Cooking with toddlers is a great way to bond, have fun, learn, and develop key skills. From learning basic maths concepts through measuring ingredients, to fostering creativity with food art, cooking with children can be a fun and educational experience. Cooking is also an activity that is a necessity for your child as it’s a skill they’ll need for later in life.
In this blog, we’ll explore six benefits of getting into the kitchen with your little helpers and how it’s not just about making meals, but also about building connections and skills that will last a lifetime.
What are the benefits of cooking with children?
Cooking with toddlers and children can offer a host of benefits beyond just preparing a meal. From bonding as a family as we’ve mentioned, to making your child more open to trying new foods, the benefits certainly outweigh the downfalls of a messy kitchen as we explore below.
1. They’re learning in action
Learning at nursery is just one of the many ways children develop. At such a young age, their brains are like sponges and they soak up everything in their environment. However, cooking with toddlers and children provides a hands-on learning experience that can help your child develop various skills.
For example, cooking enables children to develop literacy and numeracy skills through following recipes, which we’ll look at in more detail a little later. But as well as that, cooking and preparing meals enables children to learn about nutrition and healthy eating habits early on. This is active learning at its finest all the while learning to cook a delicious meal.
2. Introduces them to food science
Along with maths and literacy, cooking introduces your kids to the wonderful world of food science. Through simple cooking activities, children can watch things like butter melting, cakes rising, and veggies browning which teaches them about physics and how heat can transform food. This makes cooking a great way to engage inquisitive minds and teach them about science in general.
Additionally, this hands-on learning experience not only teaches children valuable life skills, but also helps them develop a deeper appreciation for the food they eat. It also encourages them to explore their creativity and curiosity through food too.
3. Reading and following instructions
Cooking with toddlers and children gives them the opportunity to learn how to work with recipes. This in turn teaches your child how to follow instructions and enhance their reading skills. From here, your child can learn new cooking techniques along with how to multitask as they follow step-by-step directions to create their meal. For example, your child can learn to add milk whilst mixing the rest of the ingredients if you’re baking.
This is also a great chance for you to teach your child about organisation and preparation. For example, you can teach your little one to gather all of the ingredients before you start any cooking. All of these small and simple activities promote active learning and ultimately develop positive social characteristics too.
4. They can get creative with cooking
Cooking with toddlers and young children doesn’t just promote learning, it also promotes expression. Whether you’re icing cakes or coming up with your own unique pizza toppings, you can set up little decorating stations with everything from sprinkles, to food colouring. This helps nurture your child’s imagination and boosts their confidence when making their own meals.
This is also a great way to start some new family traditions like family cooking at Christmas or making special homemade Easter cakes and cookies, which in turn strengthens your bond with your children and creates lasting memories for everyone.
5. Develops dexterity and fine motor skills
Cooking is a fantastic way for your child to build and develop their fine motor skills. Getting them involved with things like stirring, mixing, shaping, cutting and chopping (under supervision of course), teaches your children to use their hands and fingers and improves their hand-eye coordination.
As well as this, cooking with recipes allows them to measure by eye which improves their cognitive abilities, as they can learn when something is mixed or cooked through enough. Engaging your kids in these simple tasks not only enhances their physical abilities like using new utensils, but also boosts their confidence as they master new culinary skills and cooking techniques.
6. Emotional development
Cooking with children brings numerous benefits for their emotional development as it provides them with an opportunity to express creativity, develop patience, and learn important life skills in a fun and interactive way. Cooking also gives your child the sense of accomplishment when they’ve contributed to a meal, which boosts their self-esteem and confidence. Alongside this, cooking is a great way for them to learn the value of teamwork as well as learning about responsibility.
We’ve mentioned previously that cooking is a great bonding experience and strengthens relationships which highlights the importance of involving your kids in cooking activities. It’s a rewarding experience that not only teaches your child practical skills, but also nurtures their emotional growth.
See how our day nursery can help your child flourish
These are just some of the many benefits of cooking with children. This hands-on activity not only helps develop children’s fine motor skills, but it also teaches them some valuable life skills which they can take with them later on in life and enhances their emotional development.
At Stepping Stones, we’re committed to developing your child so they can grow into the best version of themselves later in life. Our day nursery encourages learning through play and our dedicated team do everything they can to ensure your child gets the best start in life. If you’d like to learn more about our day nursery, get in touch with us today, or book a visit and come and see our day nursery for yourself.