Desert Rose Playgroup 

Making our daily bread

Bread baking is a much loved and eagerly anticipated activity in our playgroup morning. The children never seem to tire of it and wait patiently for their ball of dough to be placed on their bread board. Baking uses all of the senses –seeing, touching, smelling and sometimes tasting the dough. Through baking, children practice being patient, how to share, take turns and follow a sequence of events. First we make our buns, then we dust our boards down and finally we wipe down the table. What is more, it allows them to engage in real, meaningful work alongside their parents and caregivers. 

Rolling, kneading, making and shaping the dough is a wonderful activity to build strong muscles in little hands. Strong hands help us draw pictures, do up our buttons, tie our shoe laces and one day form letters when formal education begins in Class 1. Bread making can also be wonderfully creative as children have complete freedom in forming and shaping their bread buns. Flour, water, salt, yeast and oil can transformed into snails, turtles, plaits and posies right before our eyes! 

Our bread is baked during inside play and the playgroup room becomes filled with its delicious aroma. The ritual of sharing it together under the mulberry tree is always a delight as we get taste the fruits of labour – the bread we have baked all together with such love and care. 

Next week we will be making apple slinkies to share with our fruit salad. Please bring in a delicious apple to share! 

Blessings, 

Linnea, Jemima, Caitlin and Karen