food book

WITH YOURFOOD



INTRODUCTION The Importance of Messy Play for Children Based on the ideas of Maria Montessori Sensory play is vital for the development of a child’s brain. When a child is able to eat and make a mess without being reprimanded, they are engaging with their first experience of sensory play. When a child is allowed to run their fingers through food they have spilled, to mash or ripe up food on their plates amazing things are taking place in their brains, new neural pathways are being built and strengthened. MESSY PLAY AIDS COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT



MENU Dinner is served Starter Squidge of Cake Main Course Mush of Spaghetti Dessert Splatter ofJelly

Ingredients STARTERS Squidge of Cake Cooking can be a wonderful authentic sensory experience 1 1/2 cups plain flour 2/3 cup caster sugar 2 tsp baking powder 125g butter melted cooled 1/3 cup milk 2 eggs 150g butter room temperature 1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups hundreds and thousands

Along with boosting a childs brain power, being allowed to get messy at mealtime helps to cultivate a positive attitude about food, which can help to prevent meltdowns in toddlerhood when their views about mess change and are introduced to new foods.



What does it look like? What does it feel like? Can you squish it? Can you mash it? It is soft? It is hard?





Ingredients MAINS Mush of Spaghetti Alphabet Spaghetti Imagination













Is it short or long? Is it straight or wiggly? Is it wet or dry? What words can you make? Can you make shapes from it? What does it taste like?

IngredientsDESSERT Splatter of Jelly Working with real foods, offers real experiences 167ml cold water 167ml hot water

Jelly is great for messy and sensory play as the children can smell it, taste it and touch it. It starts off feeling smooth and then lumpy and then squishy. There are so many different textures to describe.







Can you mash it? What colour is it? What do you think it will feel like? Can you smell it? Is it smooth or rough on top? Can you make shapes from it?









Maria Windsor 2020