Kinder Cooking
What's cooking in Mrs. Cook's Room?
Cooking in the classroom is not only fun, but a valuable learning experience for kindergartners. We learn to follow directions, measure, mix ingredients, and work cooperatively while making something good to eat. Here are some of our favorite recipes. Most of these recipes can be found in Look'n Cook from Mailbox Magazine. Our parent and grandparent volunteers provide the ingredients and assist the kindergartners during this time.
August
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Tree
(This recipe makes one tree!)
1 long pretzel (trunk of tree)
3 slices of a green apple (leaves)
3 chocolate covered raisins or 3 Coco Puffs (coconuts)
The children may place all ingredients on a paper plate.
You may use peanut butter to stick the coconuts to the tree.
Lady Bug Snacks
1 box of Nilla Wafers
Red Icing
Brown Mini M&Ms
Spread the Nilla Wafers with icing. Place mini M&Ms on top.
Yummy ladybug treats!
Octopus Stew
1 pkg. of hotdogs
ketchup and mustard
Cut the hotdogs in half. Make 4 short slits about an inch from the end of the hot dog.
These are the eight legs. Boil the hot dogs until done. Use mustard and ketchup too.
Granny's Granola
raisins
Cheerios
pretzels
chocolate chips
miniature marshmallows
banana chips
M&Ms
Place 10 of each ingredient in ten piles.
Place the piles in a small paper bag.
Fold over the top of the bag.
Shake it to make a yummy treat!
September
Hippo Hamburger
2 vanilla wafers as the "bread"
1 chocolate cookie as the "hamburger"
vanilla frosting mixed with:
red food coloring for the "ketchup", green food coloring for the "lettuce",
yellow food coloring for the "mustard"
Children can assemble the "sandwich" with the chocolate cookie and assorted
frostings. Top with a second vanilla wafer.
Traffic Lights
1 graham cracker for each child
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
3 M&M's (red, green, yellow)
Children can spread peanut butter with plastic knife and place each
M&M in the appropriate place.
Variation: use 1 tablespoon of chocolate icing instead of peanut butter
Pudding In a Cup
1/4 cup of Milk
1 Tablespoon instant pudding
Materials:
1/4 cup measuring cup
Tablespoon measuring spoon
Plastic spoon for each child
One 5 ounce cup per child
Measure the milk and pour it into the cup.
Add pudding mix to the cup.
Stir mixture well.
Eat and enjoy.
Ants on a Log
1 pkg. of long pretzels
1 jar of peanut butter
1 large box of raisins
Spread peanut butter over the large pretzel with a plastic knife. Drop a few
raisins on the peanut butter.
Yum! Yum! Variation: use caramel sauce with chocolate chips
October
Nifty Necklaces
1 large bag of shoestring Licorice or Twizzlers peeled apart
Cherrios
Fruit Loops
Life Savers
small pretzels
1. Set out bowls filled with Cherrios, Fruit Loops, and Life Savers.
2. Have the students make a pattern with their candies on a piece of wax paper.
3. Add a pretzel in the middle.
4. Tie a large knot on one end of the Licorice string.
5. Let the students string their patterns.
6. Tie ends together, wear, and nibble as needed.
Marshmallow Men
l bag of large marshmallows
1 bag of miniature marshmallows
1 box of toothpicks
1 bag of chocolate chips
1 small jar of peanut butter or frosting
To make one Marshmallow Man: Connect two large marshmallows with one toothpick.
Insert another toothpick through the middle of the top marshmallow. On each side of that toothpick, place two miniature marshmallows on each side. Insert another toothpick from the bottom of the bottom big marshmallow and add two small marshmallows. Do the same with
another toothpick, placing it into the bottom marshmallow. Dab three small dots of peanut butter on the top marshmallow for eyes and nose. Place chocolate chips on the peanut butter. On the bottom large marshmallow, dab peanut butter to make three buttons on the man. Place chocolate chips on these spots, too. Icing (optional) can make the mouth. Now you have a marshmallow man!!!
Scary Spider Snacks
1 Ritz cracker
1 spoonful of peanut butter (or chocolate icing)
8 pretzel sticks (legs)
2 Skittles (eyes)
Spread peanut butter over cracker. Place 4 pretzels on each side of the
cracker. Choose spooky eyes from Skittles or M&Ms.
November
FroggyFloats
Ingredients: one ice cream scoop per child
1 2 Liter of Sprite
2 M & M's per child
Directions:
1. Give each child a scoop of ice cream in a bowl.
2. Pour Sprite in the bowl. The ice cream should float up!
3. Add two M & M eyes.
4. You have a Froggy that Floats!
Fly Pie
1 large box of vanilla pudding
3 cups of milk
1 box of vanilla wafers
1 bag of chocolate chips
cupcake liner for each child
Mix pudding according to the directions on the package.
