The 5 ways that cooking contributes to a child's future

Cooking is often thought of as a play or leisure activity and given little importance in relation to more ‘academic’ subject. However, cooking activities are far from being non-academic and actually cover Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical concepts (S.T.E.M). At Little Genius we believe that cooking can improve your child’s long-term future.

Here are just five of the most important ways it does this:

1) Self-awareness

Learning to cook from scratch clearly enables children to take ownership of feeding their body and will undoubtedly lead to healthier eating habits. In addition to this, cooking is a mindful activity that encourages care, thought, preparation and patience. Cooking encourages little cooks to become self-aware by articulating their ideas and methods confidently.

2) Problem-solving

Cooking requires enormous amounts of problem solving; from working out why something did not bake properly, to calculating the time to complete a task or explaining how you are going to alter your recipe ingredients. Problem solving is involved in all aspects of cooking as there is a a wide range of opportunity for It is the equivalent of conducting a scientific experiment but in the kitchen rather than a lab.

3) Resilience

Cooking promotes resilience, as any cook knows who has burnt the cakes or binned a ‘disaster’. Learning to deal with failure and to bounce to back from it, is a transferable skill that will be need throughout a person’s lifetime. It’s a lesson best learnt at a young age, in a fun, non- pressurised environment.

4) Creativity

Cooking is fun. When a Little Genius is having fun, they are much more likely to be using their imaginations, creativity, and the power to innovation. Thinking of an ingredients list, decorating, or making a menu all require creativity, and the ability to think of ideas. The best chefs in the world can inspire, make bold choices, and explore the unusual.

5) Critical thinking

Creativity and problem solving are critical think skills. The ability to analyse, ask probing questions and to communicate well are similarly all critical thinking skills. Cooking activities encourage self-evaluation, working as a team and having an open, flexible mind set. These are invaluable in a group activity and an absolute asset in a workforce