Why Should Kids Learn How to Cook?

If there’s something 2020 has definitely taught us; it’s the importance of life skills. Due to the convenience of most things, we often take life skills for granted…that is until everything is closed, or supplies are limited. Cooking is a vital life skill that even if you are someone who doesn’t prefer to do it, you still need to be capable of it which is why kids should learn how to cook. Cooking involves critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration.

“If you give a man a fish he is hungry again in an hour. If you teach him to catch a fish you, and you feed him for a lifetime. -Unknown”

What Skills Does Cooking Involve?

It is an activity that engages all the senses: smelling, tasting, touching, hearing, and seeing.
Temperature- converting temperatures for a recipe
Time- working on cooking times based on weight
Measurements- measuring correct quantities or changing measurements based on quantities that are being made.
Colors and Shapes
Fractions
Hand-eye coordination
Reading

Cooking Helps Teach Kids About:

There are many things that teaching children to cook helps teach them that goes beyond just nutrition for their bodies.

Family traditions with certain foods or meals
Other cultures
Combining flavors
Presentation
Science (what happens when certain ingredients are mixed together)
Promotes healthy eating
Promotes awareness about what you are eating
Math

Dr. Nimali Fernando, MD, MPH, FAAP, a practicing pediatrician, joyful experiences involving food can help kids overcome the anxiety they may have around tasting the unfamiliar. Over time, cooking with kids can help build confidence and provide rich sensory experiences.

Research has shown that cooking at home often leads to healthier meals. According to research from John Hopkins, when cooking at home people consume less sugar and fat.

Empowering Children to Learn to Cook

Kids Are Great Cooks Subscription Box

So how do you help your kids learn to cook? What if you aren’t all that experienced yourself in the kitchen? I was recently able to try out a new subscription service called Kids Are Great Cooks. It is a monthly cooking club for kids that teaches them to cook with step by step instructions, build kitchen skills, grow self-confidence, and increase their independence in the kitchen. The box is aimed at kids from 7-14+.

The Difference in Kids Are Great Cooks

There are many subscription boxes out there, and there are websites that you can google recipes on, however, what makes Kids Are Great Cooks stand out is the video tutorials for each recipe. The videos are taught by kids and give more details about how to prepare a dish. The additional details include things such as what the consistency of something should look like, as well as kitchen tips which explain the different types of pots and pans as well as what types of tools you should use for them (wood, plastic, metal) depending on if it is a stainless-steel material or non-stick material. One thing that really sets this subscription box apart from others is the kid led videos.

Kids are Great Cooks Apron — The apron that comes in the first box

There are also bloopers and outtakes which are fun because they give a behind the scenes view to kids.

The Kids Are Great Cooks Blog has some fantastic information for kids (and adults!) where topics such as seasoning and flavorings, kitchen tools, herbs, kitchen how-to and more are covered. If you need an indication of the expertise that will be provided in the subscription I recommend checking out the blog. It’s detailed and there is a wealth of knowledge that is well laid out and authored by kids so that it isn’t overwhelming.

They offer three plans, a 3-month plan at $28/kit, a 6-month plan at $26/kit, or a 12-month Plan at $24/kit. You can check out what the subscription plans include on the subscription page.