The Science and Bonding of Baking With Kids
Homemade Apple Pie
Do you remember the first time you baked with mom or dad? Do you remember the excitement the first time they let you stir the batter, or the moment you took a bite out of a cookie you formed with your own two little hands? Baking is magical to kids. There’s something special about mixing together simple ingredients and creating something new and delicious. Baking is about more than food. It’s about bonding and creating memories that last a lifetime.
As you know, our theme this week was “apples.” What better way to top off the week than to bake an apple pie together? The kids were so excited about this project and have been talking about it anxiously all week. The big day arrived and, after a few hours of school time, we washed little hands, pulled up some stools, and got out the ingredients. They followed directions well today and there were few messes (hooray!). Derek loved being able to help pour the apple mix into the crust. Alex crimped the crust to perfection and spread the mix while Ethan helped me cut an apple shape into the top crust. The end result was great. The kids were so proud to show off their hard work to daddy this evening and we all enjoyed fresh, homemade apple pie after dinner.
What does baking have to do with learning? A lot, really. Measuring for recipes teaches kids real world math. There isn’t a better way to make fractions relevant than measuring ingredients, at least that I know of. Alex has learned all about fractions in math, and seeing “1/4″ and “1/2″ with her own eyes makes these concepts seem more concrete.
Baking also helps kids practice their organizational skills and following directions. They followed directions when they gathered the proper ingredients and organized them on the counter. They followed directions and practiced patience as we read the recipe and followed one step at a time. Listening skills and team work were also engaged. Precision is important in baking and there aren’t many other places in life where young kids practice precision. For Alex, we also practiced reading comprehension and introduced new vocabulary. There are many words in recipes that we don’t see on a daily basis, like “sift, “egg white,” “baking flour,” etc.
Baking also elicits scientific curiosity. Why exactly do certain ingredients combine to create something great while others do not? What makes biscuits and cake rise? How does heat affect ingredients and cause things to bake?
Kids love baking! They love having jobs and creating things with their own two hands. Kids as young as two can help out by stirring and decorating things with sprinkles. It’s a great time for them to build self-confidence, practice fine motor skills, and learn about math and science. As a parent, I had to learn to let go a bit and realize that things wouldn’t get done exactly how I’d do them myself and accept that messes would be made. This took practice. Today, baking is about learning and bonding. My kids ask to “help” nearly every meal and I try to involve at least one child in the kitchen each time. This can be hard in today’s fast-paced world. Make time for it. Our ancestors bonded over baking and cooking together. These moments may sometimes be frustrating and may often involve a counter and floor sprinkled with flour, but they are the moments memories are made of. There really isn’t a much better way to end a week than with some warm apple pie and a table surrounded by a happy family.
Alex proudly pours in and evens the apple mix
The pie is ready to go in the oven!
