Chef Combo®

A Dairy Treat Day

Farm

Take-A-Taste Activities

Grade Level: Pre-k / K
Rating:

Synopsis:
Students taste several dairy foods for a fun, "dairy-treat" day.

Activity Objectives:
Students will be able to:

• Discuss the taste, texture, smell, and color of five dairy foods.
• Taste the dairy foods and participate in a tasting survey.

Material and Advance Prep:

• Prepare a set of Finger Puppets (PDF) and review "Five Dairy Cows" finger play (click here for cow puppet PDF)
• Plates, spoons and napkins (1 per student)
• Dairy foods to taste:
  • Cheese (1/2 ounce per student)
  • Pudding (spoonful per student)
  • Cottage Cheese (spoonful per student)
  • Yogurt (spoonful per student)
  • Unusual flavor ice cream (unusual per student)
• Cut cheese into 1/2-ounce servings
• 4 serving spoons
• Tasting Passports (PDF)
• Review Take a Tasting Survey
• Stickers or rubber stamp for Tasting Passports
• Tasting Chart
• Optional: Food Matters Family Newsletter (PDF) (1 per student)
• Optional: Sheet music "Dairy Treat Day" (PDF)

What to Do:

1. Pass out the finger puppets. Lead the children in the "Five Dairy Cows" finger play.
2. Invite the students to taste the dairy treats.
3. Have students wash their hands. Afterwards, have the first cow introduce her cheese. Role model "trying a new food" by tasting it in front of your students. Have students try the cheese. Then discuss its color, smell, taste and texture with the children.
4. Add "cheese" to the Tasting Chart. Take a tasting survey and tally the results.
5. Repeat for pudding, cottage cheese, yogurt and ice cream.
   For each food:
   • Have a cow introduce the food.
   • Role model "trying a new food" by tasting it in front of the students.
   • Offer a taste to all children who want to try it.
   • Discuss the color, smell, taste and texture of the food.
   • Take a tasting survey.
6. Stamp students' Tasting Passports for each food tasted. Remind students that the dairy foods they just tasted help build strong bones and teeth.
7. Optional: Teach the children a "Dairy Treat Day" song (PDF), which is sung to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell."
8. Optional: Send home a copy of the Food Matters Family Newsletter with each child.

Reviews

Following are reviews submitted by visitors. Find out how to submit your own rating and review.

Title: Fun Way To Encourage Kids To Try New Foods
Submitted by: Laura from US Territory of Guam

The entire lesson plan from top to bottom was very easy to follow. The children loved the fingerplays and getting to try new foods. They were very proud to show their parents their "completed" passorts.

Thank you!

Title: Great!
Submitted by: Amanda

I love the song!

Title: very fun way
Submitted by: Anonymous

It is a very fun way of teaching nutritional values

Title: A Dairy Treat Day
Submitted by: Anonymous

This lesson was very age appropriate and had an excellent use of the different learning styles. It was creative and musical. It also included the arts, via a puppet demonstration and very entertaining use of the "cow puppets". It taught a valuable lesson as well as educational and memorable ideas and practice.