With all of the holidays involving meals and food, now is the perfect time to invite your child into the kitchen and have them help with cooking. Cooking provides many opportunities for learning and skill development including:
- Following directions – model them, practice them, and enjoy the benefits of having their tasty food they made as a direct result of following the recipe.
- Reading skills – a chance to learn and practice reading about something new and exciting in a fun environment using the recipes and labels.
- Math and measuring – learning about various units of measurements and fractions, while using measuring cups and spoons to make a recipe.
- Descriptive language – use vocabulary to describe the different senses of smell, touch, taste, sight, and sound.
- Exploring and discovery – it helps expose children to new smells, textures, and tastes. Taste testing what they prepared for the family is often more readily accepted than their willingness to try an unfamiliar food from a plate.