Posted Dec. 1, 2023

Most families spend some time in December baking special treats, often cookies. There is something magical, scientific about adding different ingredients together, applying the right amount of heat for the right length of time. And then the best part, you get to eat your magic or science project.

Although you could get into the details of what each ingredient does (great research for older kids), lets focus on the math. Take a measuring cup and fill it to the 8 oz. line. Pour the water into a tall narrow glass. Fill up the 8 oz. cup again and pour it into a short, fat glass. Ask them which is bigger? You will probably be surprised when they say the tall glass. The concept of volume is still a mystery to most kids. Let them pour out the tall glass and then pour the short fat glass of water into the tall glass. Let them do this as many times as they want. They are learning that volume isn’t the same as height.

The problem with most math teaching is its lack of connection with reality. It’s just symbols on the paper. A teacher will tell the class that 2+3=5. Yep, got it. Ten minutes later she says 3+2=5. Wrong – you said 2+3=5. 3+2 isn’t the same as 2+3. You must be lying to us. See the disconnect from the real world? Put 5 pennies on the table and show all the different combinations that still add up to 5. Now there is a visual reality that can be built upon.

Many kids today can’t cook because moms never worked with them in the kitchen. One son called his mom from college and wanted to know how he could tell if water was boiling. Every recipe is like a science experiment. What happens if I forget an ingredient? How do I make a double batch? What happens if I put the cookie dough in a little pie tin and take each out at 7,8,9,10,11 and 12 minutes? What is the perfect time? If I lower the temperature, what effect does it have?

Eventually even fractions, multiplication and division can be discovered. Put sugar in a teaspoon (the measuring kind) and then pour it in the tablespoon. How many will fit? How many ounces are in a half cup? What is a pint and a quart? The recipe calls for softened butter. What happens if I use cold butter, or melt it? How do mixers not only blend ingredients, but also add air into the mix? How does yeast make bread rise?

This is real learning. Let them have AH-HA moments. Let them say “Now I get it”. It isn’t about the perfect cookie. It’s the journey they will always remember. For the artist in your family, let them go wild designing the most beautiful cookie they can imagine. Do it for even the chocolate chip cookies.

For the older kids, put each one in charge of the evening meal once each week. Let them plan it, request the ingredients to be purchased and try to time everything to be done at the right time. The younger kids can participate by learning how to set the table or how to clean dishes afterwards. Sure, it would probably be easier to do it yourself, but they need to learn these essential life skills. Even when they fail, it’s a teachable moment.

I used to say to people who came to our farm to learn how to garden, you’re allowed to make as many mistakes as you want. You just aren’t allowed to make them twice. Twice means you didn’t learn from your mistake.

I love the kitchen because it is like a science lab with drawers full of amazing ingredients. Encourage your kids to do experiments. Try changing the recipes or ingredients. Some of our all time favorite foods were discovered by accident. And I can’t think of a better way to learn basic math!

That’s what good play is all about.

No directions, nobody telling you that
“you can’t do it that way”.

It’s pure discovery!