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One of my favorite places to be with my toddler is in the kitchen. And like all children, Carter (will turn 3 in June 2021) loves to help out. There are many benefits of cooking with your children. If you have an older child, please know that it is NEVER too late (or too early – we started Carter at 11 months old) to start including your children in meal preparations.
Below are 10 amazing benefits of cooking with your children
- Language Development – Today my son and I baked vegan peanut butter cookies. When we’re working together, I lightly put emphasis on words like flour, brown sugar and even baking soda! I try not to make it a lesson. I trust that he is learning. We also tend to juice at least 2-3 times per week. Carter will be 3 years old this June 2021 but I have started talking about the benefits of each fruit and vegetable. I say, “Carter, carrots help your eyes.” I am not a nutritionist or health guru, at all, so I find that in order for me to teach him, I have to learn myself. So we get to discover and learn together, which is wonderful!
- Fine Motor Skills – There’s rolling, and washing, and whisking, and peeling, and cutting and pouring, and you name it. There’s also some hand-eye coordination happening especially when we’re using measuring cups and spoons.
- Math and mastering sequence steps – We need 3 bananas, 1 cup of this and a teaspoon of that. We also need to add this first and then that second.
- Boosts Self-Confidence – Oh the face my son makes when we finish juicing or baking or making popsicles. He is so happy. There is always a mess, but try not to worry about that. Instead, leave it for the end, your child will want to help you tidy up. “Don’t be afraid to make a mess. For younger kids especially, it’s in those moments that the opportunity for learning is at its greatest.”
- Introduce Children to Scientific Methods – I turn on the light of the oven and we watch the cookies rise and take on different shapes. As he gets older, I hope to be able to teach why this happens – I’m assuming it’s the baking soda! Ha, I have some learning to do. 🙂
- Reading Skills – Yasssss! I usually have a recipe book out even for recipes I already know. He’s still developing his vocabulary but I can already picture my toddler in his future years reading recipes and enjoying quality time together.
- Focus, Concentration & Attention – “The child who concentrates is immensely happy.” Maria Montessori
- Life Skills – Oh yes! This is a big one in our home. We want to teach our son that the kitchen is also for boys and men. We cook and clean up together.
- Promotes Healthy Eating* – I had to put a star on this one because it depends what you cook! But for the most part, you can certainly promote healthy eating. We’re a vegan family and try to be a healthy one as much as we can. He thinks popsicles made from fresh fruits that we juice in our Omega Juicer is ice cream!
- Family Bonding – This is my favorite part. I get to spend quality time with my little guy. I love when he grabs his apron and is ready to go. I have been including him in our meal preparations since he could stand. This is priceless, my friends.
Don’t be afraid to make a mess. For younger kids especially, it’s in those moments that the opportunity for learning is at its greatest.
My favorite resources – Keep it simple. No need to purchase a lot of things. Use what you have. The goal is to get started. 🙂
- Montessori Kitchen Step Stool – This stool is multi-purpose and folds into a table/chair. We rarely use it as a chair/table but we certainly use it as a tower, every single day. I recommend painting it or adding a coat to keep it from getting messy. We’ve had our kitchen tower for a couple of years and we got the plain one. Sadly, it’s quite dirty from the daily bare footsies. I’ve considered painting it…tbd.
- Omega Juicer – I’ve had several different juicers and this is by far my favorite. It’s easy to assemble and clean (Carter is now helping me assemble it). The fact that it’s attractive is a bonus.
- Popsicle Molds – I use these reusable BPA free popsicle molds.
- Joie Crinkle Cutter/Wavy Knife and Tovla Junior Knives for Kids – Great for young hands learning their way in the kitchen, with supervision! 🙂
- Mini Glass Pitcher – Perfect for their small hands.
