Mix up the fun with young children by using these simple steps to make delicious, freshly churned butter. Learning about nutrition is important when children are young, and hands-on activities stick with them for a lifetime. Making butter by hand is a simple activity that requires only one ingredient – heavy cream!
Materials Needed
- Small disposable containers with tight lids (can be found at Target, Walmart, or Grocery stores)
- Heavy whipping cream
- Clean marbles
- Salt (optional)
- Bread or crackers
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Food Around the World Preschool Unit
$12.00Explore types of Food Around the World with this complete unit that includes daily lesson plans, activities, and ideas that help to teach preschool and Pre-K students about food from different countries.
Steps on How to Make Butter
First, ask the students if they are familiar with heavy cream and explain that it is very similar to milk. (Only heavy whipping cream can be used in this recipe, as half and half, light cream, and milk will not make butter.) Encourage students to smell the cream and observe it before beginning. Ask them what they think will happen when they shake the cream.
Next, fill the small sealable containers halfway with cream so there is room to slosh around. Add 2-3 clean marbles and seal the containers tightly. Start shaking! Yes, it’s really that simple. As the students shake the container, they will feel it turning into thick whipped cream. Tell them to keep shaking!
Try some songs from this playlist to shake your way to butter!
- Shake It Off by Taylor Swift
- Shake Your Sillies Out by the Wiggles
- Shake, Shake, Shake by Nancy Kopman
- The Shimmie Shake by the Wiggles
- Shaky Shaky by the Wiggles
Finally, the cream goes through stages. It starts as liquid cream, then it will be light, fluffy whipped cream, white in color. At long last, it will form a solid yellow ball of butter! We like to open the lid to check on the progress and taste each stage. When the whipped cream is hard to shake, you’re almost done! Just a few more shakes, and it will turn into a butter ball. When the butter forms a ball, there will be excess buttermilk in the container. Pour it off so there is only butter left. Make sure to remove the marbles in each container before giving the butter to the children for the final taste.
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Five Senses Preschool Unit
$12.00Activate all your students’ senses in this engaging 5 Senses Preschool Unit. Ten daily lesson plans, printable activities, classroom posters, as well as literacy, math, and fine motor centers are included.
- 10 circle time lessons
- 9 math, literacy, & fine motor centers
- Book Recommendations
Additionally, add a pinch of salt if desired and serve with bread or crackers! Or check out this 5-Senses popcorn activity, and don’t forget the butter!
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