Cooking with kids can be both a play-of-the-day and a fun kindergarten readiness learning activity. Did you know that pitas can be turned into pizzas? If possible, pick up a package of the small pitas, the ones about the size of a bagel, Carefully open them up into 2 flat circles. Kids can help spread the sauce and sprinkle on the toppings. Popped into the oven, these are ready when the cheese is all melted. These are just the right size for small appetites and hungrier kids can have more than one.
The learning part comes in as children are involved in the activity. First, kids learn about being safe in the kitchen. Adult hands use a knife for cutting the pita into 2 circles, but kids can use a plastic one to spread the sauce. There’s always a discussion about what the right order and sequence. Can the toppings go on before the sauce? Does it work to spread the sauce on at the end? Sometimes, there’s even a controversy to solve about when to put on the cheese. Kids can count the number of mushrooms, pepperoni, or pineapple chunks as they go on the pizzas. The pizzas are circles, are there any other circles? Besides safety, sequencing, and lots of talking there is also some basic science. Why does the cheese melt? Heat changes the food. What else happens?
Kids like to feel involved and be part of the process. That includes even the cleaning up which helps with learning that sometimes we need to do things that aren’t as much fun. Of course, the best part is the eating! Do you and your child like to cook together?