Place one vanilla wafer in a cupcake liner.
Scoop one spoonful (about a Tablespoon) of pudding over wafer.
Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
It's yummy in our tummies!!!
Butter
Fill a clean baby food jar half full of whipping cream.
Screw the lid on tightly. Let two children take
turns shaking the jar. After about 10 minutes, the
cream will be whipped. Lumps of yellow butter will form.
Drain off the liquid and add a little salt, if desired.
Spread the butter on Indian Fry Bread or crackers.
*This recipe is great at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
My children and nieces helped make butter at our
holiday dinners.
December
Kooky Kite
2 slices of bread per child
1 slice of bologna or turkey per child
1 pat of butter per child
1 squeeze cheese can
1 Twizzler strip per child
Spread butter on one side of a slice of bread and top with
bologna and the other slice of bread.
Cut off the crust to form a diamond shape or use a diamond
shaped cookie cutter.
Squeeze cheese on top to make kite crosspieces.
Place a Twizzler tail on the back and fly the kite into your mouth!
Bear FaceSandwiches
wheat bread
peanut butter
raisins
M & M's
1" round cookie cutter
2" round cookie cutter
bag of red hots
1. Give each child two pieces of bread, some peanut butter, 2 brown M & M's,
a red hot, and 3 raisins, and a popsicle stick.
2. Have the children use the cookie cutter to cut 2 small circles and 1 large
circle from a slice of wheat bread.
3. Arrange the circles to make a face and 2 ears.
4. Spread on the peanut butter with the popsicle stick and add the 2 brown
M & M's for the eyes, a red hot for the nose, and 3 raisins for the mouth.
Gr-r-r-r-r-r !!!
Reindeer Sandwiches
1 bread loaf (depending on the number of children
1 spoonful of peanut butter
2 straight pretzels
2 M&M's (or 2 raisins)
1 red M&M or 1 red hot
Give each child a piece of bread. Let them take the crust off the bread.
Cut the bread in triangular pieces.
Spread peanut butter over the bread and place two pretzels on for antlers.
Add M&M's for the eyes and mouth.
January
Unusual Punch
2 packages strawberry Kool-Aid
2 cups sugar
2 quarts water
2 quarts Pineapple Juice
2 16oz cans Fruit Cocktail (drained)
1. Blend ingredients together and pour into cups.
2. Add 4-5 miniature marshmallows to float on top!
Zany Zoo
1 graham cracker per child
2 cans of white frosting
1 bag of Animal Crackers
1 bag of coconut
blue and green food coloring
blue and green crystal sprinkles
Directions:
1. Mix half of 1 can of frosting with blue food coloring.
2. Mix the other half of frosting with coconut and green food coloring.
3. Give each child a graham cracker and have them spread on white frosting with a popsicle stick.
4. Use green coconut and sprinkles to make grass in one corner of the graham cracker.
5. Use blue frosting and sprinkles to make a pond.
6. Place several animal crackers in your zoo.
Confetti Crackers
1 box of graham crackers
1 jar of marshmallow cream
1 container of sprinkles
Directions:
1. Give each child a graham cracker and some marshmallow cream.
2. Have them spread the marshmallow cream on with a plastic knife.
3. Then add some sprinkles for the "Confetti!"
Snazzy Snowman
Each child gets:
3 Ritz Crackers
2 pretzels
2 teaspoons of marshmallow creme
2 mini M & Ms (same color)
4 raisins
Yum!
Penguin Treat
Each child gets:
2 chocolate sandwich cookies
2 M & Ms (any color)
3 candy corn candy
Twist one cookie apart. Place the side with less icing on the top.
Place cookie with white icing showing at the bottom.
Add two candy corns for the feet.
Two M & Ms for the eyes.
1 candy corn for the beak.
Break other cookie in half for wings.
Now enjoy!
February
Gumdrop Groundhog
Ingredients for one child:
2" end of unpeeled banana
chocolate frosting
2 raisins
3 gumdrops (ears and nose)
6 chow mein noodles (whiskers)
Peel the banana. Set it up with point on top.
Use frosting to put on two eyes, 2 ears, & a nose.
Add whiskers.
