I did not officially learn to cook until I was an adult, not living with my parents anymore. I would say I’m still learning to cook. Now, seeing cooking shows and classes to teach children how to cook amaze and inspire me to ensure that my children learn basic culinary skills. Teaching the kids how to cook has several benefits:
- It reinforces reading skills when looking at the recipes
- Math skills- measurement
- Following directions
- Independence
- Survival skills
- Creativity
And I half joke about this one: One day they may cook better than I do, and they can prepare dinner for our family. 🙂
Whenever we bake or cook, I try to involve them in whatever steps are appropriate for them. But it is not always easy (Especially with the 3 kids). Sometimes it is easiest to do things on my own, but how often does that happen? And they will not learn if they are not involved at all. They will then be in the same shoes as I was in when I first moved out and had no clue what to do in the kitchen, aside from warming up Ramen noodles.
This year, I discovered Raddish Kids subscription box which includes recipes and culinary activities to do together as a family. Our first box came with three recipe cards, an apron, an iron-on patch, shopping list, a skill card, a cooking tool (related to the skill needed for one or more of the recipes included), “table talk” cards, and an activity to have at the table. Everything was so clear, simple to follow, and very kid-friendly! The recipe cards were plastic, not paper, which actually was a perk because the kids accidentally spilled some batter, so it was just a quick wipe to fix the situation. Each month there is a different theme so there are new recipes, and activities.
The theme of our box was cafe style meals:
- Gourmet grilled cheese sandwich
- Hearty Minestrone Soup
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Recipe to make drinks as a cafe barista
It included a spatula (perfect for flipping the sandwich, and for scooping up the cookies.
With minimal help, the kids were able to follow the recipe cards (which included simple directions and pictures for each step). They were delighted to prepare and cook most of the three recipes included. My eldest exclaimed, “I’m like a real chef!”
Raddish Kids definitely lives up to its name: Rad ..dish (Get it? Rad=awesome). I thought that was cute.
For more information, or to subscribe to their boxes, you can go to their site: http://www.raddishkids.com/
After using one box, my kids already know more about cooking than I did as a child, so hopefully we are on the right track for them to one day be the cooks of our house. 😉
(To see more of our experience with Raddish Kids, check out my kids’ video review by clicking below:
