Sleman, Indonesia – The Kerinci and Krakatau classes of JMES embarked on the cooking activity on February 27, 2025. As part of the child’s natural development, it has been regular activities at school that promote student’s practical life skills, develop independence, and emphasize hands-on learning.

The students work together to make several dishes, including capcay vegetables, fried noodles, fried eggs, fried tempeh, and Indonesian vegetable fritters (bakwan). Guided by their teachers, the students engaged in the process step by step, from preparing the ingredients first to dividing tasks. They experienced motor skills activities like peeling onion and garlic, chopping vegetables such as carrots, mustard greens, tomatoes, and leeks, and mixing, adding, stirring, and flavoring the batter. On the other side, some students took part in the frying process, independently placing the ingredients into pans and stir-frying them with care.

Throughout the activity, students demonstrated meaningful collaboration. The older students guided the younger ones, particularly during the frying session, which required careful work. They took turns at various steps, allowing everyone to share the same experience.

As can be seen, this cooking activity involves multi-step processes, where the students gain multiple benefits. For the younger students, it enhanced fine motor skills as they used various utensils like knives, spoons, and forks, developing hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and precision. For the older students, it essentially promoted practical life skills.

As they engaged in each process, they also cultivated other practical life skills like cleaning, where they washed the plates, utensils, and cooking ware. By being exposed to a variety of flavors and textures, it refines the student’s sense of taste and encourages healthier eating habits, as they become more aware of nutrition and food groups. The complexity of the cooking process encouraged them to learn about responsibility, independence, and community contribution.

As part of a hands-on learning commitment, this Montessori cooking activity serves as a pathway to nurture children’s essential growth and holistic development.

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