TEA TIME

A new morning ritual we have been developing is tea time. Already one of our daily staples in our home and living in Vietnam, where tea is an important cultural tradition, our older daughter naturally became curious and wanted to partake in tea time. It has given my daughter some excellent opportunities to practice some fine motor skills such as pouring, dipping, and using her spoon in an exacting manner. Not to mention all the tasty treats we bake to accompany tea time!

To implement this lovely ritual at home, there are a few key things to start with. First, find a tea that your child can enjoy and that is caffeine-free. A couple of my daughter’s favorite teas are chamomile and raspberry. Second, find a suitable teapot and cups. In Ho Chi Minh City there is an enormous selection of teapots and cups of all materials and sizes. Once you have your materials, a shallow tray is a good idea to catch all the spills.

Begin by placing your teapot, teabag, a pitcher of water, a spoon, a small dish for the teabag, and a cup (or two if you’re enjoying together) on the tray. Model for your child how to place the tea bag into the teapot, pour the water into the teapot, let steep, stir with your spoon, then pour into the cups. Model for your child how to dip the bag, and remove it with the spoon once it has finished steeping and place it on the dish. When modeling for your little one try not to speak but to slow your movements down and make each movement intentional.

A little tip: only place as much water in the pitcher as your child will pour into the teapot. If you prefer to skip the teapot and place the tea bag straight into the teacup, that works too! Your child will still get some pouring practice as they pour from the pitcher into the cup. 

Finally, sip and enjoy!

Keep scrolling down for a delicious scone recipe! A perfect treat to accompany any tea time, and a wonderful opportunity to get your little one up on their learning tower to bond over baking! 

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Light Buttery Scones

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup sugar 
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ cup butter (best if you freeze before using!)
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 cup optional add-ins such as berries, raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.

Instructions:

1. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl. (Tip: You can find child-sized whisks at the Thai Hoa shop on Ham Nghi Street in District 1). 

2. Grate or chop the frozen butter and add to the bowl. If your little one is helping in their learning tower this is a great opportunity for them to use their hands for some sensory experience! Combine the butter and flour mixture until it comes together in pea-sized crumbs. 

3. Whisk together the heavy cream, an egg, and the vanilla. Drizzle it over the flour mixture (or if your little one is helping it will probably be more of a big pour!) and mix together into a dough. Add any other add-ins you would like (chocolate chips, raisins, etc.) and mix together. 

4. Break the dough into about 10 balls (the dough will be sticky) and space them about three inches apart on a cookie sheet. Place them in the refrigerator to cool while you heat up the oven (for about 15 minutes). 

5. Heat your oven to 200°C, if needed reshape scones, and place cooled scones in a heated oven for 18-26 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top.

6. If you want an extra bit of sweetness drizzle with frosting or eat as is with butter or clotted cream and jam.

What I love about making scones is that my daughter gets to use her hands to mix the butter into the dry ingredients. She loves the sensory experience and as the eggs haven’t been added yet it is safe for tasting! 

We at Góc Montessori hope you enjoyed this article and can try it out at home! Enjoy!

Written by,

Góc Montessori

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