Let’s get cooking!

What an incredible start to the year we have had at Wivenhoe Park Day Nursery!

Our Forest school team have recently invested in a new Dutch Oven to allow our little Foresters to eat their meals in the open air all year round.

A Dutch Oven is a cast iron pot which can hold a temperature whilst cooking – just like a slow cooker.  To get the most out of the meal experience, the children help to prepare the different ingredients to develop their skills, for example; chopping up the vegetables, pouring in the stock or sprinkling in some seasoning.  Not only are the children then developing their fine-motor skills, they are also learning about the different foods that go into making meals, using their senses, using science to learn about temperature control and understanding rules around safety.  A big benefit overall is that by being involved in the whole cooking process, they can be encouraged and confident in trying new foods!

The Dutch Oven is super easy to use over our fire as it hangs from a tripod with enough distance for more firewood to be added. With only an occasional stir, it does not take too long for our meals to be ready to eat.  Whilst waiting, the children will often initiate conversation and ask questions, this time usually allows us to remind the children of our messages about how to keep safe around a fire. Our number one rule around the fire pit is that we stay sat on our logs unless we are invited to come closer for reasons such as toasting marshmallows or to add firewood.

The children have had a great time exploring and experiencing with new meals in the Dutch Oven. We have all enjoyed trying different meals including Pasta Bolognese, vegetarian stews and jambalaya!