Welcome to 10 Days of Simple Homeschool. For the next two weeks, I will be posting about all things simple in homeschooling. 10 Days of Simple Homeschool is about going back to the basics. Too often we tend to complicate our purpose by trying to do too much. Homeschooling can be very effective when we go back to the basics and let our everyday life be our classroom and learn by doing.
Simplifying Homeschool is dear to my heart-getting rid of all of the distractions that keep us from our purpose and from putting God first in all!
Some posts will be practical ideas, some will focus on our hearts, but all will be focused on keeping it simple.
Today we are talking about using cooking to teach. It is a life skill that teaches so much more than cooking.
Remember when you had a toddler and couldn’t wait to get them a little play kitchen? I remember when my first born was two years old and we bought her a darling little wooden kitchen. Oh how I loved it. I pictured her spending her days pretending to cook like mommy.
Not long after though, she started clinging to my apron wanting to be in my kitchen.
“Oh no honey…go play in your kitchen.”
Looking back I realize how much money would have been saved had I just let her in my kitchen in the first place.
Eventually I got her her own child size apron and even a set of cooking utensils that were hers. When I was in the kitchen cooking there were many tasks she could help with. First was stirring. Virtually any toddler can do that. And they love feeling useful.
Next would be helping me scrub veggies, or pour ingredients. Eventually it would lead to measuring and chopping. Always being part of the process was so important. Even if the job wasn’t done right, she was learning about cooking, science, math, and bonding with mom. Sometimes I let her make a mistake without interfering, so she could see how important it is in cooking to make the recipe exact-it is science in action.
Now that my little girl is eleven she is capable of doing it all. She can read the recipe and make it by herself. This now leads to planning a meal or even grovery shopping for a week’s worth of meals. Currently she makes lunch for us twice per week!
My sons also love to help in the kitchen. They never did use that play kitchen.
Cooking is a real life school learned best in real life-the kitchen. It incorporates direction following, science, math, and planning.
So get your kids in the kitchen. It is truly a classroom in itself and a simple way to learn.
The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects. Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. And of course, click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts from these homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network. You’ll be blessed with tips on how to handle bad days, cultivating curiosity, teaching with Legos, and much much more!
Also, Simply Homeschool was #1 this week at Amazon.com for Homeschooling books. I am humbled that so many people are be being blessed by it.
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