It’s 5:30pm on a Wednesday at Mohawk Trails Elementary. There are at least 5 parents lined up at the parent table eagerly waiting to pick their children up. The problem is that the children are not ready to go! Why, you ask? Kids in the Kitchen!

Kids in the Kitchen is the name of our cooking club. For the first 8 weeks, it is among the favorites for the children. Children can’t wait until Wednesday so that they can take their shot at being a chef. So far, the children have put there skills to test by making Puppy Chow: a mix of Chex cereal, peanut butter, chocolate and powdered sugar, Dirt Cups: Pudding with crushed Oreos and gummy worms, and Mini Pizzas: our version, made with flattened biscuits, pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Still to come are Trail Mix, Brownies, Rice Krispie Treats, Cookies and Banana Pudding. It’s a great club because students are learning math skills by using measuring cups and tablespoons, healthy practices by ensuring they have clean hands prior to cooking, and responsible behaviors. The children, on the other hand, think it is great because they get to be messy, be a chef and of course eat yummy food!!

Legos are a favorite in the before school program. Early in the morning, it is difficult for the kids to put their imaginations and creativity to use. However, this is not a problem when the Legos come out! In the first 8 week session of Lego land, the children have all come up with some pretty cool things. They have made modes of transportation, a city, an amusement park rides and the tallest tower.

In this club, the children are able to work together in a cooperative environment. This skill was put to test when one of our children decided that he could build the tallest tower ever. Slowly but surely, the tower grew. It started off pretty normal, but before we knew it the base of it was on the floor, and it was as tall as the kid. With the help of friends, the children were able to hold on to the tower while others stood on the steps to make the tower taller. Once they got it as tall as it could be; it was time to put it to the test. How tall was it? Ms. Ford stood next to the tower, and at 5’9, the tower was taller than her. We took an educated guess and decided that it had to have been at least 5’10!