Dandelion Baking

LESSON 5

Children explore the nutritional benefits of dandelions, and how they can help different parts of the body before baking with dandelions. 

  • Ingredients for recipe of choice. Some ideas here.  

Materials

  • Gather ingredients for recipe of choice.

Preparations

  • Guide children in reflecting on their art-making experiences with dandelions. 

  • Facilitate discussions about the nutritional benefits of dandelions, encouraging critical thinking. 

  • Assist children in following baking recipes, promoting literacy and practical life skills in the kitchen. 

Objectives for Teachers

  • Children reflect on the previous lesson's artwork creation using dandelions. 

  • Children identify the nutritional benefits of dandelions, understanding how they can help our bodies.  

  • Children engage in baking with dandelions, following a recipe. 

Objectives for Children

Collect and Connect

Practice saying the poem “Dandelion” together with the actions you came up with.

Dandelion

“O dandelion, yellow as gold, 

What do you do all day?” 

“I just wait here in the tall green grass, 

Till children come out to play.”  

 

“O dandelion, yellow as gold, 

What do you do all night?” 

“I wait and wait till the cold dew falls, 

And my hair grows long and white.” 

 

“And what do you do when your hair is white, 

And the children come out to play?” 

“They take me up in their dimpled hands, 

And blow my hair away.” 

Activity Flow

  1. Reflect on the previous lesson about the artwork you created. Some questions you might ask: 

  • What did you enjoy most about creating art with dandelions? 

  • Did you face any challenges or difficulties during the art-making process, and how did you overcome them? 

  • Is there anything new you wonder about dandelions? 

2. Next, we will explore the nutritional benefits of dandelions. Ask your child if they’ve ever tried eating a dandelion before. Share that most people don’t just eat dandelions straight from the ground. Firstly, because it’s important to make sure that dandelions haven’t been sprayed with pesticides which can make us sick. Secondly, because dandelions are best eaten when prepared in ways that make them taste yummy!  

3. So why go to all the work to prepare and eat dandelions? Well, like many foods we love, dandelions can be really good for our bodies. Let's learn about the different parts of our body that dandelions can help. Point to each body part as you talk about the benefits.  

  • Liver: Dandelions help clean and take care of our liver, which is like a special cleaning machine inside our body.

  • Tummy: Dandelions can help our tummies feel better when they're upset or uncomfortable.

  • Skin: Dandelions have good stuff in them that makes our skin feel nice and soft, like when we use lotion.

  • Immune system: Dandelions have vitamins and minerals that help our bodies fight off icky germs, like the ones that can make us feel sick.

  • Bones: Dandelions give us strong bones!

  • Kidneys: Dandelions are like little helpers for our kidneys, which are special parts of our body that clean our blood. 

4. After learning about the nutritional benefits of dandelions, tell your child that they will be baking with dandelions today. Head outside and collect the number of dandelion flowers the recipe you chose calls for. Be extra mindful of where you forage, making sure they haven’t been sprayed with pesticides.  

5. Head inside and follow the recipe you have chosen to make today. Remember to save a few cookies or cupcakes for the next lesson where kids will conclude the dandelion unit with a fun tea party.