Our new class theme is Castle. We are reading the book, King Bidgood's in the Bathtub. Our dramatic play center has transformed into a castle with dress up clothes! Look for photos soon.
Picture Day is coming up on March 26th and March 27th.
Do you cook with your preschooler? I know for myself I am always rushing to get dinner on the table for my family but on the weekends I try to incorporate the help of my 4 year old. Below you will see some info on cooking with preschoolers. It's a great way to build upon math and language skills.
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Cooking With Preschoolers
Cooking
can help young kids learn and practice some basic math concepts and build
language skills. And the experience of creating meals with you can help build
their self-confidence and lay the foundation for healthy eating habits.
It may
take a little flexibility and some simple prep work, but with the right
expectations, your time in the kitchen with your preschooler can be a
culinary adventure you'll both enjoy.
How Cooking Can Help Preschoolers Bringing kids into the kitchen can benefit them in a number of ways.
Cooking can help:
doing something as simple as counting eggs or pouring water into a measuring cup.
You can ask what comes first, second, and third or count together as you spoon
dough onto a cookie sheet. When you read a recipe together, you're introducing
new words to your child's vocabulary and promoting literacy. Following steps
in the recipe can work on listening skills.
picky eaters, and bringing them into the kitchen to cook can help get
them to open up to new tastes. When your 3-year-old daughter plays
chef she might sample dishes she wouldn't try if you just served them
to her. So encourage kids to taste new ingredients you're working
with and talk about what they like and how healthy foods make a body grow.
with their senses and the kitchen is an ideal place to do that. Invite them
to listen to the whir of the mixer, pound dough and watch it rise, smell
it baking in the oven, and finally taste the warm bread fresh from the
oven. If it smells good, looks appealing, and is easy to eat they may
just be willing to try it!
and working in the kitchen provides opportunities to gain a sense
of accomplishment. If they helped assemble the pizza, let them know
that their help was important. You could name the pizza or another
dish after your child. Serve "Will's Pizza" or "Ella's Salad" for dinner
tonight. Even if the end results are not exactly what you expected,
praise their efforts.
Ideal Jobs for Preschoolers in the Kitchen
A few
tasks in the kitchen are particularly well-suited to kids ages 3 to 5.
The key is to give them "jobs" that meet their skill level and are something they enjoy. So if your child loves to pound, bring out the bread dough and let your preschooler pound away.
Here
are some other ways kids can help:
Getting Started
From
riding a tricycle to getting dressed, preschoolers are learning how
much they can do all by themselves.
So look
for a few cooking-related activities that your child can successfully
complete independently or with a minimum of involvement from you. Simple tasks like pouring liquid into the bowl, sprinkling cheese on top of the casserole, or using cookie cutters are a good fit for most preschoolers.
Don't
plan an elaborate project — 5 to 10 minutes might be all your child
wants to spend on an activity. Start small and keep it fun.
As kids
grow, they will develop the skills, attention span, and interest to
do bigger cooking jobs, like squeezing the juice out of a lemon, measuring ingredients into cups and spoons, and beating eggs or mashing potatoes.
Preschoolers
will also enjoy learning with you. For safety reasons,
you should be in the kitchen with them at all times, supervising and monitoring progress.
Spending
time in the kitchen with your kids can foster an interest in food
and cooking that will last for life.Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD Date reviewed: July 2011 |
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Note: All information on KidsHealth® is for educational purposes
only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your
doctor.
© 1995- 2014 The Nemours
Foundation. All rights reserved.
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