Dandy Dirt Desert
2 pkgs. of instant chocolate pudding (2tbsp. per child)
1/2 gallon of milk (3 tbsp. per cup)
1 pkg. of Oreo cookies
gummy worms
1. Give each child a cup with 3 tablespoons of milk
2. Let each student measure out two tablespoons of instant pudding mix and mix with a spoon
3. Give each child a Zip-lock bag and a sandwich cookie. They can smash the cookie bag.
4. Pour the cookie crumbs on top of the pudding.
5. Add a yummy gummy worm! Eat and Enjoy!
Lincoln's Log Cabin
1 slice of bread
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
5 thin pretzels
honey in a squeeze bottle
Spread peanut butter over the bread.
(Give the children a choice of peanut butter or honey.)
Break a pretzel in half for the roof.
Place four more pretzels on peanut butter for logs.
March
X's and O's
1 round chocolate or vanilla wafer per child
1 pkg softened Cream Cheese or white frosting
1 pkg chocolate decorator gel
4 chocolate chips per child
1. Frost a round chocolate or vanilla wafer with softened Cream Cheese or white frosting.
2. Use chocolate decorator gel to draw an X across the top of the wafer.
3. Add a chocolate chip "kiss" to each fourth of the wafer.
Wishing Wand
1 large pretzel per child
1 large jar of Peanut Butter (or icing)
1 bag of chopped nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles,...ect
1. Give each child a pretzel stick and have them dip it in the peanut butter.
2. Pour the nuts, chocolate chips, and sprinkles on to Wax Paper.
3. Have each child roll the Peanut Butter end in the toppings.
4. Make a wish with your wand and enjoy!
Queen of Hearts Cherry Tarts
1 box of graham crackers
2 cans of cherry pie filling
1 tub of soft margarine
2 big boxes of vanilla wafers
1 gallon of milk
1. Mix up pudding and milk and set aside.
2. Place one box of graham crackers in a Zip-Lock bag and crush.
3. Add margarine and knead mixture in the Zip-Lock bag.
4. Place a heaping spoonful of the graham cracker mixture into a muffin cup.
5. Add a heaping spoonful of vanilla pudding and cherry pie filling.
6. Use a spoon to eat this royal treat!
(This recipe makes one tree!)
1 long pretzel (trunk of tree)
3 slices of a green apple (leaves)
3 chocolate covered raisins or 3 Coco Puffs (coconuts)
The children may place all ingredients on a paper plate.
You may use peanut butter to stick the coconuts to the tree.
Lady Bug Snacks
1 box of Nilla Wafers
Red Icing
Brown Mini M&Ms
Spread the Nilla Wafers with icing. Place mini M&Ms on top.
Yummy ladybug treats!
Octopus Stew
1 pkg. of hotdogs
ketchup and mustard
Cut the hotdogs in half. Make 4 short slits about an inch from the end of the hot dog.
These are the eight legs. Boil the hot dogs until done. Use mustard and ketchup too.
Granny's Granola
raisins
Cheerios
pretzels
chocolate chips
miniature marshmallows
banana chips
M&Ms
Place 10 of each ingredient in ten piles.
Place the piles in a small paper bag.
Fold over the top of the bag.
Shake it to make a yummy treat!
September
Hippo Hamburger
2 vanilla wafers as the "bread"
1 chocolate cookie as the "hamburger"
vanilla frosting mixed with:
red food coloring for the "ketchup", green food coloring for the "lettuce",
yellow food coloring for the "mustard"
Children can assemble the "sandwich" with the chocolate cookie and assorted
frostings. Top with a second vanilla wafer.
Traffic Lights
1 graham cracker for each child
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
3 M&M's (red, green, yellow)
Children can spread peanut butter with plastic knife and place each
M&M in the appropriate place.
Variation: use 1 tablespoon of chocolate icing instead of peanut butter
Pudding In a Cup
1/4 cup of Milk
1 Tablespoon instant pudding
Materials:
1/4 cup measuring cup
Tablespoon measuring spoon
Plastic spoon for each child
One 5 ounce cup per child
Measure the milk and pour it into the cup.
Add pudding mix to the cup.
Stir mixture well.
Eat and enjoy.
Ants on a Log
1 pkg. of long pretzels
1 jar of peanut butter
1 large box of raisins
Spread peanut butter over the large pretzel with a plastic knife. Drop a few
raisins on the peanut butter.
