When children read food labels and recipes, they are learning to gather information in a new format and are acquiring new vocabulary. They must be able to read measurements in recipes, on food packages and on measuring utensils. Children can also practice addition, subtraction and division of fractions when they are challenged to double a recipe or cut it in half. Older children can practice equivalencies -- three teaspoons equals one tablespoon, four quarts equals one gallon, and so on -- and write new recipes.
Children learn where their food comes from when they are enrolled in a cooking class. They have the chance to hold a head of broccoli or a freshly baked loaf of bread, rather than seeing it sliced, processed and packaged. Rather than merely grabbing a pre-packaged snack from the shelf, they have the opportunity to learn which fruits and vegetables are seasonal, their nutritional properties, how to store them and how they react to freezing, chopping, boiling and mixing.
Very young children learn and practice fine motor skills when they learn to cook. They can slice hard-boiled eggs in a child-friendly egg slicer, grate carrots or cheese on a grater, stir pancake or cookie batter, spread peanut butter, scoop ingredients with measuring cups, wrap foil around a potato and roll pizza dough in their tiny hands. This is a perfect time for children to learn about kitchen safety and hygiene. Lessons about germs, hand washing, water hazards and fire hazards are part of learning to cook.
Cooking can be both methodical and artful. It gives children practice at following step-by-step directions and gives them a chance to make adjustments and modifications as needed. Recipes provide a clearly stated process and expected outcome. When children experiment with variables, they are creating something new. When the result is a flop, they learn about failure and persistence. When the result is a success, they gain a self-esteem boost.