When they cook, children have an opportunity to learn about food, to be creative, and to prepare their own nutritional snacks. Lots of discoveries happen during cooking. When children see dough rise, they learn about science; when they measure flour, they learn about math. Following picture recipe cards, they learn skills that will prepare them for reading. And when we make and eat Mexican Tacos, Chinese vegetables, or African peanut stew, the children learn to appreciate other peoples and cultures.

        Cooking offers a special treat for children -- it allows them to do things adults do. When children cook in the classroom, we talk a lot about what they are doing. As we talk, children learn new words. They also learn to think about what they are doing. They describe what happens when water is added to dry ingredients. They solve problems, such as how much batter should be placed in a muffin tin to allow for the ingredients to rise. They can feel self-sufficient and also learn to make healthy choices about eating.