Getting children involved in meal preparation may seem a bit overwhelming (and potentially messy) at first. However with careful planning it can become a fun, engaging bonding adventure with so many amazing benefits.
Here are some reasons why we love having our little ones in the kitchen:
It provides great language learning opportunities
Time in the kitchen provides many opportunities for learning new vocabulary within functional contexts. This can range from talking about new fruits and vegetables and exploring the functions of kitchen appliances, to commenting on actions in the kitchen (cut, stir, wash, peel, roll etc.). You can use this new vocabulary to build longer utterances and sentences, depending on your child’s level.
It helps build listening and comprehension skills
Would you believe that simple tasks such as asking your little ones to grab items from the fridge or throw them in the trash help to build their comprehension skills? Children develop receptive skills much more easily within familiar routines. Our goal is to help them progress from “get the spoon” to “open the drawer and pass me the big blue spoon.”
It creates great opportunities for organizing and sequencing skills
Engaging in meal preparation routines helps children develop the ability to sequence tasks, which is very important for language development, as well as the development of narrative skills. Use the terms “first, next and last” when talking about preparing meals such as salads, sandwiches, or pizza (“First put on the pizza sauce, next put on some cheese…”). As your little one becomes more competent with his/her language skills you can ask him/her to recall the steps needed to make the meal.
It allows children to explore with their senses
Cooking is such a sensory rich experience, and the kitchen is filled with so many different sights, sounds, smells, and tastes for your child to explore and learn. This is especially useful for our picky eaters, since this no-pressure exposure and sensory exploration creates a comfortable environment for them to try new foods. Research has shown that children who are involved in meal preparation are more likely to try a wider range of foods, so talk about how these foods, look, smell, sound, and taste and encourage an adventurous palate.
It helps develop fine motor skills
Whether they’re stirring and spooning cookie dough onto a baking sheet, cracking eggs, sprinkling cheese onto a pizza, or pouring milk into a measuring cup, those little fingers are being strengthened and developing fine motor skills. You may need to provide lots of support with this initially, but eventually, as skills develop they will become more independent with these tasks.
Not sure where to start? We’ve found a really helpful website that suggests lots of different ways to involve little ones in the kitchen, broken down by age.
You can find the link here
Send us some feedback, and let us know what activities you’re doing with your little ones in the kitchen, and tag us in on your posts and instastories at @ei_ei_oh_. We look forward to hearing from you!