There are many fun activities that you can do with your children that can also be beneficial to their learning and development. Baking is one of those activities. Whether you are baking bread or cookies, baking with your children is a fun activity that can teach them a lot more than you may think!
At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we believe that everyday activities are a great way to help your child learn and develop new skills. Our child care centers offer a variety of programs to help your little ones get the jump start to education they need. In this blog, we are going to talk about the benefits of baking for children. Read on to learn more and be sure to check out our programs today!
Language Development
Baking and cooking can help your child’s language development. While baking, your child will be exposed to new words, expanding their vocabulary and allowing them to better understand the actions that go with different words. As you bake with them, you can explain what you are doing and be descriptive with each action, this can help boost your child’s vocabulary, as well. You can help them expand their vocabulary by explaining what different words in baking mean and maybe even by giving them a demonstration, such as sifting, combining, and whipping.
Reading Skills
Baking can also help them boost their reading skills. When baking, you are likely following a recipe and it is important to carefully read that recipe, understand what it is saying, and follow those directions. Even if your child may just be learning to read, you can read the recipe with them and then complete each direction. Reading the recipe and them completing each step can help your child better comprehend what they are reading. This can also help them learn that what they read has meaning.
Math Skills
Baking with your child is a great way to help improve their math skills. There is a lot of counting, measuring, and fractions involved in baking, which allows your children to practice and improve their math skills. If a recipe calls for two eggs, have them count out the eggs. When you measure half a cup of sugar, they can learn about fractions. Your kiddos will also begin to learn the difference between measurements, like a teaspoon and tablespoon, a cup and a liter, and other measurements. Setting your times for your baked treats can help them learn more about time, counting, and the difference between seconds, minutes, and hours.
Following Directions
One of the biggest benefits of baking is that it can teach your kiddos how to follow directions. Learning how to follow directions can be challenging for kiddos, because they simply want to do their own thing. While board games and other activities can teach them directions, baking takes that to the next level. If you don’t follow the directions, your baked treats will not turn out how you want them to. Your child may have to learn this the hard way! Baking allows your child to follow directions and receive a tasty treat because of it. This is an important lesson for children to learn and baking is a fun and great way to help them learn it.
Motor Skills
Baking can also help your child improve their motor skills as well. From measuring to mixing to kneading, there are many actions in baking that will allow your child to practice and enhance their motor function, control, and strength. As you bake with your child, have them help with the mixing, pouring, flipping, and any other motions that take control. It will help them boost these skills.
Patience
Patience is another life skill that kiddos need to learn. Baking will help teach them patience. Whether they are waiting for their dough to rise or they are waiting for the timer to go off so they can see their masterpiece, they will have to learn how to be patient while baking. If they can’t be patient, the cookies won’t bake all the way or the bread may not come out fluffy and soft. While this can be a hard lesson for your kiddos to learn (they may throw fits when they see their cookies in the oven), it will be beneficial and get easier each time you bake together. Try to come up with a fun activity to do while you wait!
Focus and Attention
Baking with your children can also teach them about focus and attention. They will need to pay attention to the recipe, measurements, and directions. If they don’t pay attention to what they are doing, they may ruin the recipe. They need to pay attention when they are measuring, counting, and following the directions, allowing them to better improve these skills and learn the importance of them.
Self-Esteem
Your child can also gain a boost in self-esteem when you bake with them! A lot of hard work, concentration, and patience go into baking and when it is finally done and they get to taste-test their treats, they will feel accomplished and proud of their work. This can help boost self-esteem and help them feel more confident in their abilities.
Perseverance
Baking is not something everyone is good at and it is not something that people are just born knowing. It is likely that your children will mess up a recipe or two, but that doesn’t mean they should give up baking altogether. If your child accidentally adds too much of an ingredient to the cookies or forgets a step, let them know that it is no big deal and you can see how they turn out anyway. Make sure your kiddos know that you have made many mistakes while baking and cooking as well. This can help them realize that it happens and it doesn’t mean you should give up! When your child makes a mistake while baking, be sure to bake with them again shortly after and help them get everything right. When the treats turn out perfectly, they will learn to be persistent and keep trying.
Bonding
Another major benefit of baking with your kiddos is that it is fun and is a great way to bond with them. Your children will love baking with you and spending this special time with you. It is a fun activity that you can do together and help them learn and develop new and existing skills. If you are looking for a fun way to bond with your children, try baking. This can be a great way for your children to learn and develop a special and meaningful relationship with you! You can build a lot of fun memories with your children in the kitchen baking goodies together.
There are many benefits of baking with your kiddos. They can learn a lot, develop new skills, improve old ones, and find a new hobby! Whether you are baking holiday cookies, making bread for your dinner, or baking just for the fun of it, your little ones can benefit a lot from this activity. Make plans this weekend to bake with your kiddos and help them grow and develop.
If you are looking for a child care center to help your kiddo get a jumpstart to their education, Growing Kids Learning Centers can help! Contact us to learn more and check out our programs!
