5 Engaging Practical Cooking-Themed Activities for Kids

January 2024 Kristine Deworocki

Ever wanted to teach your kids the "practical" hustle and bustle of our everyday lives? Well, maybe not too much bustle, but you know what I mean! That's where practical application comes in! I'm talking practical application activities that focus on using and applying communication skills in real-life or context-based situations. Yes, I said it – real-life situations! Let's get our kiddos ready for the real world and you know me, what better way to do that then through COOKING?!

Why Practical Matters

Our goal, as educators, SLPs, and parents, is to transfer learned skills into practical, functional, and relevant contexts. Bridging the gap between acquiring communication skills and using them effectively in everyday scenarios. Starting these activities at a young age is essential for developing a foundation of confident and adaptable communication, which is especially important for speech and language development. Early exposure to practical communication activities sets the stage for a lifetime of strong interpersonal skills, making it a valuable aspect of speech-language pathology.

Practical Cooking Activities

1.Cooking Art Project:

Let's turn the kitchen into a canvas and get our kids creating. Students get to blend cooking and art by creating food-related artwork. Whether they're sketching, painting, or getting crafty with scenes or dishes, it's a chance to let their creativity unpack. They could create adorable drawings of smiling fruits and veggies having a party on a plate, or perhaps a colorful representation of their favorite dish with playful characters made of ingredients. Afterwords, have them describe their dish or scene to the class. Explaining what each fruit or veggie is and what inspired them to draw or paint it. This mashup not only sparks creativity but also encourages expressive communication and descriptive language.

2. Grocery Shopping:

What kid doesn't love grocery shopping, especially when they get to be the ones in charge? Have students use visual recipe cards to create a shopping list. If you want or need some AMAZING RECIPES that are kid-friendly, be sure to check out my blog that talks all about them here! But once you have your cards, students can identify and select the necessary ingredients when grocery shopping at a real or "pretend store." You can even turn this into a "game" where students have a budget and a shopping list, giving them even more practical life skills – BUDGETING! (Moms thank me later.) They will need to select items in a pretend grocery store or from visual aids based on the recipe. This fun activity not only makes grocery shopping exciting but also teaches our kiddos some useful life skills.

3. Create a Menu

Have students design their own restaurant menus. Give them the leeway to be any restaurant they want and let their imagination run wild. They can choose a cuisine, create visual or written menus, and describe the dishes. This activity supports creativity, menu planning, and persuasive communication as they try to entice "customers" with their menu items. Additionally, it offers us another outlook on our students and what type of food they really like. I, for one, think food is a great way to get to know a person.

In terms of persuasive communication, students can amp up the appeal of their dishes by using convincing language that paints a vivid picture for potential diners. For instance, a student might describe a tempting dessert as a "heavenly chocolate dessert that melts in your mouth" or a flavorful main course as "an explosion of tastes." This not only showcases their creativity but also hones their knack for influencing and persuading others, which is a handy skill in various aspects of life.

4. Restaurant Role-Play:

Have your students engage in a restaurant scenario where they step into diverse roles – chefs, servers, and customers – mimicking the dynamics of a real dining experience. At their favorite restaurant of course, have your kids role-play with visual recipes in hand, where they bring authenticity to the scenario by practicing ordering, asking questions, and describing dishes based on the visual cues. For instance, a "customer" might inquire about the ingredients in a dish, while the "server" responds. Alternatively, without visual recipes, they can rely on their imagination to create and describe dishes. This interactive activity enhances their communication skills and adds a fun touch to the learning experience.

5. Food Tasting:

Organize a food-tasting session where students sample a variety of foods. For example, an apple food tasting where you have different types of apples or just fruits in general. You could also do a "color theme" for food tasting....for example, yellow foods and have them taste test Bananas, pineapple, yellow peppers, etc. They can discuss the flavors of each food as part of their tasting experience. Another exciting twist could be a "Texture Challenge" where students explore and compare the textures of foods like crunchy apples, smooth yogurt, and crispy crackers. This sensory-rich activity not only introduces them to diverse tastes but also encourages descriptive discussions about the textures they encounter. The possibilities are endless, making food tasting a delightful and educational journey for young taste buds.

Visual Recipes

Need recommendations on Visual Recipes? Check out my "Cooking & Craft Visual Recipe Pack-Edition 2! Here, you'll find endless options for your kids to choose from. Additionally, enjoy the array of delicious desserts, snacks, and bites for your customers (pretend) to order! Your kids will love the 30 options; they might just want to grocery shop the Mini Bagel Pizzas for the Italian restaurant night at home! With these visual recipes, all including visuals for their grocery shopping and role-play, these recipes are kid-friendly and include simple steps if you decide to actually bake or cook the food beforehand!

Click Here for your Cooking & Craft Recipes

So, why not have your students give these activities a go and embark on something that not only guides them toward a future with capabilities to shine but also lets them have a ton of fun in the process? Get the good times going!