Kids in the Kitchen!
If you are as blessed as I am with a healthy active boy you may have the same challenges trying to get them to slow down long enough to read.
I used cooking in the kitchen with my son as a great way to sneak in reading. Kids love to spend time with their parents and enjoy being helpful in the kitchen. You can do a lot of reading and vocabulary in the kitchen without a child even realizing how much they are learning. I usually work off a recipe or we create one together.
As I am writing this I am thinking it would make a great homework project for kids to create a recipe with a step by step on how to make something e.g. a peanut butter sandwich, grill cheese, pancakes or whatever their favourite food is. Make sure it includes a picture of the finial product. If each child brings a recipe in, you could create a cook book for kids and send it home to the families to share as a Christmas gift or a mother’s day gift. The child will be so proud that they helped to create it and would want to try making their friends recipes.
Here are some great learning opportunities in the kitchen. Give it a try this weekend.
reading recipes (reading)
reading labels (reading, vocabulary)
creating recipes with step by step instructions (writing)
learning to measure for cooking or baking (math)
practicing their counting (math)
portioning food out on plates (fractions)
helping to create the weekly meal plan (vocabulary & spelling)
helping to create a grocery list (vocabulary & spelling)
Remember to have patients and go through all the safety instructions with your child before proceeding. Make it fun!
