Practical life skills: baking experience for the toddlers

by | Jun 18, 2025 | Blog, Curriculum

Waiting your turn to scoop.

The toddlers practiced their practical life skills

Chef Sasheema and the toddler educators provided the children with a hands-on baking experience. It beautifully combined sensory exploration, fine motor development, emotional expression, and learning practical life skills—all inspired by Montessori principles. The children scooped, poured, and mixed ingredients, exploring the textures of oats, melted butter, chocolate chips, and coconut. Their little hands moved with purpose and curiosity as they felt the different consistencies and watched the ingredients blend.

Mixing the dough with a wooden spoon quickly turned into an adventure. Some toddlers used all their strength (and both hands!) to stir, while others observed as their friend mixed the dough. Once baked, the toddlers decorated the cookies with edible flowers and sprinkles. We loved seeing their faces light up with pride when participating in this activity.

The toddlers baked cookies during a practical life skills activity.
Mixing the cookie ingredients.
Waiting your turn to scoop.
Decorating the cookies with edible flowers and sprinkles. A practical life skills experience for our toddlers.
Montessori-inspired activity: scooping the ingredients.
Learning practical life skills: taking turns in mixing the cookie dough ingredients.
Chef Sasheema prepared a lovely activity for the children.

Practical life skills activities are part of our educational curriculum 

Hands-on experiences like this one provide toddlers with meaningful, real-life learning aligned with our Montessori-inspired approach to early learning. While scooping, pouring, mixing and decorating, the children actively explore texture, colour, and transformation, all elements of sensory education in Montessori.

Each child was encouraged to participate at their own pace, fostering fine motor development and a sense of accomplishment. As they collaborated, the toddlers practised turn-taking, sharing tools and expressing joy in each other’s efforts.

Linking to the Early Years Learning Framework

This baking experience strongly supports several key outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF):

  • Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity.
  • Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world.
  • Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of well-being.
  • Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners.
  • Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators.

At Enrich, learning is active, joyful, and rooted in meaningful experiences. This cookie-making adventure perfectly exemplifies how playful, real-life experiences, and learning come together in our Montessori-inspired environment.