My family loves to cook. It has always been a fun past time we shared. Little did I know how much that little task would help with schoolwork and math practice. My kids are avid readers, but math bores them. I must say they get this trait from me.
So.... I mixed it up a little.
Looking for a fun way to incorporate math, reading, planning, fine motor skills, and more to your routine? Try baking with your kids.
When the worksheets and books aren’t cutting it, or if your kids are like mine and need more concrete application of math to retain it, try working their skills into a baking lesson.
From basic arithmetic to fractions, states of matter to chemical reactions, and fine motor skills, the possibilities of teaching through baking are extensive. Plus, they are learning fun life skills that will help them as they grow.
Try Adding Baking into your Routine for a Tasty Hands-On Homeschool Math Lesson.
Ways to Use Baking for Math Lessons:
1- Addition & Subtraction –
My kids have a hard time interpreting word problems and identifying the key words needed to formulate the solution. To help them with this, I created word problems using the ingredients from our homemade blueberry muffin recipe. I used the ingredients to act as manipulatives to physically enact the problems. For example, if we have 10 blueberries and use 7 in one muffin, how many do you have remaining?
My daughter went from avoiding her math homework to that A-Ha moment in as little as two hands-on examples.
2- Recipe Scaling – Multiplication, Division, Fractions –
Multiplication and division have always been a struggle for my son, who tries to solve equations in his head instead of writing them out on paper. Using a simple recipe, I ask him to tell me what measurements he would need if we cut the recipe in half or if we were to double the recipe. I then started asking him what he would need to do to add one more serving of the recipe, which would require him to increase the amount of each ingredient by 25%.
3- Measurement –
Visually measuring wet and dry ingredients helps to show volume and quantities.
4- Conversion –
We keep a conversion chart magnet on the refrigerator, to help with converting units of measurement while cooking. This being said, using kitchen measuring spoons and cups is a great concrete way to help them relate the topic of converting units to a tangible item. Going from tablespoons to teaspoons, or ounces to gallons, is easier to remember when you can physically see and manipulate the amount of ingredients.
5- Shapes and Colors-
Baking cookies and making frosting can be a fun and creative way to incorporate shapes and mixing colors.
Other Therapeutic Benefits of Baking for Kids:
1 – Bilateral Hand Coordination Practice –
You can incorporate bilateral hand coordination practice through rolling balls of dough in their hands, using a rolling pin, or sifting flour.
2- Hand Eye Coordination –
Using a spoon or ice cream scoop to spoon batter into muffin cups, or pouring ingredients for measurement are two ways to build hand eye coordination.
3- Develop hand strength –
Hand strength and muscles are necessary for so many of life's functions. Whether kids are writing, buttoning clothes, or opening a bottle, hand strength is a crucial part of development. Through squeezing or rolling balls of dough and by squeezing frosting bags to decorate cookies or cup cakes, kids practice building up those muscles.
4- Organization & Planning Skills –
For kids that need practice with executive function skills
, like planning and organizing, baking supports these too. Reading the recipe, making a checklist of ingredients, gathering tools and supplies needed for recipes, and preparing a workplace are all an important parts of baking. Additionally, if cutting cookies the need for spatial perception and planning are boosted as kids need to cut out their cookie shapes.
6- Proprioceptive input –
Applying pressure to roll out dough with a rolling pin, or carrying the weight of a flour container are subtle ways to include proprioceptive input for kids that need a little more sensory in their day.
Lastly and most importantly, having fun while bonding. Kids’ confidence grows with the ability to create and eat a tasty treat.
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