Boys Learning to Cook in the Kitchen
Cooking with boys is so much fun. They are such nice kitchen companions. Getting boys learning to cook in the kitchen is a great way to connect with your boys and for them to learn some important life skills at the same time.
I write about boys’ learning and enjoy sharing resources that help people raise boys who love to learn. Cooking is a really good way to get boys learning something of value.
They can get so much out of just hanging out in the kitchen with you. Give them tasks that are appropriate to their age and keep them interested by making things that they will really enjoy eating.
What Boys Learn:
- Measuring, dividing, weighing, fractions, and reading temperatures
- How to use different kitchen tools and small appliances, as well as the stovetop and oven
- Nutrition, serving sizes, calories, and how to interpret labels
- How to read a recipe, and follow directions
- Observing, predicting, testing and much more
Boys’ Learning to Cook in the Kitchen ~ Fun Food:
One thing I really love about cooking with boys is that they are very creative. Try these easy to make fun food snacks for starters. Snacks are a nice way to get boys cooking as they are quick, easy, and fun to make.
Be sure to check out Shari’s wonderful collection: 15 Recipes for Teaching Kids to Cook as well. My favorite ideas from Shari are the pie crust tarts (we are definitely making these!) and the homemade bagel pizzas.
I love the rocket ship lunch from Creative Kid Snacks. What boy wouldn’t enjoy making this one! They also have a very neat camping lunch with a campfire made of carrots.
Hard boiled eggs are a good thing to try. Make these little chicks after he learns how to boil the eggs and get the shells off.
This simple, and oh so cute, sledding penguins snack is easy for boys of all ages to make. Make frozen bananas into penguins by dipping them in chocolate.
If you want to get your boy in the kitchen with you, offer to make a treat with him. These polar bear cupcakes from Coffee Cups and Crayons are easy and quite impressive!
One way to entice your little guys also is with some fun experiments with food in the kitchen! Here are some great books they may enjoy to choose from!
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Science Experiments You Can Eat: Revised Edition
Cookbook for Boys (Usborne Cookbooks)Boys Can Cook Too!: An Inspirational Cookbook forLittle Dudes Easy Bake Oven Recipes: 64 Easy
Take a moment to check out my Fun Food for Boys Pinterest Board with your boys for more ideas!
Here are some neat things to get for boys so they can feel part of the kitchen experience.
Boys will get super excited about cooking if you can give them the whole experience! So a chefs apron and hat are the perfect pair for up and coming chefs!
Having smaller utensils that young hands can manage is the perfect thing to get those boys cooking!
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Curious Chef 30-Piece Chef Caddy Collection
Let’s get those boys into the kitchen. If they are involved in the decision making, shopping and serving too . . . all the better!
Chefskin Small White Kid Children Chef Set (Apron+hat)
Boys’ Learning to Cook in the Kitchen ~ Cooking
Another way to get boys in the kitchen is to have them help with meal prep. The following recipes are easy to make, delicious, and allow boys to learn much more than with the simple snacks above.
Marie from Child Led Life shares a wonderful pumpkin soup recipe. I like this recipe because you start with a whole pumpkin. I really think boys can learn a lot from this one experience alone.
In Marie’s Montessori Kitchen: Our Children Love to Cook post she shares a book recommendation and good ways to accommodate young kids in the kitchen.
Anna from In the Playroom cooks with her boys often and shares two wonderfully easy recipes that are sure to be hits. A biscuit recipe, and a puff pastry pizza recipe. With each new recipe boys learn different things. They have a lot of fun cooking as a family.
Kate from Picklebums has a wonderful apple bread recipe that boys are sure to enjoy making, and eating!
For dessert, have your boy make chocolate mug pudding, another winner from Picklebums, for the whole family. They are a super easy 3-ingredient delight. I’m sure he will love to present these yummy looking treats to everyone and say “I made this all by myself . . . just for you.”
Boys can really get a lot out of cooking with you. Yes, it takes some extra time and effort but it is so worth it. You are creating more that food to fill their tummies, you are giving them the opportunity to learn to cook, the joy of making food for others, and more importantly, you are creating lasting memories. I call that Boys’ Learning at its best!
Do you cook with your boys? What do they like to make?
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Wow. It’s a wonderful article. It’s has more useful information for boys. It teaches boys about kitchen. I like this post. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Edna! I’m happy you found it useful! Have a great day!
Wonderful article. It’s have many useful ideas. It will help the boys . Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Jimmy! Glad it was helpful 🙂
SO important for boys to build kitchen skills and get comfortable in the kitchen. Awesome post — can’t wait to try those penguin bananas!
Thank you Jennifer,
That means a lot coming from you. I agree it is important for boys to feel comfortable in the kitchen and like how you put that. They should do more than just gain skills in the kitchen, they should be comfortable and enjoy working there.
The penguin bananas are adorable. My little guy is really into penguins right now. He loves helping out in the kitchen, especially when it involves mixing! Sometimes he helps by making music with wooden spoons and pots and pans. 😉
Hi Donella,
I am fond of penguins myself 🙂 So nice to hear about your little boy in the kitchen–love the music making idea 🙂 Popping over to check out your bark recipes–I am a big fan of the oh so easy–and yummy–bark!
I am so excited to see out son Samuel featured in this post! Samuel adores being in the kitchen and he has learned so much there. I’m happy to share this. 🙂
Marie,
Thanks so much for letting me include your articles (and pics of Samuel) in the post. I love that he enjoys cooking so much and that you give him plenty of opportunities to learn in the kitchen.
Nice post! My son is 9 and has been helping in the kitchen since he was a toddler. He especially likes stirring dry ingredients into wet pretending the mixing bowl is a construction site. My favorite is when he comes up with an idea for a meal we have never had before, and it turns out to be tasty! Here’s one: Bean Wraps with Smoked Gouda and Pineapple.
It’s so important to let boys learn kitchen skills instead of keeping them out because “that’s for girls”! My father was not allowed to cook as a boy, so between college and marriage he had to live in a boarding house where meals were included because he literally could not take care of himself. In his fifties he finally learned to cook things that have instructions on the package, and more recently he has taken up making pies with homemade crust and a few other things that interest him.
So nice that your son is comfortable in the kitchen. That is certainly something that will come in handy for him as he grows.
My young grandsons also like to cook. Great ideas here. Thanks for sharing!
That’s awesome Nancy! I bet they love to cook with you! Great memories you are creating..thank you for stopping buy! Blessings!
Thanks for the comment Nancy 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the post. It is so nice to hear that your grandsons like to cook. I agree with Shari, that will make for some very nice memories. I fondly remember baking cookies with my grandma.
Shari,
A note to thank you for allowing me to post on your site. I enjoyed writing the article on boys’ learning. I hope your readers like it.
You are so sweet Sheila! It’s an EXCELLENT post! My daughter saw it on my facebook page and hopped over to read it and got some great ideas for her sons! 😀 Thank YOU! Have a blessed week!
Thanks Shari 🙂
I am happy to hear your daughter read the post and got good ideas from it. That means a lot.
Yes, she is a new SAHM..been a working outside the home Mom and she is looking for fun things to do with her kids!
My boys love to cook! For a long time my big boy wanted to be a chef when he grew up… he’s unsure about that now that he is seven, but he still loves to cook!
Hi Kate,
Thanks for the comment on the post. Great to hear that your boys love to cook. I am sure other boys are going to enjoy your great recipes! Thanks for letting me share them.
Sheila