Let’s Get Cooking!

Have you tried cooking with children in your toddler and preschool classrooms?  No, I am not crazy…..cooking is a GREAT way to teach children all kinds of skills you want them to learn.  Think about it……literacy, language and vocabulary (looking at recipes and talking through the projects), math (simple counting and measurements), science (chemical reactions, observation, predicting, using tools), social emotional (sharing, taking turns, building self-esteem, using manners),  and fine motor skill development (cutting, mixing, pouring, etc.) can ALL be taught through simple cooking lessons!  The best part is kids LOVE to cook!

You don’t have to have a kitchen in your classroom or a huge classroom budget to cook with kids (although that would be amazing).  Start small and enlist the help of your parents.  Most parents are happy to help, especially when they see all the fun their child is having!  Parents can help donate ingredients and simple cooking tools.  Dollar stores are another great resource to get some basic cooking supplies and even garage sales for you bargain hunters!

Cooking in the classroom doesn’t have to be complicated.  Many people think of cooking as using a stove and oven.  That isn’t practical in your classroom setting.  But, there are many things you can make with kids in the classroom that doesn’t require ANY appliances or that only require some simple small appliances.  Join us back here at our blog site next week with a simple recipe and instructions on how to extend the learning in your classroom through cooking.