Cooking is a vital lifestyle that everybody should learn! Studies show that kids who learn how to cook at an early age gain essential skills they can use even outside of the kitchen.
Here are 8 reasons why you should cook with your kids!
Parents often think that sports and arts and crafts are the only way to help a child refine their motor skills but cooking is actually a great way to do so.
Simple tasks such as adding ingredients to a bowl can help practice their hand-eye coordination while mixing and and pouring can help them refine their motor skills.
Getting children involved in cooking is a great way to teach them about nutrition. Our child care centre in Brookvale, for example, teaches children about the different vitamins and minerals each ingredient can give them. Children who’ve grown up with an understanding of ingredients are more likely to stick to wholesome eating and less likely to develop a fondness for artificial and processed food.
All kids like being congratulated on something they’ve worked hard on and cooking allows kids to receive positive instantly. This, in turn, helps build their self-esteem and a good sense of self-worth. They’ll be more eager to help out and even ask for more responsibilities around the house as a result!
Kids are more likely to eat something they’ve prepared. By teaching kids how to cook good and nutritious meals, they’re also more likely to eat more healthy food. This also helps them expand their food choices from chicken nuggets and chips to more refined dishes like baked salmon and sautéed vegetables.
Cooking helps kids explore their imagination! Children are more adventurous, and this is also true when it comes to cooking! Let their creativity run by allowing them to discover new flavour combinations and recipes on their own.
By breaking down cooking for kids, you teach them a very important attitude. Instead of food seeming daunting, kids now think to themselves “I can do that.” This optimism is evident not just in the kitchen but in every other aspect of life as well.
Transform cooking from being a chore into a great bonding activity. By involving your kids, not only do you get extra help with your tasks but you also get a chance to bond with them and talk about your respective days.
At our child care centres facilities, we use cooking as a way for our educators to develop a deeper connection with the little ones as well.
Young children rely on each other when working in the kitchen at our child care centre in Brookvale. They learn valuable teamwork skills such as sharing, taking turns and assuming responsibilities.
At Little Zak’s Academy, we believe no child is too young to cook which is why we integrate Little Zak’s Kitchen in our kids’ daily schedule! Apart from providing them with nutritious meals, we also teach them about food education through hands-on activities that help them develop sound eating habits.
