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Cooking · The activity desk

Mix a small cup of lemonade

Help mix a mild lemonade and notice how its taste changes.

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A little plan for play

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What you need

One lemon, drinking water, an optional small amount of sugar, a clean spoon and an unbreakable cup

Age: 3–5 years; choose for the individual child.

Stay with the child throughout. Check the space and supplies, including anything within reach of younger siblings. Skip any activity that is unsuitable. Stop if a child puts non-food material in their mouth or becomes distressed. Use intact books, full sheets of paper, a large child-appropriate crayon and a clean, dry towel. Follow product labels; remove torn paper and keep broken crayons and caps away from children. Adult handles and stores supplies.

Set up: Wash hands and rinse the lemon. An adult cuts and squeezes it, removes seeds and measures one teaspoon of juice into the cup.

Adult's role: Handle the knife and seeds, check ingredients for allergies and supervise seated drinking. Add more water if the flavor is too sharp.

Let's make it happen

  1. Add half a cup of drinking water to the measured lemon juice and stir.
  2. If your family chooses, add a small pinch of sugar and stir until dissolved.
  3. Taste a small sip while seated. Add water to adjust the flavor, then enjoy.

Make it simpler: Watch an adult mix the drink and describe the color.

Clean up: Wash the cup and utensils and refrigerate any unused juice promptly.

For ages 3 and up with an adult. Remove all seeds, check for allergies and supervise drinking. Lemon juice is acidic; skip the drink if it irritates your child's mouth.

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