Summertime is here and the kids are going to be at home looking for new activities. Whether you can cook or not, as a parent, you should consider spending some time each week teaching your child how to cook or bake. The culinary arts provides a great chance for parents and children to learn something new and participate together in an activity that produces delicious, edible results everyone can enjoy. Here is a list of some of the many skills that can get passed on when you cook with your kids.
Life Skill
Cooking will always be a valuable skillset that can be used throughout one's life. Many famous chefs credit their love of cooking to their parents or grandparents. They learn to appreciate fresh ingredients, planning, preparation, and cleanliness.
Adventurous Eaters
Most children love certain foods and simply don't want to try anything else. So how can we, as parents, develop our children to become adventurous eaters willing to try different ingredients and flavor profiles? The answer is to teach them how to cook. The younger they start, the better chance you have of them trying, and liking, a variety of foods.
Improved Health
Eating a home-cooked meal is still one of the best foundations for a healthy diet. Try it! You'll quickly notice that you and your children, are happier, healthier, and consume less sugar.
Physical Development
Stirring, measuring, rolling, squeezing and spreading are just a few of the kitchen tasks that allow young children to develop their fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills.
Language, Math, Science, & Creativity
Cooking offers a great opportunity to help with language development because it exposes young children to new words and terms, many of which are from foreign languages (i.e. sous vide). The kitchen is a perfect environment for many styles of learning involving touch, taste, feel, smell, observation, planning, reading, listening, math, and so much more.
Cooking is a very general term that can be done both indoors and outdoors. So, make some time to boil eggs, bake a cake, grill as steak, or just roast some smores. Enjoy the time and food with your children!