From Lemons to Lemonade at Little Woods
By Little Woods Early Learning
A little squeeze, a little stir
Lemons were at the heart of a hands-on experience at Little Woods, as children explored the process of making lemonade. Using a gruff tray, they cut lemons, squeezed them and stirred, taking part in the different steps along the way.
There was a memorable moment of discovery when one child licked a lemon and pulled a face in response to its sour taste. It was a small moment that captured the sensory side of exploring food, where an ingredient can offer something unexpected.
Shopping for the next batch
Our Little Woods vegetable shop setup added another element to the experience. Children used phrases such as “I want to buy more”, expressing their wish to get more lemons and make more lemonade.
The shop play connected with what they were making at the tray. Buying more lemons meant they could return to cutting, squeezing and stirring, going through the process again. Through this repetition, children were getting the general idea of how the activity came together.
Everyday experiences, plenty to explore
In general, familiar experiences such as preparing food and playing shops can offer opportunities to explore sequences, use language for a purpose and notice the qualities of different ingredients. There is plenty to talk about in a simple lemon, from how it feels to what happens when it is squeezed.
For this experience, the connection was simple and meaningful: lemons from the shop became the starting point for another round of lemonade making.
If you would like to get to know Little Woods, we warmly invite you to Book a Tour.
