A chef from the nursery's catering company recently visited us for a day.
In preparation for Chef's Day, the children made tall white chef's hats which they had fun wearing.
The chef told the three-to five-year-olds all about his job, from what his role involves to who he cooks for and where he cooks. He wore his uniform for the visit and went through each special item of clothing, inviting the children to guess its name and purpose - for example, that an apron protects your clothes from getting dirty and a hat is worn in the kitchen for hygiene purposes, because it stops hair from getting in the food.
The children were excited to show off their knowledge when he showed them different kitchen utensils, including a whisk, bowl, wooden spoon and colander. Everyone enjoyed shouting out the implement's names and guessing what they are used for. Some of the utensils were put out for the children to explore.
The chef also brought along a range of fruit and vegetables, including cauliflower, broccoli, bananas and grapes. He talked about healthy eating and nutrition while the children ate the fruit.
Then came the messy part! The children were let loose with various kitchen utensils and had a great time peeling carrots, coring apples and scooping out melons.
Then they set to work baking chocolate cup cakes with mini-egg decorations.
Staff had to ensure the children didn't eat all the mini eggs as they helped the chef mix the ingredients together!
We designed Chef's Day to be interactive and specifically support the Early Learning Goals for the Foundation Stage children. The children loved the day, and we've had positive feedback from their parents too.
Centre leader Brenda Symes spoke to Mahrukh Choughtai
