The Blue Room spent the school year investigating things from the real world as well as exploring their ideas from imaginary worlds. Much of their real world play involved an interest in making food from play dough and pretending to share it and sell it with others, like they see in bakeries and shops around Brooklyn. As we asked them about any real food they’d like to make, the Blue Room friends had lots of excitement about their idea to make bagels. What could go in it and on it? Poppy seeds? Cream cheese? Raisins? Butter? The Blue Room friends wrote their own bagel recipes and we tried out their recipes a few times. One created bagel recipe included: cinnamon, cheese, ice cream, raisins, sprinkles, and flour. It didn’t turn into a bagel!

Finally, we decided to learn what it was like to follow a recipe. We walked to our local bodega, wrote out our list and bought our ingredients. We practiced measuring, mixing and making dough. We practiced kneading dough and forming bagels. We also explored the questions: Why do we eat certain foods? Why do we not eat others? Why do different people make different choices about food? We read stories about a boy who looks all over the city for halal hot dogs, a mouse with a dairy intolerance, and a cat who goes hunting for a snack! At the end of the year, we hosted a bagel party for our families! With a love for the fantastical still important to this group, each child also had the opportunity to make their dream bagels using salt dough, bottle caps, googly eyes, paint, and so much more. Some of their bagel names: “Sunrise Bagel,” “Moose Sculpture Bagel,” “Unicorn Island Bagel,” and “Hot Fire Bagel.”

Andrea and Tanisha, Blue Room Teachers ‘22-23