The culinary awakening of recent years is not leaving anyone behind. It is well known that the TV culture of celebrity chefs and cooking related programming has awakened a surge of interest in cooking. Kids are noticing what’s on their plates and are becoming inquisitive about how to get it there.

It’s never too early to get kids in the kitchen and have them begin learning about cooking along with food and kitchen safety.

This summer marks the 21st summer that a week-long Culinary and Nutrition Camp was held at the Taylor County Extension Office, for youth ages 7-12. The focus this summer was on teaching children to make healthier food choices by giving hands-on cooking lessons, teaching about MyPlate and food groups, learning about food safety, and even touring two local restaurant kitchens and getting to prepare their very own Subway sandwich and Pizza Hut pizza. Youth also go to meet and bet taught by a chef from Keiser University on how to prepare a fruit soup.

Thirty youth benefited from the camp. From learning how to prepare a variety of foods to reading basic measuring cups and spoons. The youth do not even realize they are learning about math, reading and science while in the kitchen, because they are learning by doing through everyday life activities. Cooking lets kids practice basic math skills like counting, weighing, and measuring and estimating with every recipe. Keeping track of cooking times requires kids to put their time reading abilities to the test in a practical way and helps them better understand sequencing. Cooking also teaches science as they discover about liquids and solids and how heat changes the way food looks and tastes.

The kitchen is an excellent place to teach children skills that will last a lifetime, so invite a child to cook with you today!

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