PHYSICAL SPACE

There is a large window in the front of the classroom that lets in beautiful, glowing sunlight. From the second you walk in the door you feel a sense of calm excitement. You smell fresh herbs and fruit. It just feels healthy. You want this food. 

 

The walls are bright white. There are brightly painted words painted on the wall.

Share. Listen. Give Thanks. Respect (this space, myself, each other). Laugh.

In the middle of the wall is the Fun with Food logo. Fruits and vegetables all holding hands in a circle doing a little dance together. And that is what the students in this space will do. Support each other, do little dances of joy when tasting a new food for the first time that they love, and going round and round about how much fun they have in this space while supporting and encouraging each other.

 

The only colors in the space are the illustrations on the walls and the food we are working with. By having white space all around, you cannot help but want to look at and focus on the green kale, red strawberries and yellow lemons. The art is all in the food we are preparing, experiencing and tasting.  

 

The space has a few stainless steel tables with shelves underneath for the students to work on. There are three small compartment sinks in the back for dishes, a prep sink to wash the produce and a little hand sink. We wash our hands a lot. 

 

WHO IS IN THIS SPACE

The majority of the students in this class range from kindergarten to fifth grade. Some students come for the middle school classes and high school seniors can be found learning how to prepare real food for themselves in a college dorm. From time to time there will be a class for Girl Scouts, Brownies, singles cooking for one and a nutritious snack making class for athletes. 

 

WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENT LIKE

In the elementary school aged class, one of the six year olds is beautifully and safely using a knife and perfectly dicing a peach. She is showing the ten year old how to do it, because she knows how. And she really does. The taller student is helping the smaller student reach the paper towels. Everyone is working together and age has no bearing on abilities. It is a community of young friends who are excited to be given the freedom to prepare their ingredients in their order in their own time. At the end of the class, they will all have a fruit appetizer to snack on, but for now, the paths they take to get there are their own. Everyone works at their own speed with their own skills and there is no right answer. Recipes are guidelines. This is a creative space where experimenting, tasting new flavors and combining foods is all encouraged. 

 

A student places a diced sweet peach into a crunchy phyllo dough cup and sprinkles feta cheese and chopped parsley on the top for a perfect balance of flavors, colors and textures. This student discovers an artistic way to present this appetizer. Everyone applauds. They love it. It is delicious and it is REAL FOOD. This child leaves with a sense of accomplishment, a greater sense of self respect and he cannot wait to come back the next week for our class. And the next week he brings a friend. I am listening to two students talking about taste buds and how they can change as you grow so you should always taste new things. I hear a girl humming while she enjoys thinly slicing her celery. Two six year olds are giggling as they make a face out of olives and lettuce. 

 

HOW DOES THIS FEED ME

Watching children enjoy and thrive in an environment of creativity and nutritious food and ingredients give me hope that they will grow up learning and enjoying how to prepare real food for themselves and others. Their health will be better for it. They will have a better understanding of what makes their bodies and minds work best and how they can feel full of energy and thrive in their activities. They will share what they have learned with their families and the ripple effect will take place. 

 

Everyone needs a place where they can go to feel safe and comfortable. We are in this space together and we can leave our ‘stuff’ at the door. There are no tests here. There are no grades. There are no right or wrong answers. This is a place to use all of your senses, your mind and your heart. There is a place for everyone in Fun with Food. 

​

*************************************************************************

If you believe in what I do and would like to support me, please feel free to share with others and visit my GoFundMe page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/fun-with-food-teaching-classroom

*************************************************************************

​

​