Hello and welcome to my blog! This week, my children and I, made homemade granola bars as a fun part of a homeschool lesson. We enjoyed this activity so much that we thought we would share the idea with you.
If you have never made homemade granola bars, you are in for a real treat. These simple bars can be adapted to suit your own individual taste. With only a few ingredients needed, these granola bars are a win-win in my book. The children and I made these granola bars two ways: one-part chocolate chip and sea salt, and the other cinnamon and raisin.
Making these homemade granola bars can become the perfect homeschool learning opportunity. So, what are we waiting for? Won’t you join along?
~The Inspiration for this Recipe Lesson~
People sometimes ask me where the inspiration for my blog post(s) come(s) from.
The answer varies: My children and my husband encourage me daily. The items I find on the thrift store shelves help to give my post(s) direction. Equally, seasons of the year awaken me. My Home Economics teaching days influence me. The time I spent living in England aids me. Sometimes an unexpected, thoughtful gift leads me to produce a post.
And still other times my inspiration stems from the simple beauty of living life in God’s amazing creation. I ask for God’s wisdom and help… and then I am always excited myself to see what a bit of creativity produces.
This week, my daughter motivated me to write this post. For she wanted to make homemade granola bars. Naturally, the teacher in me wanted to tie this sweet request into a learning experience for all my children. I do love when my children express interest in their own education.
Homeschooling is a vessel which allows me to open the “gate” to the “garden of learning”. Fertile young minds are a joy to teach.
*For other outdoor homeschool ideas, check out my post on bird feeding activities here. Also, my hidden time capsule lesson is a good resource- or, see my post on homemade playdough for a hands-on preschool lesson idea.
~How to Incorporate Making Granola Bars into a Multi-faceted Homeschool Lesson~
As a mom and homeschool educator, I try to incorporate as many subjects into one lesson as I can. This way, we make the most of our time. In this particular lesson, we easily incorporated art, discussion, experimentation, teamwork, writing and listening skills, oral narration, creative thinking, and math and science skills.
By adding a bit of watercolor paint, and hands-on learning concepts, we were able to be involved in a multi-faceted homeschool learning opportunity.
~How to Teach Different Ages the Same Lesson: ~
Teaching school at home naturally looks different to a public classroom setting. Of course, it is worth noting that many homeschool parents have multiple children- and are therefore- not just schooling one student at a time.
One question I often get asked about homeschooling is, “What do you do with the younger children… while you teach the older children their lessons?”
The answer is simple. Sometimes the “littles” go into an adjacent room and dump out all the baskets of toys (this often happens)- but generally, we ALL do school together as one. And while not always seamlessly smooth or incredibly easy…I am okay with that. Because you know what?… I secretly love that…all of us learning together as one.
Therefore, because of the differences in age and ability, sight variations are to be expected. Basically, I try to have one main instructional theme (that then allows for minor adaptations based on age and ability). Which brings me to my next section- where I will expand a bit more on this idea.
~Writing a Recipe with Children: ~
For the purposes of recipe writing, a child can have a designated notebook or journal to jot their own recipes down. However, my Happy Hawks Homeschool crew wanted to incorporate some color into their handmade recipes.
We simply gathered white computer paper, watercolor paints, and paintbrushes…and then we got to work. Wanting to give a bit of direction, I instructed each of my four children to paint a lovely picture- of their choosing- using only watercolors and their imagination. The only consideration I put forth was to steer clear of dark colors- so that their recipes could still be seen when written over the top of the painted artwork.
I always enjoy sitting back and seeing what my children create.
As the painted recipe papers where drying, we began a family discussion. I asked the children what ingredients they thought we should add to the granola bar recipe. As a child would say an ingredient, I would place that ingredient in the middle of the table. From there, we discussed the role of each ingredient and began to create our own recipe ideas.
We used several granola bar recipes as our inspiration- and then began the fun of adding our own personal touches. In the end, we created two slightly different recipes that all the children had an input into.
