Making Monster Soup

Do you have a pantry in disarray and a child who loves to hear you read? Then this book is for you. The simple act of mixing kitchen ingredients with your child is a wonderful introduction to cooking and science experiments.  Do you have some tea bags that didn't pass the taste test or some cornmeal that's past the use-by date?  Then, you are set.

When my children were younger, our three generations enjoyed the activity of making Monster Soup – a mixture of whatever basic ingredients we had in the pantry that were plentiful or too old to eat. My kids named this Monster Soup because they liked to imagine that the concoctions they made were to be left out for a monster to eat later when no one was around. 

Explain to your children that the activities suggested in this book will not necessarily result in something that can be eaten. Making Monster Soup is fun for the sake of fun. Also, remind your children that they should never use a stove, toaster, oven or other appliance without the supervision of a trusted adult.

Making Monster Soup can teach children to reduce, reuse, and recycle. I bet there are a few opened items lurking in your pantry that you have no intention of finishing or have left there to get too old. Why send them to the trash can? Those are the items that are perfect for Monster Soup. As items get old or turned out not to be what you'd hoped for, save them in a box at the bottom of your pantry to fill the next rainy day with fun.  Enjoy making Monster Soup of your own together.