Cooking With Children can be fun

It is often said that “the family that eats together, stays together”. We would like to suggest taking it a step further – and encourage every family to cook together, too. In Montessori, we know that kitchen work provides a host of benefits to children, all the way from toddlers to adolescents; it is a part of the Practical Life curriculum as soon as children can walk! However, its advantages are in no way tied to the classroom and can be just as easily – if not more so – applied at home.

Youngest toddlers can stir and toss salads, whisk batter, mash bananas, pour ingredients, peel eggs or fruits; preschoolers can peel and chop vegetables, knead and roll out dough, or grate cheese. School age children will follow recipes, handle ovens and stovetops with care, fry pancakes or bake muffins; and adolescents should plan meals, make shopping lists, take care of the groceries and set a table. Sure, with younger children, involving them might be more work than doing things ourselves, but think of it as a worthy investment. Not only in future mealtimes but also in your child’s wellbeing and development.

Cooking develops children’s bodies and brains.

Cooking is a useful, enjoyable and naturally motivated activity that gives a host of developmental benefits. It develops motor skills, gives a host of those ever-important sensory experiences, and stimulates the child’s sense of order and sequence; for older children, following (or writing down) a recipe is a great literacy exercise. Measuring ingredients or even multiplying a recipe gives a hands-on demonstration of mathematical concepts. Throughout the whole process, cooking promotes concentration and mindfulness; it is no accident that for many home cooks and bakers, it becomes a soothing, relaxing hobby.

Cooking helps children enjoy and be adventurous with food.

Do you have a picky eater at home? Involving them in food preparation is often incredibly effective as a means to encourage trying new flavours and branch out in their food preferences. A child who just spent half assembling a casserole or stirring a stew will have a whole lot more motivation to sample the fruit of their labours! Cooking is also a great opportunity to speak about healthy eating or the importance of a balanced diet with an older child.

Cooking is an essential life skill; mastering it naturally helps children feel confident, independent and capable.

We all get hungry and we all must eat; becoming able to fulfill this universal need without relying on others is a powerful experience for a child (sometimes for a young adult, too). Imagine the joy a five-year old would feel making pancakes for his parents, or how proud a ten-year old would be of making dinner for the whole family! These experiences will become an integral part of their personality.

Cooking is a wonderful natural opportunity for quality family time and bonding.

There’s proven research that some of the best bonding people experience is at times of shared, hands-on labour for a common goal. We hope you find an opportunity to enjoy it with your children soon!

Want to learn more? Read our next article:

PLANTING TODDLERS IN MUD

Comments

Další články

Understanding your child's inner sense of order

Have you ever noticed that your child enjoys singing the same song over and over again, or wants you to repeat the same story for what feels like a million times? Dr. Montessori highlighted the importance of sensitive periods in children, which are known as windows of opportunities for children to develop skills, including movement, language and most definitely, order. A child’s need for external order is present as early as childbirth and peaks in their second year, before fading at about the age of 5. This period of development helps a child to develop a connection between themselves and the world, process information and overcome challenges.

Benefits of Practical Life for Toddler Development

“The first thing to realize about these exercises of practical life is that their aim is not a practical one. Emphasis should be laid not on the word “practical” but on the word life. Their aim is to assist development.” E. M. Standing, Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work

What does Grace and Courtesy look like in practice?

The purpose of the Grace and Courtesy curriculum in Montessori is to offer our children the best possible assistance on this path. Explaining and modeling clearly, we share the most harmonious ways of behaving, relating and communicating, and help children practice and master them. Step by step, from the simplest skills (like saying “excuse me” or shaking hands) children build a “vocabulary” of actions that allows them to act appropriately and feel confident in social settings. How do we actually practice it in particular age groups?

Staff Interview: Greg McCracken

What is a motto that you live by? When I was young, my dad often reminded me: “Always do your best.” In the same way, what I often try to keep in mind is "Do what you can, where you are, with what you have."

Toddler life hacks

Toddlers are at a very sensitive age for physical independence. It is natural to want to take care of them, yet sometimes giving the freedom and space to do things by themselves is a gift that not only makes them happy, but also support their overall development, confidence and sense of self.