Kitchen Learning in Your Homeschool
Welcome to day one of the Teaching Creatively blog hop with the Schoolhouse Review Crew! Homeschooling allows us freedom to teach our children in ways different from a brick-and-mortar school and customize them for their learning styles. Today’s focus is on schooling in the kitchen, or as I look at it ‘kitchen learning!’
What is Kitchen Learning?
For me, this can be anything that has you headed into the kitchen for learning.
It could be a messy science experiment or part of your ‘life skills’ teaching the kids how to cook.
Basically, anything that has you going into the kitchen to learn.
Ways that We Implement Kitchen Learning
First off, when we’ve had a science experiment that could create a mess, the kitchen is the preferred room for us. Those spills are just a tad easier to clean up when there’s tile on the floor compared to the carpet in our ‘schoolroom.’
Most of those messy science experiments are ones that have the boys studying chemistry.
Even though the mess is easier to clean up in the kitchen, I always remind the boys to look at what chemicals they might be using and whether they need special disposal procedures.
Last year, P spent a week doing tons of experiments to cover the chemistry component of physical science. Some had substances that would stain carpeting and there were a few that required an open flame.
The other learning which happens ALL the time in our house is centered around baking or cooking.
I firmly believe that all the boys should leave this house as young adults with a moderate repertoire of dishes they can prepare.
Plus, you can incorporate math skills (especially when doubling or tripling a recipe) or chemistry (baking.)
When they are younger, their learning cooking skills center around chopping or other prep work with the food more than the actual cooking.
It is more about trying to engage them in healthy cooking than about doing all of the work.
Although, when we’ve made cookies they can help with all the steps including scooping dough with just the placement of the cookie sheet in the oven left to a parent or older sibling.
As they’ve gotten older, the boys have taken on planning and cooking an entire meal for the family. Some things they’ve learned from observation (like making spaghetti with a meat sauce) and other things are learned by following a recipe (e.g. P’s cornbread which he’s tweaked from How to Cook Everything’s base recipe.)
How do YOU incorporate kitchen learning in your home?
Don’t forget to visit others on the blog hop!
I have to say-when ever I visit your blog-I am always impressed at what you teach in home school environment. Living all my life in New York City, now Long Island, the concept is not familar at all to me. I’ve learned so much reading your blog. Kudos to you and what a rich education you are giving your family. Thanks for sharing
Thanks, Kathleen! Homeschooling is becoming more popular every day as people see the traditional environment not fitting their child’s needs. There are days when I wonder if the boys would learn ‘more stuff’ in a school. But, how to live and work with multiple ages is something they would not learn in that environment. Now if only it meant they’d become each other’s best friends and there’s be harmony in the house…
I completely agree with you that boys (and girls) should both know that when they’re ready to fly. So important!
Love this! such a great way to incorporate some lessons!
Kas
I think that’s wonderful that your kids are so comfortable in the kitchen. My boys help with baking and things like making our own pizza, but I definitely would love to get them more involved.
Robin,
Pizza is a favorite with my boys, too. Although, they only like to do the toppings at this point and leave the crust up to me.
The kitchen is our favorite place for math for some reason. It is funny how we use different rooms for different subjects!
I wonder if my math avoiders would do more in the kitchen, Anne. They do tend to migrate around the house for different subjects, too.
I find having the kids in the kitchen with me not only makes them more interested in learning how to do something but also will give them the courage to try new things they might not have tried had I just put it in front of them.
Danielle,
That’s a good point! My boys enjoy making familiar favorites, but also like to experiment a bit.
I totally agree – cooking and baking are great ways for kids to learn. It’s a great lesson for the girls when we are doubling a recipe.
After penning this post, I decided to put the boys to work in the kitchen this afternoon. They are making dishes from a book I will be reviewing this Friday. Just had one of the blueberry muffins my teen made with my super late lunch and now the older boys are making a sauce for cooking the pork roast for dinner. (Someone didn’t read instructions and it might be interesting….)
The kitchen is the best place to learn in the whole house! Cooking you can do together, life skills, and great conversations to be had.
With my youngest, Rachel age 5 school is in the kitchen. I can teach her so much reading, writing, math, science, social studies,health even forign language just by cooking. She’s my kinthiestic learner so all of the action while she’s learning is great for her. My other daughters Hailee age 14 and Brenda age 15 are visual learners love the independent style of their curriculum. Teaching my big girls how to cook is a life skill they will need in only a few years. They each cook dinner one night a week. When they were younger I did the same thing with them that I am doing with Rachel.
Teyah,
How to you incorporate a foreign language into learning while cooking?
We love kitchen learning too! My boys actually love to cook- nice hearty healthy meals. And some sweets. 🙂 ~Laurie (also from “Keeping it Simple”)
Laurie, the boys would make desserts any day of the week. However, I’ve found they take pride in making dinner for the family.