If you want a fun way to interact children and teach them some basic skills, try cooking with kids. While cooking or baking, children learn early concepts, or for older children, they can work and build on concepts they have already learned.
Some of these concepts can include:
- turn taking and cooperation
- reading and language
- measuring
- fractions (ie: 1/2 of a cup)
- eye-hand coordination
- imagination
- healthy eating and nutrition
- a sense of accomplishment and pride in something they have created
There are a few tips to remember if you want to try cooking with children. Make sure you choose easy recipes to start. Also, make sure you have set the environment up for success. Have cooking tools that will be easy for children to use and master, and not spill the ingredients with. Give younger children simple tasks like stirring, measuring and pouring ingredients into bowls. Allow older children to do more difficult tasks such as cracking eggs, creating their own recipes, and using electric mixers. Build on the skills of the children.
Cooking can be messy, but remember….the messier something is always means the more fun you have do the activity and creating the mess!
