We all love eating out at restaurants and getting a break from the kitchen. However, cooking and baking are essential parts of life for the majority of the population. Yet many people go well into their young adulthood without learning to cook, leaving them to fend for themselves and to learn on their own.
Many young adults aren’t interested in cooking, but what if they could have been motivated at a younger age? Often children and young teens want to help in the kitchen but are pushed aside, which prohibits them from learning a valuable life skill.
This is more than just cooking; it’s about math too. Kids could be learning math through different types of measurements used in the kitchen on a daily basis. If they’re taught from a young age about cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, etc., it will help them better understand fractions later. This will give them an advantage in math classes.
Math in the kitchen is all-inclusive. It covers multiplication, division, subtraction, and addition, as well as time management. If you’ll take the time to let your learner help you in the kitchen, even if it’s just for 10 minutes of your day, you’re setting them up for success in life.
This winter break, try this simple sugar cookie recipe with your learners to get them practicing their math skills!
Ingredients
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Stir flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in a small bowl.
- Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in flour mixture. Roll dough into balls and place 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets briefly before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.