Learning Activities for Kids: A Milk Moustache Isn't the Only Thing Kids Will Get Out of This Fun Taste-Testing Game for Families by Teacher Karen

Looking for inspiration for your kid’s learning whether at home or in the classroom? Turn to National Day Calendars, where they list days, weeks and months of possible topics in themes from serious to whimsical.

For example, January 11 was National Milk Day, which is perfect for a taste-testing experiment. Use it to expose your kid's to different types of milk, perhaps opening up their palate for other new foods. There are many different kinds of plant milks and animal milks to choose from:

• cow milk
• goat milk 
• buffalo milk
• almond milk
• soy milk
• coconut milk
• hemp milk

Of course, there’s a vast subset within cow’s milk: 

• whole milk
• 2% low-fat milk
• 1% low-fat milk
• nonfat milk
• flavored milk
• buttermilk
• evaporated milk

For the milk tasting experiment you'll need:

• 4 or 5 different kinds of milk
• milk glass for each tester
• crackers
• milk preference chart
  

Here's how to do it:

1. Place crackers on plate.
2. Pour the various milks into glasses. (Keep track which kind of milk is in which glass.)
3. Let your kids choose which glass they want to start with.
4. After taking a sip have them take a moment to think about what it tasted like. Was it creamy, sweet, tangy, etc.?
5. Offer a bite of cracker between sips of milk.
6. Let your kids continue through the rest.
7. After all have been sampled, ASK which milk they liked the best and have them place an X in the appropriate square.

Is there a clear favorite? Taste is very personal. Someone’s preference isn’t any better than anyone else’s, but it’s important to expose kiddos to other options.

Follow up with their favorite milk and add some cookies! There’s another opportunity for learning. 

• How does the cookie sound when bitten into? 
• Is it hard and crisp? Soft and chewy? 
• How about the taste? Spicy, nutty, buttery or sugary? 
• What’s the texture? Bumpy, smooth, crumbly? 

Have fun!

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