I recently spent some time observing 2 groups of young children as they used recipes to cook banana bread and make silly putty.  Although both activities were well-planned, organized, and executed, the silly putty activity included so much more math because the teacher used a recipe card that was designed for children.

So what makes a good recipe for young children?

1.  Images of the ingredients- these should look exactly like the ingredients that you will be using so the children can recognize them immediately.  It isn’t helpful to have a picture of a box of salt and then to use a bowl of salt when you are actually cooking.

2.  Large, easy-to-read numbers and quantities –  Whole numbers are best.

3.  Visual representations of quantity – If you are using a measuring cup or spoon, be sure to have those measuring tools represented on the recipe card.

4.  Instructions should be written in single words and pictures.  You don’t have to write, “Stir all the ingredients together.”  Simply write “Stir” with a picture depicting “stirring.”   The message will be clear and the children will understand what is expected.

This is a picture of the Silly Putty Recipe Card that was just perfect for the children.  This teacher created her own recipe card and took pictures of each item needed in the recipe.  The children followed along closely as they each made their own batch of silly putty.  Brilliant.