It can be hard to get kids to try new flavors; Travis might enjoy eating his vegan chick’n nuggets, for example, but he doesn’t want them spiced in a new way! So I appreciated this unit on flavor bases from around the world, part of a lesson to go with the Raddish Kids‘ recipe Travis prepared for chickpea soup, one that used a French mirepoix as the base.

I kept the lesson very light for a kindergartner. We watched a quick video on how to chop a mirepoix (carrots, onion, celery), and then discussed how an aromatic base might differ in other countries, whether with a different fat (coconut oil in parts of Asia) or different aromatics (ginger, garlic).  Older kids can delve into math ratios for the best flavor here!

The true challenge was to cook one protein in three different flavor bases. I knew Travis would never have the patience to prepare three recipes, but instead presented him with three sauces to spice his chick’n at lunch. We checked them out on a world map next to their countries, first!

He loved dipping into each. “Not the favorite,” he declared after one bite of Chinese hoisin sauce. Indian masala got a maybe, but Mexican taco sauce was the clear winner. He kept asking for more!

Have fun flipping through food magazines or cookbooks as a finale to the lesson. Travis pointed out recipes that interested him, and I helped read the ingredients that went into the flavor base. This is a great way to get your little chef thinking even deeper about food and culture.

Forget the World Series or the Super Bowl, today Travis and I competed in the… Kitchen Bowl!

This was an adorable idea from Raddish Kids to round out their Game Day crate. If you have a large family, or are hosting a family gathering, or just want to invite friends over, then you can play these games with proper teams. Travis and I had more of a “tennis match”, going one-on-one to see who could win. For a few of the activities, I challenged him solo.

First, of course, we had to name our teams. Travis declared himself the Speedy Lemons (after his favorite food) and made the Melty Ice Creams. We decorated posters with our names and mascots, and Trravis was proud of his very inventive blue lemon.

The first event was the Ultimate Taste Test. Could he identify items blindfolded? I knew Travis wouldn’t be “game” for anything liquid, so stuck to yummy snacks like mini bagels, graham crackers, and cashews. He aced them all (pun intended!).

Next we played a round of Basket-foil. Wad up aluminum foil into balls (about 6 per team) and place a mixing bowl across the room.

See who gets the most baskets in 60 seconds! We tied with 2 each.

Tong Training got lots of laughs: Each team has two cups, one filled with 1/4 cup beans. See how long it takes to transfer the beans from one cup to the other. The Speedy Lemons had an impressive 45 seconds.

You’ll need to work those fine motor skills if one drops.

Uh oh, the Melty Ice Creams upended the cup.

Then I challenged him to Memory Madness. I placed 5 utensils in a brown bag (use up to 10 items for bigger kids) and had Travis look at them for 30 seconds. Could he remember all 5?

With some coaching from the sidelines, he proudly recalled all the items.

Finally, Speed Whipping! I set out two bowls and two whisks. We had vegan Coco Whip which won’t really whisk up into stiff peaks, so this was just a matter of being silly and seeing who could whip fastest. The Melty Ice Creams came out on top!

Did I mention this was all before the school bus came? What a way to start the morning!