The European Day of Languages 2008 was celebrated in style at Dean Oaks primary School Wilmslow, Cheshire in September. Renamed ‘A Day of Languages’ to embrace the different languages spoken across the school it began with an assembly in which children spoke in their mother language – these included Polish, Spanish, Hebrew, German, Dutch, Urdu, Cantonese and French. The children greeted the assembly and then introduced themselves in their own language.
The day involved children taking part in a variety of activities with one of the most exciting being a ‘hands-on’ look at the different types of foods traditionally eaten in Spain.
Ben is preparing red peppers
Rose King, a food adviser from Sainsbury’s spent the day in school demonstrating and preparing different dishes associated with Spain. She worked in both infant and junior groups through the day so all the children had the opportunity to make the dishes together and sample them. The children joined in and helped prepare the ingredients for Spanish omelettes, tapas and smoothies (not perhaps a traditional Spanish product but made from strawberries which are grown there and then exported to this country!)
The children did their making in small groups learning skills which included beating the eggs and cutting up a variety of ingredients such as red pepper, salad onions, cooked potatoes and tomatoes. They also added sweetcorn, peas and tuna to the different dishes. At the end of each 1 hour session everyone joined in the tasting and the overwhelming majority voted the experience a great success. Children were keen to take the recipes home and to try some of them again. Some of the children surprised themselves by liking foods they had not tried before.
Pictured here are some of the other children who were involved top from left, Ellie May & Anisa and below, Ben
Active Kids Get Cooking October 2009