S1.E5: Take it to the Kitchen - Raising Thinkers Podcast

It's time to take it to the kitchen. That's right!  It's time to let your kids cook with you. Yes, that means it might be chaotic and there will probably be some messes, but in the end, your child can have a fantastic learning experience and hopefully it can be bonding for you as well. Don't let it terrify you, just jump in and give it a try, But wait! Before you go all in and go for it, I want to give you a few tips to maximize the thinking.

You may have heard teachers praise the benefits of cooking with your child to improve their math skills.  They might say, “It's math in the real world.” I agree, this is true.  There is a lot of math involved in cooking... we just don't always notice it because it has become automatic to us. That is the key to helping your child become a thinker in the kitchen. Help them notice the thinking that YOU are doing by talking about it with them as you go through the process.

It might depend on the type of cook you are. Some of us are not really the “measuring type.” You read a recipe and approximately follow what is indicated for each ingredient. If it calls for a tablespoon of oil, you just pour “some” in. if you're that type of cook, it's okay to continue that way, but be sure to talk to your child about what you're doing and how you're approximating or estimating each measurement. Estimation is a key skill that so many of us use regularly as adults, but we need to help our children understand what it is and how we're doing it.

This might mean that we need to slow down a little bit in the kitchen to explain these different steps to them. You can show them the measuring tool and then explain that you don't like to clean up as much because you like to save your time. Hence why you approximate instead of using all those utensils.  Whatever your reason might be, share your thinking.

Some of us are much more meticulous in the kitchen and measure everything out perfectly. You might even use a scale. If you are one of those more detail-oriented people, please show your child the different measuring tools and show them how you figure out if a measurement is exact or not. Explain to them how following a recipe can help give you the same results each time.

Knowing what kinds of tools are available and why we use different measuring tools can definitely help our children. Talk about those tools.  Why would you use a spatula versus a spoon to stir something? When is it better to use an electric mixer.  What simple machines are involved in a can opener? Share with them about even these little decisions you make so easily; be intentional to model your thinking.

If you want to get really experimental, let your child even create their own recipe. Let them observe you in the kitchen and help out, and then let them try to concoct something. Of course, please help your child to follow any food safety regulations, and be sure to supervise them while they become a chef.  The kitchen can be a very fun place as well as a dangerous place.  With adult guidance and supervision, this process of experimentation can be so valuable. As they taste what they create, it's a great opportunity for reflection as well. Do they think they put too much or too little of a certain ingredient? Or is it just right?

Now let's talk about fractions. Many people bring up fractions in relationship to baking. if you're using a recipe that does involve fractions, that is fantastic! Talk with your child about why 1/2 is different than one whole or why one third is different than one half. Compare the measurements. Allow them to touch and use those measuring cups. This helps give them an understanding of relative size. If you want to get ambitious, have them double, triple or even half a recipe depending on the amount of people you want to serve. This would be an extra challenge, but by talking it through with them, you can help them understand not only how they can do this but why they would do this.

Don’t forget about time and temperature. Explain to your child why certain things have to cook longer than others. If something has to cook for an hour and a half, how many minutes is that? What are the things they estimate they can do while the food is baking in the oven? Related to temperature, explain to them why you might set the oven at one temperature versus another.  How does the temperature impact the time needed to cook, or the quality of a the product?

The main point in the kitchen is it just to verbalize your thinking, to help your child understand how to problem-solve and think for themselves. Besides that, it's a fun and maybe messy thing to do together. And we also know our kids love to make some messes!  Before you know it, you might have a small chef on your hands. And who doesn't want their child to prepare a meal for them?  Well, I might take that back. It depends on what they're cooking!