EARLY YEARS EXPERIENCE: SCIENCE WITH FOOD AND DRINK

Food and drink

Fruit Salad

You will need

A selection of fruit, eg Kiwi, Peach, Pineapple

A bowl

Sharp knife

Cutting board

For safety the fruit should be cut be an adult.

• Before cutting the fruit, pass the different fruits around and let the children feel and smell them.
• Ask the children if they know the names of the fruit.
• Talk about shape, size, smell and texture.
• Put the fruit into groups, eg smooth skinned or those that are round in shape.
• Ask the children to guess what colour the fruit is inside.
• Peel and cut open the fruit, and talk about what they can see.
• Are there any seeds?
• If you cut the fruit in a different way, does it look different inside? Apples are great for this.
• Make the fruit into a fruit salad and let the children taste the fruit.
• Discuss which fruit the children prefer.

This activity links well with the book Handa's Surprise. 

Cooking Popcorn

Looking at the change in popping corn when it is cooked.

You will need

Popping Corn

A large saucepan with a lid

Cooking oil

A bowl

Sugar

You can buy microwave popcorn, which is easier to cook but not quite as much fun.

The popcorn should obviously be cooked by an adult for safety reasons.

• Look at the corn: because it is small it might be useful to have some small hand lenses to look at it.
• Talk about the size, colour, shape and texture.
• Cook the popcorn.
• Talk about the smells and sounds as the popcorn cooks.
• When the popcorn has cooled look at the changes in colour, texture, shape and size.
• Sprinkle with sugar and let the children taste the popcorn.

To cook the popcorn

Put a tablespoon of oil into the saucepan and half a cup of corn.

Give the corn and oil a stir so the corn is coated with oil.

Put the saucepan over a high heat,making sure the lid is tightly on.

When the corn starts popping carefully give the saucepan a shake.

Listen to the popping: when the pops gradually stop peep inside to check that all the corn has popped.

Remove the pan from the heat and put the corn into a bowl. It can still be quite hot so leave it to cool for a while before the children touch it.

Why does popcorn pop?

A popcorn kernel has approximately 12% water content and when it is heated quickly the moisture turns to steam and expands. When a certain temperature is reached the expanding steam causes the hull of the kernel to explode.

Different ways of cooking potatoes

To compare potatoes and look at the changes that take place when they are cooked.

You will need

A variety of potatoes, eg jacket, new, sweet.

Sharp knife

Cutting board

Peeler

Cooking pans (depending on which way you are cooking the potatoes)

Boiled and mashed potatoes are obviously the easiest to cook. Other ways of cooking potatoes could be shown by bringing in pre-prepared food or by showing photographs from magazines.

All cutting and cooking should be done by an adult.

• Before preparing the potaoes for cooking, pass them around letting the children feel the texture of the skin.
• Talk about the shape, colour, texture and size.
• Ask the children to name as many ways as they can that potatoes can be cooked.
• Talk about how you prepare the potatoes for cooking, eg washing and peeling and show the children how the peeler works, including safety factors.
• Cut the potatoes in different ways to show how they are prepared for boiled, chips and crisps.
• Cook the potatoes.
• Talk about the change in the appearance. If the potatoes have been boiled and left to cool they could be mashed by the children.
• Let the children taste the cooked potatoes and discuss which sort they prefer.

Also potatoes are good for printing too.

POTATO PRINTING

POTATO PRINTING

This activity can be linked to the rhyme:

One potato, two potato,

Three potato, four.

Five potato, six potato,

Seven potato more...

The children can then add:

I like mashed potato,

Can I have some more, pleeese....

Continue with one potato, two potato, and add new choices of cooked potato, roast, jacket into the rhyme.