In The Kitchen

Children love spending time with you.  At this age, your child will surely love being involved with cooking, baking and cleaning up in the kitchen. There are many things that happen when your children help you cook.  In addition to learning the importance of hygiene and cleaning, children who cook with their parents can learn how to follow directions, measure and pour.  Think about all the skills he can learn- from reading, math, science, and motor skills.

Start by asking your child to wash hands with soap and water and open up a discussion on why it is so important.  Discuss why the kitchen counters have to be cleaned prior to cooking as well. This can also lead into talking about germs, how people get sick and how to prevent illness.

When you explain what it is you are planning to cook, start a conversation on the importance of following directions and introduce words such as “recipe” and “measuring” into his vocabulary.

Read the recipe out loud then have your child help you gather the necessary ingredients.  You can ask him- “What would happen if mommy forgot to add an ingredient?” It will be interesting to see how he responds! 

Measuring instruments, counting objects and pouring ingredients all relates back to math and science.  Boiling water to cook pasta is another fabulous teachable moment related to such skills.

As your child increases dexterity and improves his fine motor skills, cooking together is a great chance to focus on such skills. As you two pour the ingredients into the measuring cups, have him pour the ingredients into the bowl. Of course, anticipate mess on the counter during the first couple of weeks as his hand/eye coordination improves!  Stirring the ingredients together will also strengthen his hand and arm muscles. 

Finally, work together to set the table and enjoy the memories, teachable moments and, of course, the food!