On Thursday, 30 October 2025, Al Siddiq International Kindergarten held an exciting cooking class activity involving all students in their respective classrooms. The activity carried the theme of “Making Simple Sushi” using child-friendly and safe ingredients. Each classroom became the main venue for the event, allowing children to feel comfortable and focused in their familiar learning environment. The cooking class was a much-anticipated moment, offering both fun and educational hands-on experiences for the children.
As usual, the day began with the regular morning routine: line up, circle time, shalat dhuha, and snack time. Afterwards, teachers began preparing everything needed for the cooking class. The tables were arranged into small groups, each equipped with tools and ingredients such as nori, rice, sausage, crab sticks, cheese, carrots, and zucchini. Every child wore an apron and plastic gloves to ensure cleanliness and hygiene throughout the cooking process.
The children were then guided to take a portion of rice and spread it over the nori, adding fillings such as sausage, crab stick, cheese, carrot, and zucchini according to their own preferences. Once all the ingredients were arranged, they carefully learned how to roll the sushi. Some children enthusiastically tried to roll it on their own, while others asked for help from their teachers. After rolling, the teachers assisted them in cutting the sushi into small bite-sized pieces, ready to be enjoyed together.
This activity was designed not merely for fun but also to support the six aspects of early childhood development:
- Fine motor skills, through rolling and cutting sushi, which trained their hand coordination.
- Cognitive skills, as they followed step-by-step instructions and recognised process sequences.
- Language skills, through conversations and interactions with teachers and friends during the activity.
- Social-emotional development, by working together in small groups and taking turns patiently.
- Religious and moral values, through practising cleanliness, gratitude, and patience.
- Artistic expression, by arranging sushi attractively and expressing creativity through presentation.
The cooking class provided a joyful, direct, and meaningful way for children to learn. They not only gained new practical skills but also developed discipline, teamwork, and self-confidence in trying new things. This activity proved that cooking can be a holistic and enjoyable medium of learning for young children. It is hoped that this memorable experience will nurture their curiosity about the world of cooking and inspire them to develop other essential life skills in the future.
By Inka Amalia, S.Pd