Cooking Day - Masala Muri

DATE: 6th July, 2022, Wednesday
WHEN WAS IT DONE: Small group

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

  • Muri (Puffed rice)

  • Plate, Mixing Bowl, Small katori, Glass and Mixing spoon

  • Chopped Tomatoes and Onion

  • Chopped Boiled Potatoes

  • Coriander leaves

  • Half-cut lemons

  • Chaat Masala

  • Tamarind Chutney

ACTIVITY PREP:
Chopped tomatoes and onion were set aside in small individual katoris for each kid. Chopped potatoes, coriander, muri, and lemons were segregated in tiffins and along with it all the utensils, tamarind chutney and chaat masala shakers were arranged in the tray. 

PROCESS OF THE ACTIVITY:

Plates, spoons, glasses and bowls were handed to each kid and one by one ingredients were also handed over. Tamarind chutney was poured into individual glasses for the kids to mix in their own bowls. They happily sprinkled the chaat masala and were assisted in squeezing the lemons. The facilitators modeled how to go about mixing the ingredients and there was a constant conversation around the colors and names of the ingredients.

HOW DID THE CHILDREN RESPOND TO THE ACTIVITY?
The activity was able to capture the interest of most children. They enjoyed mixing all the ingredients together and patiently waited for their turn as the ingredients were passed around the table. They intently followed all the instructions and were very excited to dig into their bowls once all the mixing was over. 

SKILLS AND CONCEPTS DEVELOPED:

  • Fine Motor Skills - Using cutlery for different processes of cooking requires engagement of fine motor muscles. 

  • Sensory Development - Cooking provides an organic sensory experience. Smell, touch, sight, taste and sound are all used when toddlers engage in cooking.

  • Language Development and Communication Skills - The process of cooking involves a lot of communication. This provides an opportunity to learn language and communication skills.

  • Cognitive Skills - Since cooking is so experientially rich, it demands one’s brain to multitask towards a certain result. Cognitive skills, such as, thinking, retaining information and paying attention develop during this activity.

  • Attention, focus and concentration -  To complete the tasks of the activity, one would require accurate levels of attention, listening to instructions, focus, to execute the tasks effectively and concentration to complete the task.

Sohini Talukdar