Kitchen becomes the classroom this National Nutrition Week

This National Nutrition Week, one Greater Newcastle early learning centre is proving that some of the most important lessons happen far beyond the classroom in the kitchen.

Busy Bees at Cameron Grove is turning everyday cooking into powerful learning opportunities, showing how time spent measuring, mixing, and preparing food can boost children’s literacy, numeracy, and lifelong healthy habits.

Centre Director Katherine Spencer said the kitchen is an incredibly rich learning environment.

“Building a connection with the kitchen from a young age is vital to growing healthy and happy children, so we bring concepts of nutrition and healthy eating into everyday learning in ways that make sense for children at every age from preschoolers to nursery,” Ms Spencer said.

“Our educators weave healthy associations with food into daily conversation, helping children connect the dots between healthy foods and healthy movement often you’ll hear someone say,‘if you finish your apple, you’ll run even faster this afternoon’.

“We know that the kitchen is a great place for literacy and numeracy, there are so many opportunities to read boxes, labels and recipes, and develop an early understanding of numeracy by measuring ingredients and setting timers.”

Beyond the development of a positive relationship with food, involving children in kitchen-based play can improve language and listening skills, fine motor and coordination skills, literacy and numeracy skills, and emotional and social skills.

Further to nutrition being central to the Centre’s curriculum, Busy Bees also recently launched their new Spring and Summer Menu, developed in partnership by paediatric dietitian’s ChildD and the Centres’ own chefs.

The Bee Healthy Menu, designed to ensure children meet at least 60 per cent of their daily nutritional needs while they are in care, introduces children to ranging tastes, colours, textures and flavours.

Extending this nutritional education and awareness to children’s home lives, Busy Bees have made their menu available to families, sharing healthy recipes and tips for getting children involved in the kitchen.

National Nutrition Week (13–19 October) encourages Australians to make healthier choices and explore the benefits of seasonal, nutritious food.

To find out more about nutrition at Busy Bees, visit: https://www.busybees.edu.au/family/menu/

Images provided by Busy Bees.