The new term of Arts & Crafts lessons have started and this term, we'll be making a trip around the world! I work with kids age 4-7 and some of them are still new to the English language. So I'm only going to cover just one of the many fabulous things about a particular culture and prepare a fun craft activity surrounding the topic. So where does our journey begin? The Netherlands of course!
We start every lesson with a little drawing exercise to open up our minds and start thinking creatively. I made this easy drawing exercise featuring some of the famous Dutch food: Stroopwafel, Tompouce, Rookworst and Haring. It's a simple task of drawing the other half and completing the picture.
Do you also want to have a go with your kids? Feel free to download the exercise here:
How to Make a Sponge Tompouce
Country: the Netherlands
Age: 4+
Are you familiar with Tompouce? Tompouce is a popular Dutch pastry consisting of a thin puff pastry that is filled with custard cream and topped with a layer of smooth, pink icing. It's similar to French mille feuille. Dutch people love their Tompouce. Every year on 27 April, people celebrate the King's birthday with a special tompouce. Instead of the regular pink icing, shops sell orange (the color of the Dutch Royal Family) tompouce. It is not very often that you see Dutch people queue for anything but they definitely do for an orange tompouce. And also for oliebollen on New Year's Eve.
Anyhow, I thought it would be fun to make this popular Dutch pastry with my workshop kids.
What You'll Need:
- Sponge
- Pink cloth or felt (I decided to use this pink cleaning cloth that I found at the local supermarket, cheaper than using a felt sheet)
- Cotton ball
- Gem stones
- Craft Glue
Optional: paper cup and paper plates to "serve" the tompouce, Dutch flag
(1) Cut the cloth/felt to cover the top surface of the sponge.
(2) Decorate the sponge with gem stones and cotton ball.
Optional:
(3) Make a Dutch flag (red, white, blue) and plant it on the (sponge) tompouce.
(4) Make a tea cup with a paper cup, saucer with a small paper plate and dessert plate with a larger plate.
My daughter and I decorated these paper cup and plates, and they are inspired by Delftware. Delft pottery is a style of Dutch tin-glazed earthenware, and it is typically blue and white. Delft, the city where we live in the Netherlands, was the major centre of production. We used different shades of blue to add depth to the drawing/pattern.
This is such a simple and fun way to learn about the Netherlands. Kids were super engaged and the tompouce they made looked so real. So much so that it made me crave for the real deal!
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