On the Menu
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! A famous phrase most of us know, but were you aware it is the title of a 1927 song written by Howard Johnson, Billy Moll, and Robert A. King? I wasn’t! While this phrase originated almost 100 years ago, it is still very recognizable today among people young and old.
On Saturday, September 12, a group of 1st-3rd grade children attended a new library program called “On the Menu.” Each month, from September through December, children can attend this program and celebrate a national food holiday. September’s holiday of choice? National Chocolate Milkshake Day!
We started the program with an icebreaker activity where the kids answered a question about ice cream, such as their favorite flavor or topping, and whether they preferred to eat it in a dish or a cone. Then, we read “Ice Cream: The Full Scoop” by Gail Gibbons to discover the history of ice cream. The group read that people used to make ice cream by shaking the ingredients in a special pan until it froze. In 1841, Nancy Johnson invented the hand-cranked ice-cream maker, which made the process much easier. In the book “Curious About Ice Cream” by Bonnie Bader, we learned that Augustus Jackson used salt with ice to freeze the ice cream mixture faster. He is known today as the “father of ice cream” because of his discovery.
After learning these fun facts about ice cream, we created our ice cream names by using the first initial in our name along with our birthday month. These correlated to a predetermined list of ice cream words. For example, mine was “Yummy Sparkle Sprinkles!” Then, the children partnered up to measure, mix, and shake. Inside a bag, each pair put milk, sugar, and vanilla. After closing the bag, they placed it inside another bag to make sure it wouldn’t leak. Next, they filled a larger bag with ice and rock salt, placed the milk mixture bag inside, and sealed it. Finally, the pairs took turns shaking the large bag to mix the ingredients and activate the freezing process. The shaking portion took 10 minutes! Needless to say, many arms were tired at the end of the program.
Once the timer went off, it was time to check the results. Excited voices filled the room as each pair discovered the ingredients had solidified into a soft ice cream. With the ice cream scooped into cups, the kids could choose to add chocolate syrup as a topping, in honor of National Chocolate Milkshake Day. Everyone gave the homemade ice cream a thumbs up, saying it was delicious! Each child left with the recipe in case they wanted to make it again with their family.
This was a sweet way to spend a Saturday and I’m already looking forward to October’s delicious adventure! Stay tuned to see what tasty treat will be next on the menu.
Krista Kugler is the Children’s Services Librarian at the Fergus Falls Public Library