Summer Reading Program

Well, this is my first Summer Reading Program. It's been fun so far - we've done crafts and cooked different recipes each week on Wednesdays. Of course, we still are doing the Yu Gi Oh Club, Game Night, Movie Night, and Manga Club, but our most popular activity is our cooking program. Last week we made Milk Tart, and the week before we made Stroganoff. Both tasted great, but the Milk Tart was very runny. That didn't stop the teens from coming back for seconds and finishing it off though! I print off a copy of the recipe for each teen, then I split up the recipe into several different parts. If there is an onion to be chopped, I let 2 or 3 teens work on it, so more hands are busy, and it goes faster. I let each teen measure some ingredient, chop something, stir the pot, or sprinkle in spices. If they don't have something to do for a while, they get bored, so I have to be sure each one gets occupied as often as possible. Another thing I've noticed about the cooking program is that it appeals to both sexes. I don't have to worry that it's too girly (like I do with most of my crafts) or too boyish (Game Night and Yu Gi Oh Club are dominated by boys). Also, there's surprisingly little clean up afterwards. The teens are learning the basics of cooking, enjoying the products of their efforts, and trying new foods.