Cooking offers a great learning experience for young children.

PRESCHOOLERS love to cook. They marvel at the transformation that takes place during cooking. They love the hands-on activities needed to prepare food for the family. They learn by smelling, tasting, touching, looking and listening. They are proud of their skills in cutting, sifting, sorting, spooning, pouring and washing.

Cooking is one activity that parents can do with children as young as two years old. Both boys and girls love cooking as part of the family activity. Food preparation is not only fun for active children, it also opens up a world of learning for them.

During one lesson in our home-schooling group, five children aged three to five gathered around a small tree. After talking about parts of the tree, we plucked some edible leaves and made a salad for our snack. The children happily ate up.

Cooking with vegetables is a wonderful way for children to learn about different parts of the plant which are edible. When your preschooler participates in the cooking activity, he learns from a wide variety of experiences which he can use to develop critical thinking skills and absorb new concepts.

For example, when he observes ingredients change in form and state, he will learn to sort out, analyse and compare the different cooking processes. He also learns problem-solving as he responds to the common dilemma of too much or too little when mixing ingredients together.

Fun for all: Both boys and girls love cooking as part of the family activity.

Children pick up a wide range of vocabulary when they follow recipes. They get to act out action words such as whip, sift, pour, scoop, cut, measure and count. When they try out recipes from other cultures, they get to explore different languages and learn about different ways of life.

Many years ago, when I used to run a children’s daycare programme, we would serve fried rice every Thursday. Every week’s menu for fried rice came from a different country or culture. The children looked forward to listening to the fried rice stories that came from different parts of the world.

It is easy to start cooking with young children. Start with simple recipes that require no-stove cooking or any heating. It is important that children learn hygiene and safety precautions in the kitchen. Be serious in teaching them the rules. Children will abide by the rules when the adults are consistent with the dos and don’ts. Washing hands with soap and water is a must before handling food. Always work in a clean and uncluttered area.

Choose recipes that are age- and development-appropriate. Children enjoy working with ingredients that are interesting and familiar to them. Fruits are great for preschoolers.

Children have short attention spans. They can only cope with quick and specific jobs.

For example, your child can make a delicious fruit cup with grapes, apple and orange cubes. Add a dash of honey and yoghurt to top it off. Another favourite is banana sandwiches. All it takes are two slices of buttered bread and slices of bananas.

Plan ways in which the child can help you. Consider his age first before you give him too many instructions all at once. Two-year-olds like to use their large muscles. They can scrub and wash vegetables. They can wipe tables and arrange the cutlery on the table. They can mix and toss salads.

Three-year-olds can stir and mix batter for pancakes or muffin. They will also enjoy kneading dough. They are good at carrying trays and plates. Four- and five-year-olds have better small muscles control. They can cut with knives, mash potatoes, squeeze oranges and limes, sift flour and even beat eggs with a whisk.

Six-year-olds can work on simple recipes like honey-baked chicken drummets or vegetable omelette. They can follow instructions well and have good hand and feet coordination. They like being independent.

Cleaning up is the other half of the fun. Set out a draining board, sponges and kitchen towels for children to wash, rinse, dry and put away the kitchen utensils. Children learn responsibility when they clean up after themselves. Don’t forget to offer them encouraging words after they have worked hard.

As your child becomes more adept at cooking, your role will change from chef to assistant. You can help with the difficult tasks and introduce new skills and equipment. Once your child has the proper skills for cooking, you can encourage him to practise and do things for himself. Delight in your child’s ability to cook for himself.

Lastly, be prepared for spills and mess. Children who are busy cooking will occasionally have minor accidents. Do not fret over this. The more challenging the tasks in the kitchen, the more children will benefit in terms of concentration, coordination, competence and independence.

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