2026-12-14 • Ages 2–5
Gingerbread Pear Mini Loaves
Holiday baking, spice senses, and wet/dry science
Ingredients and preparation
Per child: standardized batter for 2 mini loaves using whole-wheat flour, 1/4 softened pear, egg, milk, oil, molasses or real brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, and baking powder. Wash and core pears; teacher softens and cools them. Portion wet and dry ingredients separately; teacher handles raw egg. Teacher reminder: students put on aprons and wash hands first. Give each child their own child-proof knife, cutting mat, measuring tools, and classroom cooking tools. Take a group photo with the creations and upload it to the protected Airtable photo record; do not display publicly. Children help clear and wipe work areas; teachers wash and sanitize tools and food-contact surfaces. Check the roster so every child takes home a labeled creation.
30-minute lesson
3 min aprons, handwashing, and raw-egg rule. 4 min smell and name holiday spices. 8 min measure, level, and cut softened pear. 9 min combine wet and dry bowls, count scoops, and photograph. 6 min child cleanup; teacher sanitizes egg areas, labels tins, and checks the roster.
Ages 2–3
Pour premeasured ingredients; cut fully softened pear with help; stir; count two scoops.
Ages 4–5
Measure and level flour and spices; cut softened pear; compare wet and dry mixtures; portion equal scoops.
Learning goals
Cup and spoon measurement, leveling, sensory vocabulary, safe cutting, wet/dry comparison, batter transformation, counting, equal portions, raw-egg safety.
Chef instructions
Bake labeled mini loaves at 350°F for 14–17 minutes. Confirm doneness with a clean tester, keep allergy-adjusted tins separate, sanitize raw-egg surfaces, cool completely, and package 2 per child.
Teacher photo upload
Classrooms ages 2 and up: upload finished creation photos or a permitted group photo. Choose your center and classroom. Your center’s director and Evelyn receive the photos by text.
Upload finished creation photos