Secret Ingredients: The Valuable Life Skills Infused in Cooking With Toddlers

One of the most memorable conversations I had with a toddler happened during a cooking project. As we cracked eggs, getting ready to make delicious chocolate pea cookies, one of the toddlers casually mentioned that they get to crack eggs at home. This child was fairly quiet at school, so it was especially exciting for her to share a connection about what she does at home. “What kind of eggs do you make?” I asked curiously, hoping to make the conversation last longer. She stared at me as though she didn’t quite understand the question, but before I could repeat myself, she slowly said, “bird eggs.” I smiled, thoroughly enjoying her interpretation of the question, and said, “Those must be really yummy. I like to make those too.” 

Cooking projects are an activity we keep revisiting in the Spring Room. The toddlers get excited when it’s time to cook and delight in the various aspects of the project. They also know that when we cook at school, it usually means they get to taste a yummy snack at the end of the day. There are so many reasons why creating food together has made such an impact on our class this year.

Cooking provides a connection between home and school. 

During these projects, conversations with the children provide valuable insights into their lives at home. We discover how the toddlers help out in their own kitchens, listening to how the food feels familiar or different from what they eat at home. We learn what they like to eat and often what they dislike eating. Teachers tell the families how their child helped cook at school. Sharing the recipes with the families provides a way for the connection to grow. 

Cooking offers a variety of indirect skills. 

Scooping, measuring, dumping, and turn-taking in action!

Math, turn-taking, fine motor skills, and science are just a few examples. We’ve doubled recipes, talking out loud as the teachers figure out the double of ⅓ cup or counting how many tablespoons of butter need to be added to the bowl. Then we count as we pour, scoop, and dump. Children take turns mixing with spoons, cutting with child-safe knives, and carrying heavy ingredients to and from the kitchen.

The toddlers get to see science experiments happen in real time as steamed peas disappear in the blender with chocolate and peanut butter, creating a delicious chocolatey dough. They stare into the oven when the light turns on, watching as the cookies bubble and solidify. 
Mixing, stirring, and pouring create messes that ultimately need to be cleaned up. Toddlers not only see but participate in the whole cooking process from start to finish; from gathering ingredients to wiping up the table to sweeping the floor, and eventually eating the results of all the hard work. 

Cleaning up messes is part of cooking.

Cooking creates community. 

During one of our cooking projects, a child invited the director, Joanne, to the class to enjoy the treat with us. “Would you like to join us for a snack?” he asked as we walked by with freshly made cheese crackers. Joanne happily obliged and joined us in tasting the crackers, giving a big thumbs up to the chefs. It was a beautiful moment in which we recognized that food brings people together, and when we invite others to the table with us, they are more willing to come and join us in community. We even plan to expand our cooking into sharing with the grandmas and grandpas upstairs later this spring, hoping to build stronger relationships with them. 

Cooking helps teach about nutrition. 

We find recipes that incorporate a multitude of ingredients and allow us to try new things. We’ve made chocolate donuts with a secret ingredient of steamed peas. We made homemade cheese-its, offering the children an opportunity to try a homemade version of the yummy store-bought treats. A parent helped us make a chocolate cake sweetened with dates instead of sugar. We’ve made fresh fruit smoothies and homemade granola bars, giving the children healthier alternatives to some of their favorite foods. 

Cooking with toddlers may be a lot of work, but it is an invaluable experience for both the children and the teachers. We are so happy to have such enthusiastic little helping hands in the kitchen!

Grandma Elsie is sometimes our guest chef, assisting us with various challenges in the cooking process.