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Mr Wolf’s Pancakes Activities

27/02/2014 By Kirsty 42 Comments

Mr Wolf’s Pancakes by Jan Fearnley is a fantastic book to share with young children. We had lots of fun recreating the story with moments for mark marking (for non-teachers this is basically early writing practice, so getting used to holding a pen and making marks on paper), counting and number recognition, science and role play. The best bit about imaginative play is that children don’t even realise they are learning.

Mr Wolf's Pancakes Activities

We read the story together and then we started to play. First we pretended to be Mr Wolf writing out his shopping list. It is a lovely simple task for young children as Mr Wolf only needs three ingredients: milk, eggs and sugar. Depending on where you child is in their writing journey you could write the shopping list and ask your child to trace over the top to practice the shape of the letters and if they are writing you can ask them to write the list independently.

Mr Wolf's Pancakes Activities

Once Mr Wolf writes his shopping list he needs to count out his money so we wrote the numbers, one to ten, on bottle tops and jar lids and Burt counted to ten. Then, I quizzed him to find different numbers.

Mr Wolf's Pancakes Activities

Now it was time for us to set up our own version of Old Mother Hubbard’s General Store. I had kept an empty milk carton, egg box and flour packet and we set those out on a table. I then sat behind the table and assumed my role as Old Mother Hubbard and Burt played Mr Wolf. We had some lovely conversations about the weather and whether there was anything else that Mr Wolf needed (he asked for a bag to put his shopping in). Burt read perfectly from the shopping list and requested milk, eggs and flour and he paid by counting out the bottle tops. At his request we repeated this role play for the best part of a whole morning!

Mr Wolf's Pancakes Activities

Next came the cooking. We eventually made it to the kitchen and made special Mr Wolf pancakes for our lunch. I wanted to keep true to Mr Wolf’s three ingredients so that is all we used. Making the batter is so simple that it can be done by a toddler with a balloon whisk ย – ย no need for special equipment just measuring scales, a bowl, a whisk, a frying pan and a fish slice or palette knife to flip the pancakes. Before we started I cut some squares of greaseproof paper so that we could separate the cooked pancakes with the paper to stop them sticking.

Mr Wolf’s Pancake Recipe

You will need:

  • 110g flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 200ml milk

Method:

Measure your flour into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and crack two eggs into the middle of the flour. Whisk enthusiastically (with the help of an adult if necessary). Whilst still whisking, add the milk slowly until all the ingredients combine to make a smooth batter. Heat the pan and a little butter if you have a non-stick pan. When the pan is hot add a ladle of batter and quickly swirl it around the pan to make a pancake of about 20cm diameter. After a couple of minutes, flip the pancake over with the fish slice or palette knife and after another minute put the pancake on a plate to cool and start to cook another pancake. Our mixture made 6 pancakes. You can introduce some Science here by discussing how the liquid batter turns to a solid when heat is added. There is a change of state. I explained this to Burt and when I asked him later “What does a liquid turn into?” he said matter-of-factly “A pancake.”

In the story of Mr Wolf’s Pancakes his miserable neighbours smell the delicious aromas wafting from Mr Wolf’s kitchen and come knocking on his door. He lets them in and once they are all inside he gobbles them up! We wanted to make our round pancakes into the shapes of the neighbours so that we could gobble them up too. We used cookie cutters to cut the shapes out of the pancakes and I did some freehand cutting with a knife.

Mr Wolf's Pancakes Activities

Then we used icing pens to add details. Here is our pancake version of Mr Wolf’s rotten neighbours Chicken Licken, Wee Willy Winky, the Gingerbread Man, Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs…

Mr Wolf's Pancakes Activitiesand we had to make our own Mr Wolf too…

Mr Wolf's Pancakes Activities

After Mr Wolf has eaten all his naughty neighbours he has his stack of pancakes all to himself. Now we thought that a stack of large pancakes after eating all the neighbours was a bit much so we cut small circles out of a large pancake to make a mini stack. These tiny pancakes were perfect for little hands and I don’t know why it hasn’t occurred to me before. Burt will be having stacks of mini-pancakes in future and they were delicious with maple syrup.

Mr Wolf's Pancakes Activities

It is great to find a story that is so beautifully told and illustrated that also allows such natural opportunities to play and practice key skills. If you have a child under five years old,ย Mr Wolf’s Pancakes by Jan Fearnley is a must!

You can read more about the story that inspired us Mr Wolf’s Pancakes by Jan Fearnley or discover some more crafts and activities linked to the book.

Have you been inspired by a book to craft, go on an outing or do an activity this week?

