Kitchen action word cards
English-language edition | October 2026 | bernard.ink
Kitchen action word cards
Cut and use these teaching words inspired by cooking. They are not an exhaustive list of words printed in the book.
- Wash - clean with water. Mime washing a tomato.
- Chop - cut into pieces. An adult does the cutting.
- Stir - move food around with a spoon. Mime a slow stir.
- Measure - find how much you need. Point to a measuring jug.
- Pour - tip liquid into something. Try an empty jug.
- Simmer - cook gently with small bubbles. This is an adult job.
Talk; match; move
- Taste - notice flavour with your tongue. Let hot food cool first.
- Share - give some to someone else. Show how you share a meal.
Play together
- An adult reads a card; everyone mimes safely away from a real cooker.
- Match a word to an ingredient or tool in a picture.
- Choose two words and tell a partner a cooking sequence.
Draw a tool and label the action it helps you do.
Teacher notes
Purpose and preparation
10-15 minutes. Understand and use action words in spoken explanations.
Read the book aloud first. Have one copy available to revisit words and pictures. Pupil pages are suitable for black-and-white printing.
Suggested responses
Wash: clean with water. Measure: decide the quantity. Simmer: cook gently, not stir fast. Accept child-friendly paraphrases. Avoid implying that every family cooks the same way.
Support and stretch
Support: Use objects, gestures and adult modelling.
Stretch: Explain a pair such as stir and pour; use each word in an instruction.
Teaching links
England spoken language: listen, explain ideas and build on responses. US Grade 1 SL.1.1: collaborative conversation; SL.1.2: questions about a read-aloud.
These are suggested links, not an accredited lesson or a complete curriculum. Grade 1 links do not apply automatically to younger children.
Keep mime play away from knives, hot pans and electrical tools. Words are teaching vocabulary; check the printed book before claiming an exact occurrence.