When Kids Cook Real Food, They Improve Their Creativity
I love listening to Leah talk about making up her own recipe for dinner with her brother, Paul.
That’s exactly what we try to foster when we build over 30 basic skills with the goal of empowering kids to be able to make any recipe they come across.
And most days, they are a joy to listen to in the kitchen as they teamwork and banter playfully with each other.
One time, they booted me from the kitchen and said they wanted to make their OWN video for our series, The Healthy Parenting Connector, showing you all how they make grain-free homemade pizza.
I’d say they’re pretty creative!
It’s kind of long, so you might want to save it for later in YouTube – watch it with your kids!
How we Build Creativity at Kids Cook Real Food
INNOVATION
Kids really enjoy learning about how herbs and spices work and are challenged to try their own variations to recipes and even create their own (which actually work because they’ve built skills).
RISK TAKING
Research shows kids learn best when they’re allowed to try something with inherent risk and learn from failure. What better place to let them use dangerous tools than under your watchful eye in the kitchen (after our practical and memorable training of course)! Plus, failures can often be redeemed with food, and there’s always another chance to practice at the very next meal!
SCREEN ANTIDOTE
Enhancing CREATIVITY in the kitchen allows kids to spread their wings in art, drama, and imaginary play, gives parents inspiration to encourage other growth in their children, and allows us all to make failures into victories. I truly believe it’s the digital dementia antidote, the solution to too-many-screens that we’re all looking for.
RENEWED PASSION
Parents find themselves enjoying their time in the kitchen with their kids more, PLUS because so much time can be saved with kitchen responsibilities are shared, you may even have a little extra brain power to be a more creative parent or person (or get a relaxing bath!).
I liked the focus on being creative – this is what will keep our children interested in cooking. I find following recipes can be tedious, so I need to be creative to keep myself motivated, and to encourage this from an early age is fantastic.
Kids Cook Real Food mom
My kids have been on a cooking spree this week! They even created a dish this morning that I was very dubious about but I didn’t say anything and let them have at it – and it was surprisingly good: a breakfast bowl with sausage, sourdough bread, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries and maple syrup. I know, bizarre, right?! 😉
Tonight they made your hamburger helper, and they did the whole thing from start to finish. So good!
Christie Winkler
…and we find that something else powerful happens when families come together around healthy food…
Find out what on the next page!