Yum! Yum! Variation: use caramel sauce with chocolate chips
October
Nifty Necklaces
1 large bag of shoestring Licorice or Twizzlers peeled apart
Cherrios
Fruit Loops
Life Savers
small pretzels
1. Set out bowls filled with Cherrios, Fruit Loops, and Life Savers.
2. Have the students make a pattern with their candies on a piece of wax paper.
3. Add a pretzel in the middle.
4. Tie a large knot on one end of the Licorice string.
5. Let the students string their patterns.
6. Tie ends together, wear, and nibble as needed.
Marshmallow Men
l bag of large marshmallows
1 bag of miniature marshmallows
1 box of toothpicks
1 bag of chocolate chips
1 small jar of peanut butter or frosting
To make one Marshmallow Man: Connect two large marshmallows with one toothpick.
Insert another toothpick through the middle of the top marshmallow. On each side of that toothpick, place two miniature marshmallows on each side. Insert another toothpick from the bottom of the bottom big marshmallow and add two small marshmallows. Do the same with
another toothpick, placing it into the bottom marshmallow. Dab three small dots of peanut butter on the top marshmallow for eyes and nose. Place chocolate chips on the peanut butter. On the bottom large marshmallow, dab peanut butter to make three buttons on the man. Place chocolate chips on these spots, too. Icing (optional) can make the mouth. Now you have a marshmallow man!!!
Scary Spider Snacks
1 Ritz cracker
1 spoonful of peanut butter (or chocolate icing)
8 pretzel sticks (legs)
2 Skittles (eyes)
Spread peanut butter over cracker. Place 4 pretzels on each side of the
cracker. Choose spooky eyes from Skittles or M&Ms.
November
FroggyFloats
Ingredients: one ice cream scoop per child
1 2 Liter of Sprite
2 M & M's per child
Directions:
1. Give each child a scoop of ice cream in a bowl.
2. Pour Sprite in the bowl. The ice cream should float up!
3. Add two M & M eyes.
4. You have a Froggy that Floats!
Fly Pie
1 large box of vanilla pudding
3 cups of milk
1 box of vanilla wafers
1 bag of chocolate chips
cupcake liner for each child
Mix pudding according to the directions on the package.
Place one vanilla wafer in a cupcake liner.
Scoop one spoonful (about a Tablespoon) of pudding over wafer.
Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
It's yummy in our tummies!!!
Butter
Fill a clean baby food jar half full of whipping cream.
Screw the lid on tightly. Let two children take
turns shaking the jar. After about 10 minutes, the
cream will be whipped. Lumps of yellow butter will form.
Drain off the liquid and add a little salt, if desired.
Spread the butter on Indian Fry Bread or crackers.
*This recipe is great at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
My children and nieces helped make butter at our
holiday dinners.
December
Kooky Kite
2 slices of bread per child
1 slice of bologna or turkey per child
1 pat of butter per child
1 squeeze cheese can
1 Twizzler strip per child
Spread butter on one side of a slice of bread and top with
bologna and the other slice of bread.
Cut off the crust to form a diamond shape or use a diamond
shaped cookie cutter.
Squeeze cheese on top to make kite crosspieces.
Place a Twizzler tail on the back and fly the kite into your mouth!
Bear FaceSandwiches
wheat bread
peanut butter
raisins
M & M's
1" round cookie cutter
2" round cookie cutter
bag of red hots
1. Give each child two pieces of bread, some peanut butter, 2 brown M & M's,
a red hot, and 3 raisins, and a popsicle stick.
2. Have the children use the cookie cutter to cut 2 small circles and 1 large
circle from a slice of wheat bread.
3. Arrange the circles to make a face and 2 ears.
4. Spread on the peanut butter with the popsicle stick and add the 2 brown
M & M's for the eyes, a red hot for the nose, and 3 raisins for the mouth.
Gr-r-r-r-r-r !!!
Reindeer Sandwiches
1 bread loaf (depending on the number of children
1 spoonful of peanut butter
2 straight pretzels
2 M&M's (or 2 raisins)
1 red M&M or 1 red hot
Give each child a piece of bread. Let them take the crust off the bread.
Cut the bread in triangular pieces.
Spread peanut butter over the bread and place two pretzels on for antlers.
Add M&M's for the eyes and mouth.
