Memory Making with Holiday Baking

There are few greater childhood memories made than spending time together in the kitchen, baking chocolate chip cookies, gingerbread, and other spiced holiday treats. But there are many other reasons to encourage your kids to join in on the baking festivities, especially while they are away from the classroom on holiday break.

Building Math and Vocabulary Skills: What better way to work on fractions than cutting a sauce recipe in half? Real-world, applicable math problems help kids not only learn the concepts, but also to see how math can help them in everyday life. In addition, cooking is a sensory experience which opens up the opportunity to learn a wealth of new vocabulary. Your kids will be motivated to find just the right terms to describe something that is savory, tangy, or contains that elusive umami flavor.

Cooking is Science! There are endless ways to incorporate scientific concepts into your cooking projects. Make it simpler by utilizing free resources on the web to help you continue learning at home, all while creating something delicious that the whole family can enjoy. One of our favorite projects is adding tonic water to jello since the quinine causes it to glow in the dark!

Bond by Creating a Shared Family Ritual: Cooking together is quality time, period. Your kids will be learning and growing, no matter what stage of development they are in, and the richness of this experience will imprint lasting positive memories. Even if you are a busy parent, and can only schedule this once a week, it is sure to improve your closeness as a family unit. Don't forget to document the fun by taking pictures throughout the cooking process and of course, of the finished product!

Passing Down Family Recipes: One of the best ways to connect the past and the present is through shared family recipes. They give us a sense of identity through a connection to our heritage. As you start cooking with your children, you may want to preserve past familial traditions, while creating new ones of your own. Handwritten family recipes should be digitized and stored in your photo management system, as these can be a really special contribution to your family archive. You can also create meaningful photo books with images, stories, and family recipes to share with the whole family. If you find that your family recipes are spread out across digital platforms, stuffed in boxes, or just lost to disorganization, you may want to consider hiring a pro to help you digitize and sort them out so you can get cooking!

Wishing you a season of happy holiday baking and of course, memory making!