ooking with children can provide many beneficial learning experiences. At Tiggers we can cover a range of learning and development areas by planning for children to partake in regular cooking activities. Here’s what you can cover at home by encouraging your children to help you in the kitchen!


Mathematics


Cooking provides wonderful opportunities to help your child learn mathematical vocabulary. How better to learn phrases like ‘more than’ or ‘less than’ than by weighing out ingredients. Remember in the UK to weigh in grams rather than imperial measures. Let your child feel a 1kg bag of sugar to feel how heavy it is. He or she could also feel other packages to help to develop estimation skills.


Your child will gain experience in counting and recognising numbers. If decorations are to be added to cakes, let your child add a specific number and counting opportunities can arise while setting the table. Small Steps 14


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What can children learn through


Through the use of different cutters, children can learn the names of various 2D shapes. You can discuss how many corners or sides these shapes have so that children will learn the properties of many shapes. Your child can learn about timing too.


Select easier words for very young children and introduce the more difficult when you feel your child is ready. Put the words into a context such as, “Which cake is bigger, yours or mine?”


Language Skills You can help your child to learn lots of new words and concepts through discussion while you are cooking. Show your child what a recipe is and that you need to follow instructions in order to achieve the required result.


Children can learn the names of ingredients and words like sieve, whisk, stir, mix, roll and melt. They can look for words on packets like eggs and sugar and try to find these words in the recipe.


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