Another great place to work on language and vocabulary skills is in the kitchen.  Kids love to help out in the kitchen when given the opportunity.  And it's easy to incorporate some language building activities to make the experience fun and secretly educational!

***First and foremost it is important to keep your child safe in the kitchen and teach them the rules they MUST follow if they are going to be your assistant.  Create a work space for your child with kid-friendly utensils away from any hot surfaces.  Provide them with a sturdy stool so that they can be counter height.***

*Include your child in the planning of the meal.  Teach them about the food pyramid and plan a meal that includes all of the food groups.  Creating a colorful dinner plate can help them learn their colors too!

*Have them help you set the table while following directions:  put the plates on the table, give each person one napkin, etc.

*Talk about the function of objects and compare items:  what do we use a bowl for, how are a fork and spoon the same/different?

*Talk about the sequence of steps required to prepare a recipe:  first we crack the eggs, then we stir in the cake mix, last we bake it in the oven.

*Talk about numbers as you measure and stir ingredients.

And lastly keep in mind that cooking with kids is as much about the process as it is the end result.  But you may find when you include your child in the preparation of a meal, they maybe more likely to eat it!  Bon appetit!