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Filed Under: Activities, Recent Posts Tagged With: February, Kids Crafts

« Mr Wolf’s Pancakes by Jan Fearnley
Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler »

Comments

  1. Rachel @ activities4kidz says

    27/02/2014 at 09:02

    I love this!! I’ve ordered this book but not hopeful it will come in time for pancake day, but will
    Save it for next year when my boys are a bit older and understand more x

    Reply
  2. You Baby Me Mummy says

    27/02/2014 at 10:07

    What a fab book! I must try to remember this one for when Baby is older. It seems so structured and it is great the way it covers writing, numbers, play all in one. Good stuff, Oh and your pancakes look lovely x

    Reply
  3. Boo Roo and Tigger Too says

    27/02/2014 at 10:28

    What a sweet idea, I never thought about making shapes with our pancakes (mind you they are usually gone in a flash). I wonder whether this would encourage Tigger to try a different style pancake
    Boo Roo and Tigger Too recently posted…1. Paper Marbling {Children’s Artwork}My Profile

    Reply
    • Kirsty says

      27/02/2014 at 10:31

      I tried lots of different batches cutting or pouring the mix into a mould on the pan but using a cookie cutter was so easy and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before!

      Reply
  4. ninjacat says

    27/02/2014 at 10:45

    Pancakes and learning what a great combo.
    ninjacat recently posted…Strawberry Bundt CakeMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Liska @NewMumOnline says

    27/02/2014 at 10:59

    We make pancakes really often, at least once a week. But this post is great because one, we haven’t in a while, so I will now, maybe later and two, we’ve never cut them into shapes. Aaron would LOVE this.
    Liska x
    Liska recently posted…Spring Has Certainly Sprung – Picking Up the Daisies February 2014My Profile

    Reply
  6. Angela Spicer says

    27/02/2014 at 12:16

    Great idea to make stories with pancakes.
    Angela Spicer recently posted…Blog Your Heart OutMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Liz Burton says

    27/02/2014 at 12:17

    Oooh I want to come and play at your house!

    This reminds me so much of playing shop at my nana’s house. x
    Liz Burton recently posted…Rainbow fruit skewers and St Patrick’s Day Bento Lunchbox!My Profile

    Reply
    • Kirsty says

      27/02/2014 at 14:33

      I keep saving all our empty cartons for the ‘shop’, I might have to make a little till and B wants a debit card machine!

      Reply
  8. Mummy Barrow says

    27/02/2014 at 12:21

    I love this. Just love it. pancakes in our house are normally a dull affair. Lucky if they are edible, let alone able to cut shapes out of them and have some fun with them.

    Alright if we all pile round to yours next year?
    Mummy Barrow recently posted…DoubtMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kirsty says

      27/02/2014 at 14:31

      You are all very welcome here any time x

      Reply
  9. hannah clementson says

    27/02/2014 at 14:26

    I love using cookie cutters to shape things. Although rather than using to cut the pancakes I usually make a round pancake and use the cutters for ham, cheese ect it’s great fun. I love the look of yours. Thank you for sharing x

    Reply
  10. TwinsplusTwo says

    27/02/2014 at 15:10

    Brilliant.We LOVED the Mr Wolf stories especially the pancake ones. There are also some (totally separate) Mrs Wolf books which are fab – and come with lots of suggested activities at the end too.
    TwinsplusTwo recently posted…“Taking in the Washing” – my thoughts on BloggingMy Profile

    Reply
  11. Lori says

    27/02/2014 at 15:13

    I love everything about this post. Such a great and imaginative way to explore a story. We tend to do this with places but I think we’ll start doing this at home too x
    Lori recently posted…GET YOUR CRAFT ON // DIY BATH BOMBE CRAFT KITMy Profile

    Reply
  12. Michelle says

    27/02/2014 at 16:02

    Love this! Learning without realising is always the best way of learning!

    The shaped pancakes look like so much fun too x
    Michelle recently posted…Finding Dory! [Back To The Magic Trip Report 2013]My Profile

    Reply
  13. maggy, red ted art says

    27/02/2014 at 16:14

    Oh my goodness, those all look so fun!! we want pancakes NOW! Love the book too!

    Reply
  14. Mums do travel says

    27/02/2014 at 16:23

    This looks like so much fun – I’ve never thought of using cutters to shape pancakes before, what a great idea!
    Mums do travel recently posted…5 free things to do in Newcastle with kidsMy Profile

    Reply
  15. Alice Hassall says

    27/02/2014 at 16:28

    OMG this is AMAZBALLS! I had never thought of using cutters on the pancakes. I have made coloured pancakes though. Maybe you could use a bit of cocoa for the wolf, pink food colouring for the pig… effort but it would be awesome!
    Alice Hassall recently posted…#LeonardTheDog – Family Pet Therapy for Special Needs ChildrenMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kirsty says

      27/02/2014 at 16:34

      Alice you have just taken it all to a whole new level xxx

      Reply
  16. Mum of One says

    27/02/2014 at 16:29

    This is brilliant! I had never heard of this book but will be searching it out and would LOVE to do this with the boy. Am pinning ๐Ÿ™‚
    Mum of One recently posted…Time PassesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kirsty says

      27/02/2014 at 16:34

      Thank you, it is so much fun and really easy too x

      Reply
  17. Jenny from Cheetahs In My Shoes and Just Photos By Me says

    27/02/2014 at 17:39

    Pancakes are such a great learning tool for any age – I’ve made them with Guides cooking them on top of a baked bean tin with a candle underneath and working with Brownies and Guides creating new flavour combinations (some were nice, some weren’t!). Your house next week then?

