 Italy’s most famous contributions to world culture include art, music, and, of course, FOOD! This winter, nourish your kids’ minds with facts about Italia, keep their hands busy with cooking and then warm their bellies with the hearty Italian soup Pasta e Fagioli.
Geography: Observe the unique boot shape of Italy, which is situated between the Mediterranean, Ionian and Adriatic Seas.
Social Studies & History: Introduce a few words of Italian such as fagioli [fa-jho-lee], meaning “bean,” amore, [a-more-ay] expressing “love,” and ciao [chau], stating “goodbye.”
Music & Art: Italy is known for its culture, including art, architecture, literature and opera. Famous historical figures such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, Vivaldi and Puccini called Italy home. Grab paper and paints and imitate some of the great artists’ masterpieces.
Math: Teach kids about weights and measures as you divvy up raw, cut pasta. Have them play with the different amounts of pasta using measuring cups. For an advanced challenge, weigh each measuring cup and convert the result to the metric system.
Science: Discuss the science of how pasta cooks. Did you know that water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit?
Food: Take a tasting tour. Cuisines vary greatly among Italy’s 20 regions—with each area boasting a product such as wine, cheese, cured meat or sauce. Some examples of regional specialties include pizza from Naples, pesto from Liguria and tortellini from Bologna.
Italians take pride in featuring fresh, seasonal produce as part of their meals. Olives, grapes, tomatoes, eggplant, artichokes, mushrooms and lemons are just some of the produce grown around Italy.
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