~How I Adapted the Recipe Assignment to Fit Various Ages: ~
My children range in age from two years old to nine years old. The oldest child wrote a recipe practicing her spelling and writing skills. (We did have to go back to make a few corrections. Proofreading is another good skill for children to learn).
As an adult, I too have to proofread many times over when doing my own writings. Even still, I make plenty of mistakes. However, making mistakes is part of the learning process.
Writing the step-by-step recipe instructions helped my daughter to think in a linear fashion.
Another child wrote the title for the recipe… while verbally giving me instructions for his recipe idea. He illustrated as we discussed.
Still another child drew simple illustrations of each recipe step (writing close to no words).
The baby of the group? Well, she joined in the conversation, while splattering paint and eating a few handfuls of chocolate chips.
In the end, we all helped each other- and enjoyed an interesting conversation around the dining table.
Learning does not always take place at a desk or from a textbook. No, learning takes place in all areas of life.
~The Homemade Granola Bar Recipe: ~
Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
Method
- To a heavy bottomed saucepan (over medium heat) add butter, honey, golden syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla. Stir until melted and all ingredients are fully incorporated. (This takes only a minute or so, do not cook until the mixture becomes too thick or sticky. This is more of a syrup- as opposed to a caramel.)
- In a separate bowl, add the oats and any chosen "add-on" ingredient. *If making the chocolate chip version of granola bars, remember the chocolate chips will melt if added too soon. If you would like the chocolate chips to remain whole -wait until the bars have been pressed into the parchment paper to harden- and then, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the tops of the bars (giving a slight press).
- Carefully pour the sugar and butter mixture over the oats and fully combine.
- Press the oat mixture into a casserole dish (lined with parchment paper), and allow the oats to slightly harden and cool. *Bars can also be added to the refrigerator to speed up the chilling process.
- Cut into desired bar shapes and enjoy.
Notes
~"Kids" in the Kitchen (Not Goats, but Children) ~
Having children in the kitchen naturally produces a bit more mess, but equally it produces a fun time of learning and memory making.
I like to start kitchen lessons by teaching my children the importance of good hygiene when preparing food. Therefore, we began our cooking lesson by washing our hands. We then read our recipes aloud and made sure we had all our ingredients ready. Each child had a job to do…and in this way- everyone played a part in the food’s preparation.
*Note: the butter and honey syrup mix does get quite hot- so always be mindful of safely in the kitchen when little ones are nearby.
For this particular activity, I let my oldest three children use their own little cameras to take photos of the recipe steps. This always makes me smile as my children are also mimicking what they see me do for my blog.
(Be still my heart. All those precious eyes looking at me. What a responsibility and an honor!)
~How Our Granola Bars Where Made: ~
~A photograph to "say" one thousand words: ~
~Chocolate Chip and Sea Salt Granola Bar Version: ~
The boys wanted chocolate- and the girls wanted cinnamon raisin…so we made two batches of course. Same method all the way until the add-ons. A simple swap out.
~Cinnamon and Raisin Granola Bar Verison: ~
~Hungry for More? ~
Huge granola bar fan?
Why not try my homemade flapjack recipe?
Flapjacks are an English snack food. They are a similar recipe, but they include a much larger amount of golden syrup.
New to golden syrup? You can sometimes buy this English ingredient in the international British section of Publix- or try online.
If you are still struggling to locate golden syrup, why not try my homemade recipe for it here?
~Until Next Time/Final Thoughts: ~
Well, that is it for this post. I hope you enjoyed each step of our homeschool recipe learning opportinuity. Making homemade granola bars is a simple, lovely activity that all ages can enjoy.
Remember, school lessons do not always come in the shape of a textbook or a computer screen. Sometimes they come in the shape of a family conversation around the dinner table, a walk out in nature, or a fun time in the kitchen.
I hope to see you all again very soon. Until then, check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for more ideas and inspirations. Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog and share with those who may also enjoy this post.
If you missed my last week’s post on preparing an English Sunday roast, be sure to check it out next.
Until next time.
~Elizabeth~
