filled with small loaves of bread, favorite cookies and candies. Then take your children around to deliver their "bags of cheer" to those who might benefit from some holiday encouragement.
These are only a few suggestions ... take some time to add a few of your own! If you need a jump-start in the idea department, head over to our Home for the Holidays Forum. It is bursting with recipes and fantastic Christmas meal and gift ideas.
Begin sharing a heritage of cooking with your children this Christmas season. Add some cookbooks to their shelf of school books. When you need a break from sharing read-alouds, pull a favorite cookbook from the school shelf and head to the kitchen!
Still on the journey ...
~Judy Wnuk
Sonlight Customer Champion
