It is a challenging job for parents these days to convince their children to have healthy food. AIS believes in playing an active part in the overall development of our students. We, therefore, have integrated idea of developing healthy eating habits into our curriculum. Last week, AIS Montessori Section conducted a Kitchen Corner Activity of making Fruit Yogurt.
The students brought one of the following: fresh fruit (apple, banana, grapes) and yogurt. Students were encouraged to wash, peal, slice and cut fruits under the guidance of their teachers. They whipped yogurt with whisk and mixed in it the freshly cut fruits. They were encouraged to use five senses to observe, explore and experiment. The activity also supported fine motor development when children sliced fruits into cubes, used whisk and mixed fruit with cream and yogurt.
Our teachers made it more fun by bringing in a variety of other fruits such as strawberries, apricots, pineapples and cranberry. Some of them added dried fruits including raisins, almonds and dried figs. They helped students in arranging the trays and baskets. It was interesting for students as well as informative to learn about the importance of various fruits. Teachers told the students that Allah subhana-wa-tallah has made all these fruits and each of these contain special vitamins and fibers, which are beneficial for our health. They emphasized on eating yogurt without adding sugar to have it in more natural style.
Our students later helped the teachers in clearing the work area and arranging the class rooms. We tried to integrate this activity with our on-going moral theme ‘respect’ as students learnt not to waste food, to serve the fruit yogurt by taking turns in serving and sharing with their friends. They were sent in groups to the different departments of the school to inculcate the spirit of courtesy and sharing. The appreciation they received helped build their confidence. Our MS students prepared small cups to serve the school maids, janitorial staff, gate keepers as a token of thanks and a gesture of respect, realizing that being Muslims it’s our duty to take care of the people around us.
Alhumdulillah! Students of Senior & Advance Montessori can now follow a recipe to make their own Fruit Yogurt.
This fun-filled activity was conducted on 9th September 2015 at H-11 campus and on 10th September 2015 at F-8 campus.
* Fun in working together
* Names, shapes, benefits of fruits
* Healthy food is delicious to eat
* The joys of sharing
* Respect for food and people