Learning in the kitchen!

We have all heard that cooking is good for the soul, but did you also know that it’s great for your child’s learning and development?

Theresa Ogden from Tiggers Nurseries has provided this fantastic overview of the multiple ways in which it can benefit children.

Mathematics

Cooking provides wonderful opportunities to help your child learn mathematical vocabulary. How better to learn phrases like 'more than' or 'less than' than by weighing out ingredients. Let your child feel a 1kg bag of sugar to feel how heavy it is. He or she could also feel other packages to help to develop estimation skills.

Your child will gain experience in counting and recognising numbers. If decorations are to be added to cakes, let your child add a specific number and counting opportunities can arise while setting the table. Through the use of different cutters, children can learn the names of various 2D shapes. You can discuss how many corners or sides these shapes have so that children will learn the properties of many shapes. Your child can learn about timing too.

Select easier words for very young children and introduce the more difficult when you feel your child is ready. Put the words into a context such as, "Which cake is bigger, yours or mine?”

Language Skills

You can help your child to learn lots of new words and concepts through discussion while you are cooking. Show your child what a recipe is and that you need to follow instructions in order to achieve the required result.

Children can learn the names of ingredients and words like sieve, whisk, stir, mix, roll and melt. They can look for words on packets like eggs and sugar and try to find these words in the recipe.

Science (we're all experienced little scientists now!!)

It is surprising just how big a part science plays in cooking. It involves the concept of changing materials: liquid cake mix becomes a solid through baking, juice can become ice lollies (iceblocks) when frozen and chocolate melts when heated.

Cooking provides an excellent opportunity to discuss where foods come from such as eggs or milk and how and where various foods grow. Children can learn many things through questions raised in the kitchen including what they need to eat to keep healthy. Talk to them about which foods give them the energy to run and jump and which ones help them to grow strong.

Physical Skills

It is important to let your child to carry out as many of the cooking tasks as possible (excluding dangerous ones where sharp knives are involved). Obviously if there is a lot of mixing, they could begin and you could finish it off as they may lack the physical ability. Tasks such as holding a spoon, mixing, beating, shaking, pouring, rolling or cutting will help to develop your child’s fine motor skills whilst encouraging your child to smell and feel the ingredients will help to improve his or her use of senses.

Emotional and Social Development

Food is a really good vehicle for communication. Children can learn to share and how to take turns, particularly if they make something with a friend or sibling. Then when the cooking is over, you can sit down and enjoy eating together.

Points to Remember

• Children have short attention spans so give them quick, simple jobs.
• Give instructions one at a time
• Expect children to spill things and make a mess
• Include cleaning-up as part of the activity

To sum up, cooking can be great fun for all children. It can be a great bonding experience between child and parent and a great tool for learning. There is the additional benefit that a child is more likely to try new foods, for example vegetables, having been involved in the preparation. Set the ground rules first, supervise throughout and you should both thoroughly enjoy the experience.

How amazing is that! We really hope you love your I am a little chef box, and can’t wait to see your little foxes in the kitchen.

Have fun x

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