Teaching your kids to cook at home allows you to pass down old family recipes to ensure the dishes stay in the family, while helping your children develop confidence at the same time. Start with something small, and work up while teaching your children to clean up after themselves. For example, bring your child with you as you shop for the ingredients for a family heirloom cookie dough recipe and cookie cutters. Have your child pick the decorations such as sugar sprinkles and cutters. On wax paper, teach your child how to roll out the cookie dough with a rolling pin. Help him cut cookie shapes with the cookie cutters.
In addition, dust off your cookbooks, or take your child to the library to hunt for recipes. You can teach her valuable research skills to utilize later at school. Some supermarkets have a free recipe stand to help with ideas; have your child choose the recipes she wants to try.
Any teacher will tell you people learn differently. Auditory learners learn by listening and discussing what they just learned; visual learners must see or read to learn; and kinesthetic learners learn by doing. Cooking at home is a way to engage all types of learners, as kids, like all humans, learn differently. In addition, you will learn your child's learning style, which is invaluable to know as she progresses in her education.
If you don't know how to cook, you and your child can learn at the same time by utilizing Internet resources. Many websites are dedicated specifically to teaching children how to cook. For example, Carrie Wallis on "Kids and Cooking" teaches children -- and parents -- how to make cookie dough. In a tutorial called "Making Chocolate Muffins" (see References), she demonstrates how to make the flour mixture, crack and whisk eggs and pour the mixture into paper cups. Kids' Cooking Activities (see References) demonstrates simple-to-make recipes with few ingredients. For example, the website teaches you how to make a basic French toast with 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of milk and a teaspoon of cinnamon.
In addition, many television programs are dedicated to cooking. From cable to public television, you can find TV programs that teach a variety of styles and cuisines.
If cooking is your child's passion, you can find vacations that provide another opportunity to enjoy his favorite pastime. Often included in the price of the cruise or hotel stay, kids' cooking classes are featured all over the world. For example, Club Med offers its Petit Chef program where children can learn from top chefs who have experience teaching children simple recipes. Cruises from the Norwegian Cruise Line and the Disney Cruise Line, for example, offer cooking classes to kids on-board. Although not technically free, the classes are typically included in the price of cruise.
Local chefs' organizations also sometimes provide free cooking classes for kids. For example, the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) launched its AJLI Kids in the Kitchen program in 2007, which allows groups of kids to learn directly from a chef. The American Culinary Federation (ACF) offers a similar program called Chef and Child Foundation, which was founded in 1989. With more than 500 chapters combined, you can usually find a cooking class near your little chef.