|
|
Cooking with kids provides many benefitsWith the cold weather, many children are looking for activities to do indoors. Cooking with your child is a great way to spend quality time together and is educational. When children are directly involved they can learn a lot about their world, said Deana Hildebrand, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension nutrition specialist. Before getting started, make sure your child has a sturdy stool to stand on at the cabinet, or prepare foods at a low table. Keep in mind that an adult needs to be present at all times to provide supervision and ensure safety. "Cooking allows children to use all five of their senses. Using descriptive words to talk about what you see, feel, hear, smell and taste can help expand a child's vocabulary," Hildebrand said. "Talk with your child about the colors of foods, especially colorful fruits and vegetables. Foods often have different textures, so be sure to talk about foods that are bumpy, soft, hard and squishy." Give the sense of smell a workout by comparing the smell of vanilla, cinnamon and garlic. Enhance listening skills by listening to the sounds of corn popping and eggs cracking. Energize the taste buds to see if foods are sweet, tart or salty. Hildebrand said cooking also provides children the opportunity to develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Help your child feel successful in the kitchen by engaging them in age appropriate tasks. Two-year-olds can scrub potatoes and vegetables, wash and tear lettuce, break bread into pieces, stir thin liquids such as pancake batters and gelatins, shake a drink in a closed container, clean the cutting board and put waste in the garbage after cooking. "Three-year-olds are really learning how to use their hands, so ask them to help pour liquids from measuring cups into bowls, pat brown sugar in the measuring cup, spoon flour out of the bag, spread butter or other spreads, knead dough and peel bananas," she said. "Juicing citrus fruits, peeling hard boiled eggs or onions, cutting soft foods with a plastic knife, measuring dry ingredients, pressing cookie cutters into dough and setting and clearing the table are skills geared toward 4- and 5-year-old children." Showing children how to read recipes can help develop pre-reading skills. Measuring and counting helps develop math skills.
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2012. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
|
