Cooking With Your Kids Helps Develop Motor Skills for Preschoolers
Did you know that cooking with your kids is a natural way for them to develop motor skills? If you've never looked at cooking that way before, think again. There's a reason why kids have a universal love for cooking - just like for stacking blocks and banging!
Cooking is especially good for preschoolers and here's how:
1. Two year olds are developing large muscles in their arms: They will enjoy stirring and stirring and stirring :-). My two year old is always asking to stir; and her subconscious knows why! At 2 years old, a child naturally imitates circular strokes as part of their normal physical development. So, let them stir at every opportunity.
Here are some ways to encourage arm muscle development through cooking:
- stirring: flour, eggs, pancake batter, gelatin making, etc.
- scrubbing potatoes and vegetables
- cleaning the cutting board: Give them a washcloth and some lukewarm water with the cutting board in the sink. They'll have a blast rubbing the wet washcloth up and down the cutting board to clean it.
- pouring from large measuring cups into a bowl
2. Two year olds are developing the ability to turn pages: Another motor skill developed during the preschool age is the ability to turn pages.
So - just pondering here...is it the story they love so much or just turning the pages of the book? Well, actually both. They need the motor development of turning the pages; and the pictures and vocabulary improve their intellectual development.
3. Two year olds love "patting" and "pressing": From being fascinated with "patty-cake" chants at an early age, preschooler's still love to pat and press.
I'm sure you'll recognize your preschooler doing this at the park: scooping up rocks or sand, piling them up, and patting the top into different shapes.
Well, here's some suggestions to bring the "patting" inside:
- packing down brown sugar in the measuring cup
- gently pressing a fork on top of peanut butter cookie dough on the cookie sheet
- patting to level off the top of a cup of sugar
- patting and pressing on pizza dough
- pressing down with a cookie cutter on rolled sugar cookie dough
4. Two year olds love to dip - and this develops arm muscles skills too!: it takes a lot of coordination to dip! Getting the food in the dip, then moving the arm and somehow getting it into your mouth. If it wasn't difficult, they wouldn't get food all over their face! :-)
So, unless your 2 year old always has a clean face when he or she is done eating, here's some dipping opportunities:
- carrots in salad dressing
- french fries in catsup
- dipping a spoon in the emptied batter bowl to clean out the goodies :-)
- dipping fruit in a fruit dip or chocolate (like frozen bananas or strawberries)
- dipping chicken or fish in a batter for you to cook
- dipping the bread in French toast mix
So, instead of "shooing" your preschoolers and 2 year olds out of the kitchen, let them dive in with these simple tasks that not only give them great pleasure, but help them develop their age appropriate motor skills.
About The Author
Laura Bankston is author of Internationally selling Cooking with Kids Curriculum: "Homeschool Cooking in a Box" and the "Homeschool Cookbook". She currently home schools her three children, maintains home school support websites, and manages their family-owned service business. For information on her curriculum and free home school support services, please visit http://www.homeschoolcookbook.com
Related Articles:
For School Success, Dont Coddle Your Kids
Parents want their children to succeed in school. However, sometimes their best intentions are misguided.
UK Mums and Kids Set To Hit The 'Transfer' Market
Mums, dads and even small children are getting hooked on the latest craze that's been sweeping America - creating 'instant artwork masterpieces that last for generations'.
Teens Attend July 4 Leadership Rally at Jefferson Memorial
More than 900 teen leaders will convene at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC on Friday, July 4, to celebrate our nation's independence and reflect on the importance of leadership among teenagers today. These high school students, who come from across the United States and around the world are attending LeadAmerica youth leadership conferences in Washington.
Exercise: How To Keep Your Kids Moovin and Groovin
One out of five American kids is obese and the numbers keep going up. Lack of exercise is one reason for the obesity epidemic and it's a true epidemic that threatens health.
American Kidney Fund Holds Nationwide Art Contest for Kids with Kidney Disease
Children 18 and under with kidney disease are invited to enter the American Kidney Funds Annual Art Contest.
Mom Entrepreneurs Create Popular Discovery Kids' TV Show -- New Fright-Free Episode of 'Wilbur' Airs for Halloween
Ten years ago, three moms from San Diego were inspired to create a TV show about an adorable calf named Wilbur. Now "Wilbur" airs on Discovery Kids and TLC during the award-winning, commercial free Ready, Set, Learn! block of preschool programming. Wilbur gets kids excited about reading and books, and uses books to solve problems. A special all-new, fright-free Halloween episode airs Oct. 29 on Discovery Kids and Oct. 31 on TLC.
Teens Not Terrorists: Muslim Girls Get a Voice in Muslim Girl Magazine
New glossy contemporary lifestyle magazine targets American Muslim girls.
Putting Off Writing That Novel Until The Kids Are Grown?
If you want to write a novel, but are putting it off until the kids are grown, I have two words for you: Don't wait. It's possible to raise a happy, healthy family and still follow your writing dream. And that's true whether you're single or married. Whether you're a stay-at-home mom or work outside the house.
Take Your Kids on a Video Journey Down Under with 'Families of Australia'
Newest Title in the Award-Winning Families of the World Series Travels to DVD March 6, 2007 from Master Communications
Getting School-Home Balance Just Right -- School Family Media's New Website, SchoolFamily.com, Helps Parents and Kids Overcome School Challenges With
School Family Media, Inc. today announced the launch of SchoolFamily.com, the only website to focus exclusively on school-related issues for parents of Kindergarten ? 8th grade students, providing easy-to-access, reliable content on how to help their children (and their families) make the most of the school year.
Ground-breaking Partnership Offers Greater Long-term Success to Troubled Teens and Families
Educational Consulting Services and Homeward Bound Join Forces to Provide Better Aftercare Treatment to More Families of Struggling Teens
Video Games and Kids - Good or Bad?
Many American children spend a large amount of their time playing video games As a parent, you may be confused as to whether these games are beneficial or not
Love Kids? A Children?s Franchise May Be For You!
Do you consider yourself a ?kid person? whether or not you are a parent? Would you like the idea of a business opportunity or franchise business that involves a product or service that is fun, exciting, and beneficial for young ones? Then take a look at the countless small businesses and home business franchises for sale that provide kid-centered products and services.
ADDING and REPLACING Thirteen/WNET New York Announces GREEN SQUAD, A National Online, On-Air Initiative That Puts Kids at the Forefront of America's
Add Subhead as follows: Multi-Platform Project In Development For PBS.
Remuda Programs for Eating Disorders Launches New Anxiety Disorders Program for Teens and Children
Remuda Programs for Eating Disorders, the nation's leading and largest intensive, inpatient treatment center for women and girls with eating disorders, has launched a new treatment program for teens and girls with anxiety disorders such as OCD, panic disorder and phobias. The minimum stay is 60 days for Remuda's Anxiety Disorders Program. This time in treatment is needed to stop negative behaviors, address critical issues and help patients and their families.