Making bread was a delicious, healthy and educational experience for Room 8

Making bread was a delicious, healthy and educational experience for Room 8

If you fancy bringing some ‘Bake Off’ inspiration, read on – we have everything you need to get started. While fairy cakes, flapjacks and meringues have their place, do not forget how easy it is to bake bread. The comforting smell of a freshly baked loaf stays with us for a lifetime, and making bread can be a therapeutic activity for children. Regarding this aspect, we loved the baking bread moment and used cracking the eggs and the flour as a sensory play. Moreover, it was so much fun!

From a nutritional point of view, bread is excellent for children; it is packed full of long-lasting energy, B vitamins and calcium. Bread is also helpful for teaching children about other foods, such as butter, which children need to eat to build muscle and gain nutrients like iron, omega-3s and calcium. Chocolate spread, jam, and honey are tasty but very high in sugar, so they should only be used in small amounts.

If you are not a confident cook, you could be tempted to take the automated option as we did – a bread-making machine. This was a time-saver, but it produced delicious bread. 

Baking gave us lots of fun, even though it was rather messy! However, despite all the mess, we gained many benefits from the baking experience.

The children had many opportunities to develop and use both hands together in a coordinated way.

Pouring ingredients into bowls was an excellent way for them to practise their eye-hand coordination.

Whether they read the recipe themselves (in words or symbols)  and follow our verbal instructions, following a recipe boosted our pupils’ listening and sequencing skills.

Following instructions is a vital school skill, and baking gave our pupils lots of practice.

Letting our pupils bake helped them learn about real-life measuring and number concepts.

Baking gave our pupils a real sense of achievement. We were working on a task that produced a product they enjoyed and shared with others, giving them confidence.

Of course, the last benefit was the result – delicious bread! After all our hard work, we sat down and enjoyed the results.