Candy Sushi and a Taste of Japan
Last week’s homeschool project started simply enough. Mordecai saw a picture of the candy sushi we made a few years back and suggested we make it again.
I sent a picture to my homeschool cohorts, Kym and Danielle who were equally enthusiastic about the project.
I let them know I would have candy sushi supplies available. Danielle offered to bring teriyaki chicken and rice and Kym said she’d make steamed buns. All that was left to do was a bit of internet research, a trip to the library, and to Walmart for supplies.
This is how so many of our homeschool projects begin. An idea.
An idea.
A documentary we want to see. Or, in this case, the desire for candy sushi. The rest was thrown together in a matter of days. I went to the library and browsed until I found books that fit our topic.
Books We Read
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Pug Man’s 3 Wishes by Sebastian Meschenmoser
This book is about a very grumpy pug who sleeps half the day away and then when everything goes wrong, wishes he had slept the other half away too. This book has beautiful illustrations and a funny surprise ending. Apollo loves this book!
The Ninja Bread Man by C.J. Leigh
What seven-year-old boy wouldn’t love this fun twist on the classic Gingerbread man? This book includes a recipe for Ninja Bread men in the back if you’re feeling especially ambitious.
This book gives a short description of Haiku and how it has changed over the years. The rest of the book is filled Haiku for each season of the year with soft, engaging illustrations.
Hiromi’s Hands by Lynne Barasch
I really enjoyed this true story of one of the world’s first female sushi chefs. This book tells the story of how Hiromi’s parents immigrated to New York City from Japan. Apollo literally gasped when I read the sentence, “She ate after her husband finished his meals, and when they went out, she walked behind him”. Such a great introduction to Japanese culture and sushi.
This book is all about how a panda named Stillwater befriends some human friends and teaches them lessons about friendship and contentment. There is a section on Zen in the back of the book (after the story) just a heads up if that is something that bothers you.
I have DIY Candy Sushi tutorial in this post if you want to see more details on how to make these. The kids loved this activity. It was perfect (but challenging) for the seven-year-olds. The younger kids in our group definitely needed more help from us moms, but all had fun.
Joey figured out how to use his Pocky as chopsticks. He was so proud and we were so impressed with his skills!
Indi and Joey were very excited about making LEGO sushi. You can see Mordecai holding LEGO chopsticks he made.
Pinterest has some great LEGO sushi inspiration if you are looking for ideas.
I am working on a blog post right now about how to create your own unit study. I am not an unschooler nor do I subscribe to one curriculum or one homeschooling philosophy. This was a fun day for Apollo and his friends. Apollo and I read stacks of books about Japan and located it on the map. If this sparks an interest in him we will continue. Otherwise, we’ll move on to different books and different topics.
And that is the beauty of homeschooling.
This made me smile, we have hosted Japanese exchange students 3 x now, once for a year, 1/2 a year, and a 2 week stay. Our Daughter also went to Japan for a 3 week stay and is studying the Japanese language. It is an amazing culture.
In Japan, you say “itadakimasu” (“I gratefully receive”) before eating, and “gochisosama (deshita)” (“Thank you for the meal”) after finishing the meal.
Thank you for sharing that!