5 Ways Cooking With Kids Makes Them Smarter

Kids are such kinetic little beasties and so many times they learn thing better by doing than by any other method. That’s why Cooking With Kids can make such a difference in your child’s life. Not only are you teaching them valuable life skills that will take them into adulthood, you’re also teaching mathematics, reading, science, and so much more! More than that, the time spent in the kitchen with your kiddo is a great bonding experience and will build a lifetime of memories. Here are 5 Ways Cooking With Kids Makes Them Smarter…and you, as the parent…because it takes one smart cookie of a parent to fit all of this learning into such a small experience!

5 Ways Cooking With Kids Makes Them Smarter

1. Following Directions – By giving kids tasks and an order in which to complete them, they learn that life has order. Recipes, definitely, but more than that they learn that doing things in a certain order will bring about a desired result. So whether you’re making cookies or a big family dinner, walk your kids step-by-step through the process so they’ll understand why things happen the way they happen.

2. Reading – Whether you’re reading the recipe to your child, or you are reading it together, there is a lot of reading involved in cooking. This can build up their vocabulary skills as well as open them to words and techniques they wouldn’t have heard about in a classroom or any other situation.

3. Mathematics – Early understanding of addition, subtraction, fractions, and multiplication can all be learned right in your kitchen! From measuring out ingredients, to cutting portions, kids can develop a stronger understanding of mathematical concepts before they ever study them in school. More than that, by making this a fun process by the time they Do face it in school, they’ll be way more excited about math than their peers.

4. Science – Cooking is full of all sorts of chemical reactions and times where you’ll be able to break down simple science with your super smart kiddo. What happens when you mix baking powder into a recipe instead of baking soda? How does the addition of an ingredient change the flavor and makeup of a dish? Why does cheese melt or milk curdle? These questions are going to fascinate your child and give them a head start on a lifelong love of learning!

5. Emotional Bonding – Studies have shown that emotional bonding helps build brain cells. So that time spent with your children one on one in the kitchen will Actually improve their brain function. Not only that, but as they get older cooking will always be a conflict-free place for you and your child to find a middle ground. Nothing says ‘let’s stop arguing’ quite as well as ‘let’s make some cupcakes’.

Whether you make a concerted effort to build learning into your cooking time or not, your kids Will get smarter for time spent in the kitchen. So tonight, forgo the drive-thru and make dinner together, instead!