Playing with healthy (funny) food is a joyful way to develop and practice executive function skills that are essential for daily life. Students may not explicitly be taught executive function skills, and they are important life skills.
Let’s explore a typical day and you will see executive function skills emerge. These skills help us manage our lives and be productive.
Before you leave for work in the morning, you probably prepare breakfast for the family, make sure everyone is up and dressed and homework and lunch are in the backpack, teeth are brushed and whatever notes came home the night before are responded to.
I imagine there are many other executive function skills you employ to be a contributing member at work and in your community. Jump ahead to the end of the workday. Before you leave work, you may make your “To Do“ list for the next day and preview the drive home; pick up the dry cleaning, pop into the supermarket, call back the doctor before 6PM. You drive home, and as you are backing in to a parking space- someone pulls into the spot.
Your self-control helped you deal with the situation in a reasonable way. You recoup and being flexible- search for another parking space.
When you finally get home you prepare dinner while helping your daughter with her homework and check on your teenager to be sure he fed the neighbor’s cat.
These are typical tasks we are expected to complete in our daily lives that are examples of the executive function skills that I mentioned at the top of the blog.
Adults who are able to plan ahead and multi-task, even when interrupted or disinterested, and stay calm under stress, problem solve and be able to switch if the solution is not working, probably learned these skills at home or in school when they were young- over time and with practice. People who don’t learn these skills struggle their entire lives. It has nothing to do with intelligence. Some of the brightest people suffer with weak executive function skills.
Why not help children develop executive function skills while engaged in zany and humorous experiences that are also good for their health.
Making “Funny Food” is an intentional activity where children make a plan, get all the ingredients ready, and set a goal before making a Funny Food creation.
Think of all the executive skills being introduced or reinforced in the simple activity of making a wacky, healthy snack or meal!
With your guidance, children are having fun, enjoying the learning experience and are eating nutritious food.