At Curious Kind, we adopt the Uk’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework as a guideline to ensure a continuous provision for our children both indoors and outdoors.
EYFS is the national statutory curriculum in the UK for children 0 to 5 years old. It is a wildly popular curriculum due to its play-based, open-ended yet comprehensive nature that helps lay a strong foundation for future learning.
All of the early learning goals of the EYFS centres upon a play-based pedagogy where learning tools and resources are selected and presented to children in a continuous and free flow way. Children are free to choose from all the resources available in the classroom each day to further their knowledge and the educators’ role is to facilitate the learning through conversations, interactions, and experiences with children.
Children are always exposed to either a couple or all of the 7 learning areas during any activity or project they take part in. For example, baking a cookie: let’s take a look at all the meaningful learning opportunities children can be involved in throughout the whole cooking process.
Primary Learning Areas (For Nursery Stage)
The primary areas are strengthened in the nursery years to make sure children are ready to take on the specific learning areas.
Specific Learning Areas (For Reception Stage)
The additional four specific learning areas are then introduced along with the first three learning areas in K1 and K2. All of these learning areas are touched upon through play-based activities and free exploration.
Prime Areas of Learning (0-3 years old)
Communication & Language
The opportunity to develop language development is done by encouraging children to talk about what they are doing throughout the baking process. Discussing with them from the very first step whilst choosing the right tools and the ingredients needed from the recipe list.
Physical Development
Cooking and baking allows them to really use their physical skills which will help them develop and strengthen their fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills when they chop, mix, squeeze, knead and spread.
Personal, social and emotional development
Not only is it a fun activity, this hands-on cooking activity can help children develop confidence and skill. Following recipes encourages children to be self-directed and independent. Baking together with their friends also teaches them turn-taking, to follow directions and develop their problem-solving skills.
Specific Learning Areas (3-5 years old)
Literacy
Literacy development is extended when they are reading through and listing all the ingredients and instructions with their teacher.
Mathematics
Several math concepts are touched upon by making and comparing different shapes with the dough in different sizes, counting the ingredients, measuring, and weighing the ingredients.
Understanding the world
Children are also gaining further knowledge and understanding of the world around them by seeing how cookie doughs are made from different ingredients mixed together and how the dough’s property transforms and hardens after being baked in heat. There are a lot more that they learn during the process additional to this!
Expressive arts and design
Children naturally love to cook and will find ways to get creative with it. They can explore different creations with their dough and play around with what they want their cookies to look like.
