Pre-K Activities for Pancakes
Pancakes make an appealing breakfast or snack food, but they also work as a theme for preschool activities. The themed activities work well on Pancake Day, a holiday that falls on the day before Lent each year. The holiday dates to the 1400s in England, when the women made pancakes to use up their eggs and fats before the start of Lent. The pancake activities also fit into a unit on food in the preschool classroom.
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Pancake Measurements
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Pancake shapes cut from cardboard or card stock create a non-standard measurement unit. The kids use the pancake units to measure various items around the room. They place the cardboard pancakes side by side along the length of a particular object. The kids then count the pancakes to get a measurement for the object. Make a list of items for them to measure, using pictures to identify the objects for the students. The kids record their measurements next to the pictures.
Cooking Pancakes
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A cooking project gives the pre-K students a chance to practice following directions. Make sequence cards with each step of the recipe on a separate card. The kids follow the cards with the help of an adult. An electric griddle works well for cooking the pancakes in the classroom if you don't have access to a stove. An adult should handle the actual cooking part of the pancake project to avoid burns. If you place the batter into a clean squeeze bottle, you can squirt the batter into different shapes. The kids top their pancakes with the provided toppings before tasting them.
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Pancake Flipping
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A pancake-flipping activity works on hand-eye coordination in an entertaining format. A toy skillet or a pie tin create the pan for flipping. Use a leftover cooled pancake from the cooking project or a cardboard pancake cutout for this activity. The kids place a pancake into the pan and flip it up into the air, attempting to catch it in the pan on its way down.
Pancake Games
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Cardboard pancake cutouts provide the materials for a variety of pancake-themed games. Place large skillets on the floor a few feet away from the students. The kids take turns tossing the cardboard pancakes to land them inside the skillets. Another option is to have the kids stack the cardboard pancakes on a plastic plate. Challenge them to see how many pancakes they can stack without tipping them over. A pancake-themed memory game is also possible with the cardboard pancakes. Create pairs of pancake cards by placing matching pictures or letters on the pancakes. The kids take turns flipping over pancake cards to find a pair like the traditional memory game. All of these games combine the pancake theme with preschool-appropriate activities.
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References
- Photo Credit pancakes image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
