When I was young, I never did much cooking. My mom was a single working mom and we didn’t do a whole lot of cooking at home. Honestly, growing up my favorite meal was Chicken Viola! Now that I am a mom, I have an opportunity that my mom really wasn’t afforded. I am able to get my daughter into the kitchen with me and teach her how to cook at a young age. Cooking with kids is truly so beneficial for them in a number of different ways. They learn, explore, and gain life-long life skills along the way with quite a bit of fun thrown in to boot.
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Why We Should Be Cooking With Kids
Cooking is something that I enjoy. I like getting in the kitchen and coming up with a fun recipe and then executing it. Sometimes they turn out great, other times we end up ordering pizza, but either way it is fun. Now that my daughter is getting a little older, I have been loving including her in the kitchen. She really enjoys cooking so it has been pretty easy. I love seeing how much fun she is having, and I get to know that she is learning at the same time! What is she learning though? What are the benefits of cooking with kids?
Cooking Teaches Kids Math
While it may not be calculus, cooking with kids is a great way to teach math through a hands-on approach and follow an easy baked spaghetti recipe. Think about it, all of the measurements needed to complete a recipe; that is math! When I tell my daughter we need one tablespoon, she is learning counting and measurements! We always take the time to count out the things we are using. The other night we made garlic knots and she counts out the three we needed and put them on the cookie pan. It may seem small, but I see this as a way of learning practical applications of math without the kids even knowing they are learning!
It Gives Them A Sense Of Pride
Nothing beats that happy feeling when you create something yourself. Seeing my child’s face light up because she was able to help make dinner is an amazing feeling. Not only is she learning, but she is also growing her self-confidence along the way. It is important that kids feel happy and accomplished even if it is something as simple as making spaghetti. We all want our kids to be confident in themselves right? So, get them in the kitchen and get to cooking!
That All Important Bonding Time
Cooking with kids is a gear way to really bond together. You are teaching them, and they are soaking up every minute of it. All your child really wants is to be near you, and this is an excellent way to facilitate that desire. Cooking together can bring on a ton of laughs and create lasting memories for both of you to enjoy. Really, what else would your child be doing while you are cooking dinner? Playing a game or watching TV? That time can be used much more effectively by having them help you with dinner. It may take a little longer, and get a little messier, but cooking with kids is so worth it.
Cooking Teaches Kids Life Skills
As much as we don’t want to think about it, one day our kids will grow up and move out on their own. I cannot tell you the number of new adults I have met over the years that had no idea how to perform basic life skills, such as cooking. I mean, we all have to eat and one day your child is going to need to cook for themselves. Starting when they are young can really instill this skill into them as they will grow up knowing how to cook. I am a big advocate for teaching life skills early, such as cooking cleaning, and just general responsibility. This is the reason my kids have age-appropriate chores.
It Can Help Picky Eaters
My daughter is finally coming out of her picky eater stage, and I feel like having her cook with me has really helped with this. I have noticed that she is more inclined to eat something if she made it herself. While there are still some days that all she wants to eat is chicken nuggets, there has been a real improvement. I think it really goes back to that sense of pride. It is like she thinks, ” I made this, so I need to eat it”. This may or may not help with every picky eater, but it has seemed to do the trick with mine.
Get Your Kids In The Kitchen
So we know the benefits of cooking with kids, but how do we get them truly interested? At least for my daughter, it did not take too much to really get her to want to cook.
We bought her a really cute apron set that she loves wearing every time we are cooking. It makes her feel like a big kid and a real chef. Seriously though, it is just absolutely adorable! I got mine from Amazon for her as a Christmas Present last year.
They also have a ton of really awesome kid-specific cooking utensils. I really love the ones from Curios Chef. They have a ton of sets that are perfect for teaching cooking skills and knife handling.
Another awesome way to get kids more excited about cooking is to get them their own subscription box. We discovered Kid Stir and my daughter loves it. You get a cookbook, monthly recipes, and utensils to use. All of the recipes are kid-friendly, simple to make, and taste really good! They are even running a 30% off special right now!
Cooking With Kids
I have really loved teaching my daughter how to cook, and I know she enjoys it as well. It teaches them so much, is fun, and just gives you that much more time together.
So now I want to hear from you? Did you cook with your parents growing up? Do you cook with your kids now? And what is your favorite thing to cook with your kids?
Jessi is the creative mind behind The Coffee Mom, a popular blog that combines parenting advice, travel tips, and a love for all things Disney. As a trusted Disney influencer and passionate storyteller, Jessi’s authentic insights and relatable content resonate with readers worldwide.
My oldest just turned two, so we’re not really in the kitchen stage yet, but I am looking forward to it. I tried to let him help with cookies once… luckily my dogs are excellent vacuum cleaners.
