3 Surprising Benefits of Kitchen Science Experiments for Kids

Chances are, you’ve got at least one favorite food-based memory from childhood: biting into a freshly baked cookie, slurping a treat from the ice cream truck or going to Grandma’s house for her famous roast chicken.

Food can be a powerful trigger for memories and emotions in childhood, both gratifying and not-so-great (I’m looking at you, microwaved Brussels sprouts). 

But what’s even more powerful is that when kids help prepare their food before partaking in it — even in the context of kitchen science experiments — they’ll come away with loads more than full tummies. They’ll also gain valuable skills to guide them through their school years and beyond.

Encourage experimentation to maximize learning

As you know, science and cooking go hand in hand. When your child reads a recipe, measures liquids, chops ingredients and observes how foods change with heat, they practice essential skills like math, chemistry, biology, reading and motor development, just to name a few. 

But what if your kid isn’t interested in cooking? Can they still reap these benefits? Yes, chef — by turning your kitchen into a home science lab! Kitchen science experiments are a fun and easy way for kids to learn skills and make healthy choices about food. You can:

• Pour heavy cream into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake, shake, shake till you have butter. 
• Create edible science experiments by changing the kind or amount of ingredients in a recipe to see how it affects the end result. 
• Turn meal-making into a “reality show” challenge, tuning into kids’ love of games and competition
• Find a kitchen science experiments cookbook and let your kid go wild.

Kitchen experimentation not only boosts school skills, it also emphasizes practices like observation, hypothesizing and drawing conclusions, which help kids become better decision-makers.

Kitchen science experiments are a fun and easy way for kids to learn skills and make healthy choices about food.

Expand culinary tastes and spark global curiosity

“Mad” kitchen science is also great for encouraging choosy eaters to try something new. Let your child pick a few unique recipes or food experiments to try together, and witness a culinary transformation. 

• Encourage your child to try new and different ingredients. How do they taste individually? Do the tastes change once the ingredients are cooked? 
• Create scientific food experiments, such as an Edible Exploding Volcano or a Grape and Cheese Tower, that you can test – and taste! – along the way.
• As your child becomes more adventurous, introduce global ingredients and flavors, sparking awareness of and curiosity about other countries and cultures.

Preparing recipes and creating unique dishes helps kids gain nutrition knowledge and feel pride in their accomplishments. This, in turn, creates healthy dietary habits and increases kids’ willingness to try more foods.

Build family and social bonds

Some of the biggest benefits of sharing science and cooking with your child may not have anything to do with food, at all.

• Preparing and experimenting with food provides the perfect opportunity for side-by-side (rather than face-to-face) conversations, which may feel less intimidating to kids. This unplugged, distraction-free together time helps you engage on a deeper level, creating strong connections and lasting memories.
• Sharing family recipes and traditions in the kitchen can bridge generations and help children feel a sense of belonging. Cooking a special dish or partaking in a cultural or religious custom together strengthens family identity and an appreciation for family heritage.
• Collaborating when cooking and experimenting builds strong social skills that benefit kids outside the family setting. They’ll learn the importance of communication, problem solving and time management as they work to achieve a common goal.

Cooking (and learning) doesn’t have to be a meal-making “chore.” Instead, kitchen science activities can be creative, giggle-inducing, learning-rich boredom busters that you and your child will savor in the moment and remember for years to come.

Find instructions for Edible Exploding Volcanoes, Grape and Cheese Towers, and dozens more customizable kitchen science experiments in The Ultimate Science Cookbook for Kids – developed by the childhood editors at Highlights.