Your child's learning and developmental skills can be greatly enhanced by utilising everyday situations as they arise in the home environment. In this article we will talk about the way COOKING can be used to promote learning in a fun and non-threatening way.

Firstly, your child's READING can be encouraged by showing them the recipe and reading it out to them step by step as you go. This will illustrate that reading has a very useful role in our lives. You can point to the words in the recipe and explain that the words tell you what to get and how to make the cake. If you label some canisters, you can show them the words for flour and sugar etc. and explain that "brown sugar" has 2 words while "sugar" is only 1 word.

The LANGUAGE of your child can be expanded as you cook by discussing the many terms that you are using - measuring/filling/pouring/stirring/mixing/spreading/greasing/baking.

You can also discuss the different ingredients and why, for example, you put the flour in first. You can increase their decision making by asking them questions about what colour icing they would like or should we have plain scones or ones with fruit in them.   

Your child's CO-ORDINATION can be aided by allowing them to crack the eggs, stir the ingredients, hold the bowl with one hand while stirring with the other, spoon out portions into patty pans, help pour the mixture into a pan, spread the icing and shake on the sprinkles.

There are also endless MATHS concepts to learn as you cook.

• Count the number of spoonfuls as they are put into the bowl.
• Count the number of muffin holes in the tin.
• Count the candles/decorations as they are put on the cake.
• Sort vegetables and fruit by colour and shapes. See our range of wooden fruit and vegetables here.
• Discuss the terms full or half full.
• Allow them to hear fraction terms ½, ¼, ¾ and see the relative sizes in the measuring cups or by cutting fruit in half.
• Choose the right sized cake tin-small/middle sized/large.
• Ingredients from the fridge are cold/ cooked cakes are hot. Allow them to feel the difference.
• Set the timer and discuss how long before it buzzes.
• Match lids to a variety of different sized bowls or pots.
• Arrange measuring spoons/cups and bowls from smallest to largest.
• Place 1 spoon in each bowl or 1 plate on each placemat or 1 cup on each saucer to help develop 1 to 1 matching which is a pre-requisite for counting objects accurately.

And, finally, the IMAGINATION of your child can be encouraged by using play cooking equipment and utensils, which allow them to mimic and play out everyday kitchen and cooking scenarios. Try our Wonderworld Kitchen Centre for make believe fun, the Plan Toys Fruit & Vege to use/cook in the kitchen, as well as the Plan Toys Tea Set for pretend tea parties.

Be aware of always looking for ways in everyday activities and play situations to develop your child's learning in the most natural and fun way as possible. By continually introducing them to new word, concepts and experiences their overall development will be greatly enhanced.

This article was written by the Wooden Toy Store Team. Please feel free to use it in it's entirety with the inclusion of the Wooden Toy Store as the author and a link to www.woodentoystore.co.nz