I enjoyed reading this post because my mother was a single mom who worked full time and I was a latch-key kid. She just didn’t have time to do things like this with me, and if I was able to change anything, I’d change that. My grandmother did let me cook with her in the kitchen, so I did enjoy that, but I think about how much bonding time I missed out on by not being able to do this very thing with my mother. Not to mention, I’d probably be a much better cook than I am! I don’t have kids, but if I did, I would definitely implement this. Thanks for sharing!
My mom is a good cook but I don’t remember cook growing up but I watch her cook all the time. I enjoy cooking and loves it more when my son shows initiative to join me in my kitchen. He loves to learn and help me cook which is priceless. I agree with you on bonding time – we have so much fun!
I love getting my boys involved in the kitchen. My oldest son LOVES to cook and now that he’s 13, makes whole meals himself sometimes.
You are spot-on on all of this, Jessi! Kids really do learn a TON by participating in the kitchen with us. My MIL was visiting recently and decided she wanted to have my girls make brownies – as in, they make and she just supervise – so my 7yo could “learn the math involved in cooking” or some such. I was so proud of Kimmie that she was already well-versed in reading recipes, measuring ingredients, etc. much to her grandmother’s surprise!
It really is crazy how much they learn from cooking,without really knowing it. It doesn’t feel like math, but it is
I have always enjoyed cooking with my girls. My oldest daughter graduated from high school in May, and she took three years of culinary classes because being in the kitchen with me instilled a love for cooking!
I rarely cooked with my mom growing up. Maybe that was also partly because she didn’t enjoy cooking and kept things really minimal. And then I had to learn everything as an adult. I remember reading the pasta box because I didn’t know how to make pasta! I love how you point out the math lesson for the little ones. I never thought of that!
When I helped raise my brother and sister, I always made sure to include them in the kitchen. It taught them so many skills that they still use today.
I love cooking with my two year old. He asks to help cook everyday. I wish he could help all the time, but when dinner just needs to get on the table. He likes to stir anything and everything
This is really exciting for me to see. My husband and I love to cook together at the weekend and we have been waiting for our son to grow up a little bit before he can join in too. I see the benefits too now. Its a lot of fun too. I can’t wait to do this honestly.
I don’t know how to cook at all. It was never something that I did but now as an adult, I wish I did.
I got my love of cooking from my mom. She always had us help in the kitchen When we were little she made it so much fun that I quickly wanted to do it all the time. To this day I still love experimenting with different foods, flavors and recipes.
I learned to cook with my babysitter and I remember having a much better grasp on fractions because of it.
Being in the kitchen together with my kids is fun! There are so many amazing life skills that they can learn!
Cooking together is such a great activity! Remember helping my mom cook when I was young. Never thought about the math angle. Definitely something I want to do with my son when he gets older.
Kids should definitely help out in the kitchen. It teaches them the must needed life skills that they’re going to use when they’re living on their own. Plus it’s fun and it helps give you time to spend with them!
I love when my kids help me in the kitchen! They love it too. It gives them such a sense of accomplishment, and helps them learn and be independent! It’s something we try to do a lot of!
I loved cooking and baking with my parents and being with them in the kitchen when I was younger. There are so many things to learn – math like you said was a big one for me. There’s always stuff to measure, time to calculate and figuring out how to double recipes.
I love this post! I try to cook with my kids once a week, it teaches them a life skill and it’s great family time 🙂
I definitely think it’s a good idea to get children involved in the kitchen. Not only is it fun, like you’ve outlined it involves so many key skills! I definitely want to get my kids in the kitchen when I have a family.
I loved cooking with my kids when they were little! I’m also a teacher, and I can attest to the fact that cooking can be a real motivator for learning math. I once did a whole year of math with a group of special needs kids that centered around cooking, and it was amazing how much more they internalized the information because it was tied to a real-world activity.
I love cooking with the kids! Not only it teaches them how to cook, but it is also a wonderful way to bond.
That curious chef set is too awesome! My best friend’s daughter is not even 2 yet and she already loves being an active participant in preparing dinner. I agree that all kids should be part of cooking — for all the reasons you’ve mentioned here.
Allowing your children to help in the kitchen is such a great confidence boost for them. And if you have picky eaters, it’s a great way to get them to try new foods!
[…] I remember spending a lot of time with my grandparents as a kid. Grandpa would paint and go on adventures with me, and grandma would cook. She was a five foot tall ball of fire and her cooking was second to none. One of my favorite things we used to make were my grandma’s oatmeal cookies. They were sweet, crunchy, and had so much butter that Paula Deen herself would be proud. When my grandma passed, my mom took up the mantle of cookie maker, and now it is starting to be passed on to me. This one recipe is something that has been enjoyed by our family for generations, and eventually I will pass it down to my daughter, who already loves to be in the kitchen. […]
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Oh my gosh her hat is too cute! I need one lol. It is definitely a ton of fun to have kids help in the kitchen. We love baking together in our house!
AWe thank you! She loves her baking outfit lol She is my little kitchen helper for sure!
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