by Rachel Wells
Cooking with kids is so much more than making meals – it’s an opportunity to learn, grow, and create memories together. Every step in the kitchen helps children develop valuable life skills while building confidence and strengthening math and reading abilities.
Summer break means extra free time, and extra opportunities to invite your child into the kitchen and turn an everyday activity into an exciting learning experience that will benefit them for years to come.
How Cooking Improves Math Skills
Measurement
Cooking provides children with hands-on opportunities to explore fractions, volume, units of measurement, and the skills needed to compare and convert measurements.
Counting
Cooking provides plenty of opportunities for children to practice counting, whether they’re counting eggs, dividing treats evenly among family members, or multiplying recipes to make larger batches.
Understanding Fractions
Children can see and taste the results of using fractions as they measure different ingredients. To extend their learning, try giving your child a smaller measuring spoon or cup and encourage them to work out how many scoops they need to make the accurate amount.
Time Management
Cooking requires children to read clocks and timers, and sequence multiple steps that happen at different times.
How Cooking Improves Literacy Skills
Reading Carefully
Recipes encourage children to read carefully and follow instructions in the correct order. This strengthens their reading comprehension skills and ability to pay attention to details.
Expanding Vocabulary
Cooking introduces new vocabulary words such as whisk, simmer, dice, knead, and sift, through hands-on experience.
Reading for Purpose
When cooking children read because they want to complete the recipe successfully – making reading feel meaningful and less like a chore.
Building Confidence
Successfully following a recipe shows children that reading helps them accomplish real-world goals.
Writing
Writing a list of ingredients down to shop for before cooking helps improve grammar and spelling skills.
Additional Benefits
- Children improve fine motor skills through stirring, pouring, and chopping.
- Children improve their science knowledge by observing how ingredients change with heat, mixing, and cooling.
- Cooking encourages children to be creative by trying new recipes.
- Children learn responsibility by cleaning up and following kitchen safety rules.
