Ann McCallum Books: Eat Your Science Homework Review

We love science here in our home. It's a main part of our everyday. Science is fun and exciting and can literally be found in nearly everything you do. What better way to reiterate that than with a fun review from Ann McCallum Books called Eat Your Science Homework!! What We Received:  We received a physical copy of the book called Eat Your Science Homework. This exciting book covers a variety of science topics such as the periodic table of elements and black holes all in the kitchen. 

Each lesson provides information on the topic before you get started. Then follows the recipe for you and your children to make in the kitchen to model the topic. Then there's even more information on how the recipe works and shows you the science topic at hand. There's a lot of fun tasty recipes like sedimentary lasagna and black hole swallow ups. 
We made Atomic Popcorn  Balls first.  The list of ingredients that are used are typically things you have around the house. 

The recipes are really easy to follow and basic steps that your children can do with some supervision. 

It was really easy for Boo Bear to read the directions and follow them to make this recipe. I had him read the first few pages about the periodic table to make sure he had an understanding of what we were working on. Then we hit the kitchen!

We made two different colors of popcorn balls with ours. 

I do agree with Boo Bear. These kind of felt gross when we were putting them together. They were tasty but felt icky and sticky. That just adds to the fun times in the kitchen!

Once we were finished making these snacks we enjoyed one. We added in raisins but you could use other dried fruit in the recipe if you like. 
We also tried to do the sedimentary lasagna recipe. I learned a lesson because I didn't follow the instructions completely and we ended up with a hard as rock dish. Of course it helped to cement the lesson in Boo Bear's mind because he then proceeded to say, "Oh I get it. Sedimentary Rock Layers!!!" That's not what I had in mind, but hey, it worked. 
What we thought: We loved this review! We love science anyway but this was such a fun time in the kitchen together. These recipes make learning science exciting and a treat when you get to Eat Your Science Homework.
Also, when we received the book, there was a signed postcard and a note from the author. It made it a personal touch and the book was signed as well. Boo Bear thought that was really cool! 
We totally recommend this book and any of her other experiment books to those who are looking to add to their fun in science. Whether you need extra activities to reiterate your lessons or just something fun to do with a group, this is your resource.  This is a great addition to your everyday lessons, a great Christmas gift for that science kiddo in your family or just a fun resource for your co-op to give you fresh ideas. 
Be sure to click the banner to see the other products reviewed by the Crew. 

Schooling In The Kitchen

If you have been around my blog for any amount of time you know how much I love to cook. That includes baking, learning new recipes everything. When we started our homeschool journey a couple of years ago my eyes were opened to how easy it was to teach without books or formal lessons. I never really thought about it to be honest. My mind frame was that school was where we learned, homework was for us to help at home with and everyday life things were just that. Everyday life. When I started researching homeschool and truly opening my eyes to those everyday life things, it was I who learned something. Everyday life can be everyday learning. When I started looking at things that way boy did it become an adventure!

One area I want to focus on today is learning or schooling in the kitchen. I have to admit. At first I was one of those that really didn't want to take the time to let him do it. I thought he would hurt himself or it would take entirely too long. I have learned to take a deep breath and let him learn. LOL 

Now.. what can you do? How is that school? Guess what!! You can learn math, science, reading all in the kitchen. Recipes? Let them read and help you gather the ingredients. You can also make it a treasure hunt as they go around the kitchen looking. Science? How does vinegar and baking soda react together? What do you get if you leave an ingredient out of the recipe? All those are great items that you can learn about. Math? Well, fractions abound, measuring cups are the tools of the trade and learning the difference between a tablespoon and teaspoon is very important. One of our favorite recipes that Boo Bear has been making is our easy pancake recipe. He's learning how to beat an egg properly, crack the egg without getting shell into it, measuring the right ingredients etc. It's fun and it's learning.

Here are a few ways school can transfer over to the kitchen:

- Find kid friendly cookbooks. There are tons of them out there. Your local library may have some you can look at. Use these to get recipes that are easy for kids to make and for you to let go and let them.

- Look on Pinterest. The recipe you use does not have to be a gourmet meal. Let them help make cute little snacks that will not only be healthy but fun too! You can check these ideas out here, here, and here.

- Cook dinner together. If you are like me the thought of your child helping in the kitchen was a little bit intimidating. Especially when they are 5 or 6 and want to chop things.. sigh. oh my! But this is where my teacher brain took over and said okay. So I told him the knives in the kitchen he could use and his own little cutting board. We have talked about safety in the kitchen and much more! It can be a fun experience working together and they are learning the entire time.

So when it comes to homeschooling moving to the kitchen remember these tips:
- Relax
- Have fun
- Take a deep breath and
- It's okay if something spills or if flour gets everywhere. These are wonderful memories!!!