Reasons for Kids to Cook
It is important for kids to get in the kitchen and learn to cook.
Cooking not only builds confidence and prepares a kid for difficult
life situations, but it also teaches them to think on their feet. It
also develops the same type of discipline as any form of sports or
martial arts. Let's take a look at the top ten reasons for kids to
get dirty in the kitchen.

Kids Cooking Activities Teaching Materials
Make teaching easier with our activities and recipes compiled in theme sets and books with an easy to read format
Perfect for teaching!

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10 Benefits of Cooking with Kids
1. Builds confidence - Remember when you first learned a
new skill? It was great; you felt on top of the world knowing that
you could do something all by yourself. Cooking is the same way for
kids; it is a giant confidence boost for them.
2. Prepares for life - When life gives you lemons, make
chicken piccata. Learning to cook helps kids prepare for other life
lessons such as organization and following directions. While
learning to cook is not only following recipes, you have to start
somewhere.
3. Sparks creativity - What kind of new creations will
your kids come up with in the kitchen? Maybe they will develop the
new family favorite meal. Between all of the different sights,
sounds and flavors, all of the senses become aware in the kitchen.
Creativity begins to flourish and the imagination starts to think
beyond the typical, ordinary cuisine.
4. Develops discipline - Learning to cook teaches the
discipline of following instructions and builds the mind. When a kid
is in the kitchen, they become the master of their domain and learn
to respect everything around them.
5. Patience - Patience is a soufflé, just ask any chef.
If your child needs to work on patience, it is important to get them
into the kitchen. All good things come to those who wait. Let them
experiment with a cake that is not fully baked or garlic that is not
completely roasted, then explain the importance of being patient and
show them how the finished product is so much better.
6. Science - If you ever get the chance to watch Alton
Brown in action, you will be amazed at the amount of science that
goes into cooking. Help your children prepare for school by teaching
them what yeast does to dough and why toast cannot ever be turned
back into bread.
7. They ask questions - Questions are an integral part
of developing a child's mind. Letting them ask questions and then
figuring out the answers together will build the base for learning
in years to come.
8. Expands palate - Kids with narrow minds develop
narrow habits. Letting your child help with the cooking will cause
them to expand their palate and try new things. The act of trying
new things will help them out later in life when they are trying to
figure out who they are and what they want to do.
9. Passes down or builds new traditions - If your
family has traditions, the kitchen is a great place to begin to pass
them down. Due to the close proximity, there is plenty of time to
talk and explain why things are done certain ways. Also, who
wouldn't want great-grandma's chocolate cookie recipe?
10. Keeps family history - Explaining why the pineapple
upside down cake was made with the pineapple juice due to the sugar
rations during the war is a great way to flesh out your family
history. So many families in the old days, told stories and built
legends in the kitchen, why not try it yourself?
There are many reasons why it is important to get your children in
the kitchen. These ten reasons alone should have you grabbing your
children and pulling them in close to prepare the family meal. Get
out the little blue cup that doubled as your grandmas measuring cup
and begin explaining what things are, why they work and who started
these crazy traditions anyway. Not sure where to start? Try this
70 simple kids cooking
activities list.
More Help and Resources for How to Teach Cooking
Include these pages in your teaching curriculum.
Kitchen
Rules and Safety- the page includes downloads for Kitchen
Safety chart and a Food Sanitation Chart.
How to start a business
What do you learn in the
kitchen?
Kids Cooking Lessons
Add lessons to your homeschooling
Teaching children
or adults with Disabilities
Teaching Life Skills
Getting Kids
Interested in the Kitchen
5 cooking tips- Need help
getting kids interested in helping in the kitchen?
Stress Free Cooking
Tips
6 Ideas to teach
beyond the kitchen
Kids Cooking Lesson Plans
Follow Kids Cooking Activities