Getting kids involved in the kitchen is a recipe for success—from building healthy habits to supporting school smarts. There are so many ways to stay healthy as a family. Daily exercise, play, and practicing mindfulness together are all valuable strategies to help set kids up for a lifetime of good physical, mental and emotional health. So is their relationship with food and cooking. Preparing meals as a family is a great way of slowing down and spending quality time together. It helps to create lasting memories around personal health and fosters the ability to make good food choices in our children. Time in the kitchen also offers the opportunity to practice cultural traditions that build connections to our family histories. Revisiting well-loved recipes while adding in new seasonal ingredients might even open the door to discussions about sustainability, our changing environment, or why your pasta sauce never tastes quite the same as grandma’s.
Need more of a reason to whip up something tasty together? Cooking makes math and science fun. Children of all ages can explore the chemistry of baking, learn about math concepts by slicing up or measuring out ingredients, and get real world insight into how our bodies use food to fuel us.
Learn about how our bodies process sensory information, like flavor and smell, and what foods boost our brain-power with the videos, activities and games below. Then, start crafting your own healthy food routines with some of our favorite PBS KIDS recipes to try at home. Bon appétit!