Soda is a carbonated drink with diverse flavor profiles and sweetness levels while root beer is a soft drink made from an assortment of roots, herbs, and spices that give it its signature earthy and sweet flavor.
Despite its name, root beer is not typically alcoholic – just like soda. That means kids can have fun brewing the beverages. It can be a great pastime to enjoy with your children.
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Furthermore, home-brewing soda and root beer combines science, creativity, and an elevated level of taste – so there are many valuable lessons that kids can learn along the way.
Science Lessons
Essentially, brewing soda or root beer at home morphs the kitchen into a mini chemistry lab. Check out this Virtual Kids DIY Root Beer Brewing Class from Uncommon Goods ($67 includes class for 1 child and 1 adult plus the at home kit). Amazon also offers this DIY Root Beer kit without the virtual class ($35).
Just like brewers of beer need to learn scientific methods – to ensure they do things like boil at the right temperature – children can learn valuable scientific lessons by home-brewing soda and root beer.
For instance, they can appreciate scientific concepts like chemical reactions when they witness baking soda reacting with citric acid to produce bubbles – which is the fizzy magic in sodas.
Besides chemistry, home-brewing soda and root beer introduces kids to biology. For instance, they will understand the role of yeast in carbonation – which is a fun way to learn about fermentation.
Additionally, the importance of maintaining specific temperatures for successful brewing aids in grasping how different conditions affect biological processes. Indeed, the whole process of learning how to brew soda and root beer is full of kitchen science experiments and lessons, from beginning to end.
Creative Lessons
Brewing drinks lets kids flex their creative muscles, too. Just like you could enhance your brew with a spectrum if you are a brewer of alcoholic beer, children can experiment with ingredients and flavors. Along the way, they will learn valuable lessons about which flavors do and do not pair well.
Like building LEGO – kids can mix and match until they create something they are truly proud of. This exploration instills creativity while underscoring that – as in life – some combinations work better than others.
Math Lessons
When brewing root beer or soda at home, measurements are critical – how much of each ingredient you put in directly influences the outcome. This practical application of math teaches children the importance of accuracy and precision in real-life scenarios.
Lessons in Patience
The home brewing process will require a significant amount of time and patience – it is not an instant process. It could take several hours or even days before a homemade soda or root beer is ready to be enjoyed.
This waiting period teaches children the valuable lesson of delayed gratification.
The Lesson of Trial and Error
When home brewing, not every batch will turn out perfectly – especially early on. Sometimes, it takes multiple attempts and recipe tweaks before you get that ideal taste and dizziness.
This trial-and-error experience teaches resilience and determination, akin to learning how to ride a bicycle – they may fall off often initially, but perseverance will eventually lead to success.
The Lesson of Maintaining Hygiene
One critical part of brewing your drinks at home is the cleanliness factor – from the instruments used to the kitchen area itself. It is a little like preparing for surgery, where every tool is sterilized to prevent infection.
A rigorous hygiene exercise can be an excellent way to emphasize the importance of cleanliness – not just in brewing but also in everyday life.
Responsibility and Teamwork Lessons
If you have more than one child engaging in the home brewing process, they will need to join forces and learn how to work as a team – which is an invaluable lesson that we all need to acquire and remember in life.
Your kids will also learn responsibility by owning tasks – whether it is the meticulous measuring of ingredients or ensuring the proper sealing of bottles.
Lessons in Making Environmentally-conscious Choices
Finally, homemade brewing encourages sustainability by reducing reliance on commercially produced drinks often packed in single-use plastics.
Therefore, children can learn about environmentally conscious choices and waste reduction. Reusing glass bottles for homemade beverages reinforces this lesson – showing your kids how they can contribute to a greener planet.
They could also choose locally sourced ingredients. So, from lessons in making environmentally-conscious choices to lessons in science, home brewing soda and root beer can undoubtedly provide kids with valuable wide-ranging lessons!
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