Each week, you will find an easy, kid-friendly recipe that is related to our book selection. For example, if the book of the week is If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, you might whip up a batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies; if it’s Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten, the recipe might just be Miss Bindergarten’s Baked Apples. See all our storybook-inspired recipes here.
Benefits of Cooking with Kids
Cooking with your child is one of the best ways to extend the fun of the story and promote literacy skills at the same time.
- Talking about the ingredients and directions in a recipe boosts vocabulary and helps develop oral communications skills.
- Measuring, stirring, and using cooking tools builds self-confidence and helps develop small-motor control.
- As with art, the process of cooking encourages creativity, enhances self-esteem and even helps develop and understanding of cause and effect.
In our recipes, we give the basic directions so that you can read them aloud together with your child. It's up to you to determine what steps your child can do: simple tasks such a stirring and dumping measured ingredients are things any child can do, while older or more advanced children might be able to peel, cut herbs with kitchen scissors, or measure on their own.
Let them do as much as possible! It won't be perfect! Messes will be made, things will be spilled, flour might make its way into your hair, but that’s part of the experience and delight of cooking!
You might also enjoy browsing through our Cookbooks for Kids selections in the Off the Shelf Shop.
Here are some helpful charts from thirtyhandmadedays.com. Enjoy!