I hoard recipes. My box is full of cards from my bridal shower, papers scribbled with my mom’s directions for her famous brisket and stuffed cabbage and tear outs from magazines with the most delicious looking recipes imaginable. When I am brave enough to attempt a dish, I feverishly try to read the directions, measure to perfection and mix just enough. You can see the stress on my face, coupled with the flour that ended up on my forehead instead of the bowl.
Each season is chock full of recipes ready to be tested. Instead of being consumed by the exactness of the ingredients, focus on making it a creative and educational family affair. No matter the age of your children, cooking is a simple way to incorporate learning and fun without it feeling like a school project or homework, for either of you!
With your child’s help, research seasonal dishes. If they are old enough, they can type in websites or search words or simply look through pictures in cookbooks to find possible options. Depending on the time of year, research what fruits and vegetables are in season. What kinds of recipes call for those types of foods? Narrow down some ideas and with your child, make a list of necessary ingredients. Your child’s next task is to investigate cabinets and the refrigerator/freezer to what already exists in your home. They are now responsible for crossing those items off the list. Remaining items can be supported with a visual aid such as pictures from a newspaper or magazine.
With list in hand, visit the supermarket to purchase all outstanding items. Your child will be instrumental in this step. Using signs and previous knowledge of the store, locate the ingredients. If you stumble upon two bags that look alike (such as sugar and flour), help your child determine the correct item by asking “what letter does flour begin with”. If math is of interest either for enrichment or reinforcement, ask your child to choose the least expensive bag of flour by saying “what costs less, the bag for $2.99 or the bag for $2.49”. Your shopping experience will be full of small learning moments in a stress free, highly engaging activity.
Now it is time to cook! Review the recipe together and gather ingredients and cookware. If the recipe calls for a 1 cup measuring cup and a ½ cup measuring cup, encourage your child to select the correct ones. If this is still a challenge, reviewing fractions can be a valuable lesson. As you begin your process, read directions together or read them to your child. Teaching the importance of reading all directions first is a teachable moment that is real world applicable and always valuable for school.
Enjoy measuring, pouring, mixing and tasting together. Take pictures or video each step to show the importance of cooking in a sequential order or how cooking involves changes in matter such as liquid cake batter into solid cake. Setting a timer to ensure the correct amount of cooking time is another lesson to help children understand elapsed time in seconds, minutes or hours.
The finished product will be met with satisfied smiles and hungry tummies. Celebrate your accomplishment by tasting your newest creation. Although it possibly took longer than expected and messier than you planned, the results are priceless. Lessons in more than one academic area and more importantly, time together at home making memories that are larger than a recipe card in a box.
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Amanda Lehrman, founder of TheMommaFiles, is a trained teacher and curriculum consultant. She attended Fordham University and received an M.S.T in Elementary Education and has worked with the Accelerated Literacy Learning program as well as Teachers College Reading and Writing projects, Kaplan K-12 and Catapult Learning. Amanda currently teaches 3rd through 5th grade students in a Gifted & Talented program in Edison, NJ.
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