Activity Idea
"Get Out the Mad" Cookies
(from the Mad Feelings Activity Book)
The kitchen is a great place to encourage literacy. When children see that we read the directions when we prepare food for them, they begin to learn that reading is a useful tool in everyday life. Then they’ll want to become readers, too.
There’s a social-emotional bonus with this recipe, too. It can be a helpful release for angry feelings. The more you pound the dough, the better the cookies taste!
Materials:
« large bowl
« cookie sheet
« oven preheated to 350°F
Ingredients:
3 cups oatmeal
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups butter or margarine
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
Before any activity involving food, be sure the children have washed their hands.
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix them well.
Give each child a manageable chunk of dough. It’s okay for the children to mash it, knead it, and pound it. The longer and harder they mix the dough, the better the cookies taste!
When the mixing is done, show the children how to roll the dough into balls about the size of ping-pong balls, and place them on the cookie sheet. Bake the cookies at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
*****
We were delighted to see this recipe featured in Dr. Alice Honig’s latest book Little Kids-Big Worries with this comment: Any baking activity where children can mush, squeeze and roll dough could prove deeply satisfying at allowing children to get out angry feelings. In her resource list she also cites our “What Do You Do with the Mad that You Feel" workshop and our “Mad Feelings Activity Book." Thank you, Dr. Honig!
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