What Kids Learn From Baking: From Seed to Sandwich

Bread is fundamental. It is the most basic food in many cultures, in Morocco if bread falls on the floor it’s snatched back up and kissed to extreme. The lack of bread contributed to the French Revolution. During lockdown, and as we head back into more regional lockdowns, many parents have seen baking as not only a way of keeping kids entertained, but also as a teaching aid, as they were catapulted into the role of teacher. For me, baking goes beyond just baking a loaf of bread. I use it to connect with the people I love, especially with children. Baking can help them develop new skills, become more independent and arms them with the skills to deal with today’s modern world. I have highlighted below what I believe are just some of the skills kids can learn from baking. 

1. It helps build maths skills, something I never struggled with, the same couldn’t be said for reading, as it was only much later, I discovered that I was dyslexic. I owe a lot of my natural mathematic abilities to starting to bake early. Kids can learn all kinds of mathematical concepts while baking from counting to fractions, measuring, and more.
2. It gives them a whole new vocabulary, for example, words like beat, whisk, fold, prove, and sift are important words to know when cooking, but may need some explanation (and demonstration!)
3. It teaches them science from baking temperatures (how we use degrees) and chemistry like how baking soda is used to help make breads and biscuits rise. 
4. It helps improve reading skills as they learn how to follow the steps of a recipe and that helps them to understand how to read directions later in life. Baking recipes usually require attention to detail that helps improve reading comprehension, as well. 
5. Baking gets kids into the kitchen, creating something that they can enjoy! It’s a great way to get boys interested in baking and cooking. It builds self-esteem by giving kids the skills they need to feed and look after themselves as they grow.
6. Its build social skills and connects them with their family. I have very fond memories of baking in the kitchen with my grandmother or watching my mother burn a lot of cakes. Socially, it’s a great way to show they are they are grateful to others when they bring in a homemade cake to school, or in friendship, sharing a biscuit baked by their best mate. 

These skills are really important, but it also teaches kids about the food we eat, where it comes from, and about food waste and sustainability– something I was never taught.  As part of our commitment to our customers, friends, and the nation as a whole, we want to help educate and, at same time, entertain your children in alternative ways. So, we have created a short video with top tips to help you get your kids involved in baking.