Unit 2 – Matter of Taste: taste, smell, sight, touch, and hearing. Hands on nutrition pedagogic starting form taste events to cooking classes in kindergarten.

In this unit I will learn how to:

1. observe and understand the sensitive nature of children
2. realize healthy and savory menu in the phase of the weaning
3. organize activity which stimulate the development of senses in the children and their awareness of these

Introduction into the topic:

In kindergarten, among the main experiences to be seen as opportunities for cognitive, physical, affective development of children, we have the sensorial experience: in early childhood, actually, senses (taste, smell, hearing, sight and touch) are the first and the best way to get self-knowledge and to become aware of the surrounding world.

At the same time, food is the main immediate connection with the outside, while satisfying the primary needs of children. So, when children enter kindergarten, their first challenge is the weaning, i.e. passing from mother or formula milk into several, diversified food flavors and smells. For that reason, the teachers organize specific activities focused on using “jelly”, so that children become able to test some new flavors and smells, at the same time developing their skills in playing.