January
Unusual Punch
2 packages strawberry Kool-Aid
2 cups sugar
2 quarts water
2 quarts Pineapple Juice
2 16oz cans Fruit Cocktail (drained)
1. Blend ingredients together and pour into cups.
2. Add 4-5 miniature marshmallows to float on top!
Zany Zoo
1 graham cracker per child
2 cans of white frosting
1 bag of Animal Crackers
1 bag of coconut
blue and green food coloring
blue and green crystal sprinkles
Directions:
1. Mix half of 1 can of frosting with blue food coloring.
2. Mix the other half of frosting with coconut and green food coloring.
3. Give each child a graham cracker and have them spread on white frosting with a popsicle stick.
4. Use green coconut and sprinkles to make grass in one corner of the graham cracker.
5. Use blue frosting and sprinkles to make a pond.
6. Place several animal crackers in your zoo.
Confetti Crackers
1 box of graham crackers
1 jar of marshmallow cream
1 container of sprinkles
Directions:
1. Give each child a graham cracker and some marshmallow cream.
2. Have them spread the marshmallow cream on with a plastic knife.
3. Then add some sprinkles for the "Confetti!"
Snazzy Snowman
Each child gets:
3 Ritz Crackers
2 pretzels
2 teaspoons of marshmallow creme
2 mini M & Ms (same color)
4 raisins
Yum!
Penguin Treat
Each child gets:
2 chocolate sandwich cookies
2 M & Ms (any color)
3 candy corn candy
Twist one cookie apart. Place the side with less icing on the top.
Place cookie with white icing showing at the bottom.
Add two candy corns for the feet.
Two M & Ms for the eyes.
1 candy corn for the beak.
Break other cookie in half for wings.
Now enjoy!
February
Gumdrop Groundhog
Ingredients for one child:
2" end of unpeeled banana
chocolate frosting
2 raisins
3 gumdrops (ears and nose)
6 chow mein noodles (whiskers)
Peel the banana. Set it up with point on top.
Use frosting to put on two eyes, 2 ears, & a nose.
Add whiskers.
Dandy Dirt Desert
2 pkgs. of instant chocolate pudding (2tbsp. per child)
1/2 gallon of milk (3 tbsp. per cup)
1 pkg. of Oreo cookies
gummy worms
1. Give each child a cup with 3 tablespoons of milk
2. Let each student measure out two tablespoons of instant pudding mix and mix with a spoon
3. Give each child a Zip-lock bag and a sandwich cookie. They can smash the cookie bag.
4. Pour the cookie crumbs on top of the pudding.
5. Add a yummy gummy worm! Eat and Enjoy!
Lincoln's Log Cabin
1 slice of bread
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
5 thin pretzels
honey in a squeeze bottle
Spread peanut butter over the bread.
(Give the children a choice of peanut butter or honey.)
Break a pretzel in half for the roof.
Place four more pretzels on peanut butter for logs.
March
X's and O's
1 round chocolate or vanilla wafer per child
1 pkg softened Cream Cheese or white frosting
1 pkg chocolate decorator gel
4 chocolate chips per child
1. Frost a round chocolate or vanilla wafer with softened Cream Cheese or white frosting.
2. Use chocolate decorator gel to draw an X across the top of the wafer.
3. Add a chocolate chip "kiss" to each fourth of the wafer.
Wishing Wand
1 large pretzel per child
1 large jar of Peanut Butter (or icing)
1 bag of chopped nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles,...ect
1. Give each child a pretzel stick and have them dip it in the peanut butter.
2. Pour the nuts, chocolate chips, and sprinkles on to Wax Paper.
3. Have each child roll the Peanut Butter end in the toppings.
4. Make a wish with your wand and enjoy!
Queen of Hearts Cherry Tarts
1 box of graham crackers
2 cans of cherry pie filling
1 tub of soft margarine
2 big boxes of vanilla wafers
1 gallon of milk
1. Mix up pudding and milk and set aside.
2. Place one box of graham crackers in a Zip-Lock bag and crush.
3. Add margarine and knead mixture in the Zip-Lock bag.
4. Place a heaping spoonful of the graham cracker mixture into a muffin cup.
5. Add a heaping spoonful of vanilla pudding and cherry pie filling.
6. Use a spoon to eat this royal treat!
April
Chocolate Nests
8 squares (8 ounces) semisweet chocolate
2 Tbls. vegetable shortening
1 cup crisp rice cereal
1 cup chow mein noodles
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 pkg. miniature candy-coated chocolate eggs
Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper. In a large microwave-safe bowl,
combine chocolate and shortening. Microwave on medium, stirring at
1-minute intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth...about 2 minutes.
Gently stir rice cereal, chow mein noodles and coconut into chocolate
mixture until thoroughly blended.
Drop chocolate mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls 1 inch apart onto
prepared baking sheets.
Butterfly Snack
1 slice of bread for each child
1 cucumber spear for each child
cream cheese
Peel the cucumbers and then cut them into spears ahead of time.
Use a butterfly-shaped cookie cutter to cut each bread slice.
Spread the cream cheese on the bread.
Place the cucumber spear in the middle.
Roll the bread up. Then unroll to find a butterfly!