4 Great Life Lessons that Kids can Learn from the Kitchen
“I Want To Help, I Want To Help
The Little Girl’s Face Shines With Delight,
As She Watches Her Mother Turn The Oven On
Baking Some Dessert For Supper Tonight.”
That is Niti’s story, a preschooler from Beansprouts, Gurugram.
Just like Niti, kids are very enthusiastic to contribute to the kitchen. It somehow makes them very curious and if they are foodies, you are bound to see some kitchen experiments every now and then!
It’s a great place for a child to learn life skills.
There is no predefined age to let a child into the kitchen but it’s best that you only allow them to do so once they understand basic hygiene and safety.
Here are 4 life lessons that preschoolers can learn from the kitchen:
1. Sharpens the problem-solving ability
Recipes are logical concepts. Every process and ingredient fits a sequence.
Cooking requires kids to think about the procedure, assess the progression of the process and evaluate its results at the end.
If something goes haywire, finding an alternative to fix it can open a world of possibilities for the kids. Most importantly, they learn on their own during the process!
For preschoolers, understanding the order is an important lesson. For life in itself is a sequence of events.
2. Improves body coordination
A kitchen is a place that provides ample opportunities for practising hand-eye coordination. The usage of the five senses and logical bent of mind is also practiced inside the kitchen.
Cracking an egg, kneading dough to discern its proper consistency or pouring from a measuring cup into a bowl are just a few of the examples of how cooking can improve mind and body coordination.
For preschoolers, allowing them to handle the processes by themselves is an empowering feeling.
Give them a chance to whip the cream, garnish the pasta or handle the glassware. You will see that the kids become more cautious and start assuming more responsibility.
3. Helps in the practical application of scientific principles
Cooking is an art and a science. But, for our little ones, understanding the latter is definitely a good place, to begin with!
Teaching them the basics of science, for example, the addition of baking powder leading to bloating or realizing the temperature settings in an oven to the procedure of making cake can all help them develop logical reasoning.
4. Hone’s their creative streak
Kids don’t have preconceived notions and can use that to their advantage while cooking. Let them find easy recipes and tweak them, with your assistance, to suit their liking.
From adding some chocolate syrup to a Nutella sandwich to garnishing the soup with some basil leaves, it can all make them feel like a “Boss Baby”.
Allowing your little ones to discover new combinations and recipes will help them in more ways than any. And all of those will contribute to preparing them for the world.
With all this playtime in the kitchen, your young one will end up learning the art of patience, logical planning & delayed gratification (the self-cooked meal).