Εach time you let your child help you prepare a meal, you are also preparing them for success in life. Cooking with your kids offers a wide variety of opportunities to learn and grow!
But, what are the benefits of cooking with children?
EXPLORER EATER
One of the greatest benefits of cooking with children is that it can help them develop an adventurous and varied taste palette. Children are more likely to try different ingredients and foods if they experience them at an early age
INCREASES LEARNING ABILITY
There are so many lessons that can be taught while cooking. Children learn by touching, tasting, feeling, smelling, observing, reading and listening. This is why the kitchen is a perfect environment for a range of learning styles.
HEALTH
One of the best things you can do for your health is to cook at home. Research shows that people who eat home-cooked meals, on a regular basis, tend to be happier and healthier and consume less sugar and processed foods.
Involving children in the kitchen, from a young age, cultivates a habit that will have lifelong benefits.
BUILDS CONFIDENCE
Children feel a great sense of pride when they feel they’ve successfully prepared a dish for themselves and their family. A kitchen is a great place for parents to spend quality time with their children. It is also a great environment for siblings to cooperate and communicate, building stronger relationships.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
You can help your child explore foods when cooking using other senses besides taste. Stirring, measuring, rolling, squeezing… are just a few of the kitchen tasks that allow young children to develop their fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills.
BUILDS CONFIDENCE
Children feel a great sense of pride when they feel they’ve successfully prepared a dish for themselves and their family.
INCREASES FOCUS AND ATTENTION
When cooking, kids need to stay focused and pay attention to each detail or the recipe will not be completed correctly. In a cooking class, if a student misses a first step, the final product will not turn out correctly. Kids learn quickly that they have to pay attention if they want to eat this delicious meal at the end!
FUN
Cooking with kids can be fun and enjoyable for both the children and adults. Your kids will get the joy of creating a dish and eating it, all while you create beautiful memories that your children will remember forever
KEEP IT SAFE
Teach kids the importance of staying safe while cooking. The best way to keep cooking safe is to know your child’s abilities and his or her stage of development. . A four-year-old child, for example, may not be ready to sauté vegetables over a hot pan, but may have the fine motor skills to rinse fruits or prepare the salad
Do you love to cook with your kids? We’d love to see your photos and why not to upload on our site. You can share it on instagram @mamairenepasta or with #mamairenepasta