    Reply
  18. Jen aka The Mad House says

    27/02/2014 at 17:49

    Fantastic ideas and such a great way to encourage children to learn by play. We adore pancake day
    Jen aka The Mad House recently posted…Getting outside in all weathers – something for the weekendMy Profile

    Reply
  19. kizzy says

    27/02/2014 at 18:10

    Looks like a great book and you had some fun recounting the story.
    kizzy recently posted…Review: Skwooshi Mixer SetMy Profile

    Reply
  20. Mary Keynko says

    27/02/2014 at 18:43

    We used to play shops all the time and the kids often wrote a shopping list when we went to the supermarket. It’s such a great way to learn about money and measuring and a great way to occupy them when you’re shopping! I love the idea of using cookie cutters to shape the pancakes – I’ll have to share the post with my friends who have little ones!
    Mary Keynko recently posted…52 Cook books – Week 9My Profile

    Reply
  21. Emily @amummytoo says

    27/02/2014 at 19:52

    Pinned! What a really lovely activity and the fact that the results are edible is the very best kind of learning ๐Ÿ˜‰ Your blog really is BRILLIANT.
    Emily recently posted…Bannisters’ potatoes: ready-baked, frozen jacket potatoes (review)My Profile

    Reply
    • Kirsty says

      27/02/2014 at 21:40

      Wow Emily thanks. That means an awful lot coming from you x

      Reply
  22. Gude @HodgePodgeCraft says

    27/02/2014 at 20:30

    What a fun range of activities – it sounds as if you had a great time (not to mention made a delicious snack)!
    I love the idea of a mini pancake stack too (surely the calories don’t count?) ๐Ÿ˜‰
    Gude recently posted…St David’s day crafts: Love-spoons & DaffodilsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kirsty says

      27/02/2014 at 21:40

      It is true that the smaller the pancake the more you can eat!

      Reply
  23. Mummy of Two says

    27/02/2014 at 20:51

    You really do have some brilliant ideas! This looks like so much fun and a great time of year to do it with pancake day next week!
    Mummy of Two recently posted…A lovely new raincoat from Lovably MeMy Profile

    Reply
  24. Kara says

    27/02/2014 at 21:13

    I love this idea!!!!
    Kara recently posted…Kettler Barcelona Air Go Kart ReviewMy Profile

    Reply
  25. Coombemill says

    27/02/2014 at 21:53

    Seeing this I have just realised we totally missed pancake day this year

    Reply
    • Kirsty says

      27/02/2014 at 22:17

      No you didn’t it is on Tuesday Fiona x

      Reply
  26. Nell@PigeonPairandMe says

    27/02/2014 at 21:54

    What an amazing activity. Cooking, imaginative play, AND a bit of physics thrown in too! I really must steal the idea and act out one of Austin’s favourite books (then gobble up some pancakes….)
    Nell recently posted…Tea Dance for Little People & Extremes at the HornimanMy Profile

    Reply
  27. Shell Louise says

    27/02/2014 at 22:15

    Ella loves doing activities that relate to a book. She used to bring a story sack home every week from nursery that had different activities for each story. She loved them. We haven’t done a story activity for ages, I’ll have to get organising for the next weekend she’s at home ๐Ÿ™‚
    Shell Louise recently posted…How does your garden grow – February 27thMy Profile

    Reply
  28. sharon chapman says

    27/02/2014 at 22:51

    So much fun thank you for sharing E will love to try this and such a lovely book xxx

    Reply
  29. Lauren says

    27/02/2014 at 22:54

    what an awesome day! I keep seeing amazing posts like this with ideas for activities for older kiddies and sort of want my baby to grow up quicker!
    Lauren recently posted…The Buggy Chronicles: Silver Cross ReflexMy Profile

    Reply
  30. Emma (My Little 3 and Me) says

    27/02/2014 at 22:55

    This looks amazing fun again Kirsty. You have so many lovely ideas I think i want to move in. ๐Ÿ˜‰
    Emma (My Little 3 and Me) recently posted…Sensory Play – Rainbow Bottles/Music ShakersMy Profile

    Reply
  31. Ruth says

    28/02/2014 at 03:56

    This looks like so much fun! And yum, that stack of pancakes looks delicious. I haven’t had a proper British pancake in years – we have them every Saturday morning but more the puffy American style. Might have to do a little taste test with T to see which he prefers ๐Ÿ™‚ x

    Reply
  32. agatapokutycka says

    02/03/2014 at 23:43

    What a great idea!
    I make sometimes pancakes in different shapes but I never tried to cut them into shape later on… brilliant

    Reply
  33. jenny paulin says

    03/03/2014 at 15:28

    wow Kirsty you have been busy!!! these look so fantastic and hands on for little ones. so clever thank you x
    jenny paulin recently posted…Rainbow CupcakesMy Profile

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 16 Ways To Eat Pancakes | Mummy Mishaps says:
    04/03/2014 at 09:05

    […] Pancake Activities for children – make pancake time fun and educational […]

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About Read and Create

Read and Create is a personal blog, featuring children's literature and the play, crafts, outings and food inspired by stories. I hope that the treasure trove of books and activities allows you to take away a new gem, or a nugget that inspires you.

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