On this beautiful day, we set off to the blueberry farm to pick some blueberries! Upon arrival, we were greeted by the staff and had a conversation about blueberries. We learned how to identify the best blueberries for picking and about the creatures that aid in the growth of blueberries through pollination. Given buckets to fill, some of the children questioned how we would manage to fill them due to the size difference between the blueberries and the buckets. We soon discovered that through collaboration, this task was not daunting and that the buckets filled up quite quickly.
Returning to the Centre, we had to decide what to do with all these blueberries, so we conducted a vote, and the winner was blueberry cookies! With the decision made, it was now time to collect all the ingredients. Once collected, we began combining the ingredients to make the dough. With the use of measuring cups, table and teaspoon we measured the right amount of the ingredients. We also used various tools like a whisk to help with the mixing. Through collaboration, we followed the recipe directions carefully, which added a hint of mathematics through measurements and science through mixing the ingredients together to see how they would react to each other in addition to the baking process, to the activity. We were reminded about proper hygiene and the need to keep our hands clean.
Through this baking experience, we learned that the children had an interest in making food they could enjoy and eat later. The sense of pride was evident on their faces as they took their first bites of the cookies, seeing how deliciously they had turned out. With this knowledge, we could continue to introduce more baking experiences, even learning about different cultures by making and tasting foods from various cultures that make up our John Sweeney community.
This was just one of the unforgettable adventures the campers had this year. We’re hopeful that the newfound confidence that they have in trying out new things, meeting new people, and visiting places will get them to be excited for challenges and opportunities that the new school year will bring. Good luck, campers!
