As a parent, you may spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing meals for your kids, but you may not realise that there is a whole school of thought behind the benefits of cooking in early childhood development. Often overlooked as an activity that could involve youngsters, mostly because of the attention that’s required for safety around hot things and sharp utensils, there are still plenty of ways that you can incorporate cooking and food preparation into spending time with your child as you support their physical and mental development. Let’s dig into just some of these benefits, and we’ll also plate up some inspiration on what you can include with your cooking experience benefits for toddlers.
5 Amazing Benefits of Cooking With Toddlers
Cooking with kids should be about more than just letting them lick a spoon. Whether it’s a fun, tasty task at their early learning centre, or as part of a real chore at home, the benefits of cooking experiences in early childhood are plenty! Here’s our top 5 benefits of cooking for toddlers and some of the age-appropriate activities you ‘knead’ to know about.
Mix, Measure, and Master Fine Motor Skills
Research indicates that engaging toddlers in activities that promote fine motor skill development can have lasting benefits for their overall physical abilities as they get older, like writing and using scissors. Cooking is a very simple way that you can help to develop fine motor skills in toddlers, such as hand-eye coordination, control and dexterity, strengthening the small muscles in their hands and fingers, and improving grip through repetitive motions. Fine motor skills are the vital ingredient for many of everyday tasks, and your toddler will be able to practise simply by handling or pouring ingredients, and using utensils for stirring.
The Recipe
In a relaxed environment, start out by involving your child in basic age-appropriate cooking activities like stirring batter, sprinkling toppings, or squeezing lemons.
Stirring Cooperation and Social Interaction Success
Cooking together in the kitchen offers toddlers a wonderful opportunity to learn cooperation and social interaction. Cooking together means they can ask questions and engage with you about what’s happening – enhancing their language skills, boosting their confidence in expressing themselves, and learning lots of interesting things about food and how it’s prepared. The benefits of cooking for toddlers here, is that it teaches them teamwork and patience, two key skills they’ll need as they grow and interact with others in different settings, such as school or playdates. Cooking is also a great way to foster family bonds, by providing quality time for parents and children to connect, share stories, and collaborate on a common goal.
The Recipe
Task your toddler with working alongside yourself, another relative, or sibling, for the purpose of completing a recipe. You should encourage everyone to follow the cooking instructions, share the responsibilities, and take turns at completing each step.
Cooking Up A Brighter Future
Cooking requires focus and attention, which is an excellent way to help toddlers improve their ability to concentrate. A study published by Early Childhood Research and Practice suggested that children who are involved in structured activities like cooking with their parents or siblings, tended to show better attention control and patience. The benefits of cooking with toddlers not only provides a natural way for them to practise sustained attention and understand the importance of following through on tasks, it encourages problem-solving and decision-making skills.
The Recipe
Break the cooking steps into simple instructions or smaller and more manageable steps for toddlers, such as adding ingredients in a specific order or measuring amounts.
The Ingredients For Creative Development
For toddlers, creativity is about exploration and expression, and cooking is a great platform for both. It allows them to use their senses—touch, smell, taste, and sight—to engage with the world around them. This also extends through to the benefits of pretend cooking for toddlers as part of the importance of play in a child’s development. Letting toddlers have a say in the cooking process, even in small ways, can inspire them to think creatively and build confidence in their ideas.
The Recipe
Allowing children to get creative with ingredients, decorations, or even the arrangement of food on a plate helps them explore new ideas and think outside the box. Why not let them mix colours in a fruit salad or have a go at decorating cupcakes themselves.
Whisking Up Healthy Eating Habits
Another one of the benefits of cooking with toddlers, is that it can establish healthier eating habits from a young age. By allowing them to touch, smell, and even taste various fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious ingredients, you’re helping them develop a positive relationship with food. When children are involved in the preparation of meals, they become more familiar with different ingredients, are more likely to try new foods. Studies have shown that children who are actively involved in meal preparation are more likely to make healthier food choices later in life, as they have a deeper understanding and appreciation of where their food comes from.
The Recipe
By explaining why certain foods are healthy and incorporating a variety of colourful ingredients, you can make healthy eating fun and exciting. Cooking together also provides a great opportunity to teach toddlers about balanced meals, portion sizes, and the importance of nutrition.
Nurturing Young Minds One Dish At A Time
With this list it’s easy to see the benefits of cooking experiences in early childhood! Remember, cooking is not just about following a recipe — it’s a wonderful outlet for learning and creativity, especially for toddlers. From improving fine motor skills to fostering cooperation and focus, and creativity, cooking not only teaches valuable life skills, it helps to instil lifelong habits that promote good nutrition and wellbeing, and you’ll be creating childhood memories that will last a lifetime.
At Aurrum Kids, we strongly believe in the ways our cooking experience has benefits for toddlers, so if you’d like further information on the exciting childcare programs we have on offer for your child, simply contact us today.