One Part Flour and Two Parts Fun

Posted by Alexis Riffel on Friday, February 24, 2012

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Flour was everywhere and so were the smiles.

The group of pint-sized chefs were beaming as they crowded around the table passing around a large mixing bowl and measuring out the flour for the dough we were preparing. It was week four at the Gosling Road Recreation Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and I was so thrilled to teach the kids how to make a healthy snack. We were making two dozen soft pretzels. Quite a tall order for such small chefs!

They all worked as a team to make the dough — mixing the ingredients together while doing our “pretzel dance.” They had a blast personalizing their pretzels with creative shapes. Then into the oven the dough went. The kids could not wait to see (and eat) the finished product. Once they were enjoying their warm pretzels, they realized how much fun they had during the preparation.

As the course series progressed, I noticed that the kids were picking recipes based upon which ones they thought would be the most entertaining. The class eventually taught them not only how to make healthy choices because they know it’s good for them, but because it is fun too! And I learned that letting children cook provides them with a better understanding of the food they need for a healthy diet.

Here’s how to pretzel dance: Once the flour is all measured and added to the yeast mixture, kick it up a notch with a bit of physical activity!

Step 1: Have a friend hold the big bowl of pretzel ingredients steady
Step 2: Wrap both of your hands around a mixing spoon
Step 3: Stick the spoon in the mixture, and stir like you are churning butter. Be sure you move your whole body to get the best pretzel mixture possible.
Step 4: As you stir, sing: “Pretzel, pretzel, PRET-ZEL!” over and over to the melody of the conga line song.

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