3 Ways to Cook with Math this Fall

Somehow Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, we are well into the school year and the holidays are not far now! Which for me as both a parent and educator means busy. School is busy and life is busy during this time of the year, so it got me thinking about how to adjust learning for this season.

Because the truth is, parents don't always have the time to make a seasonal sensory table or set up a cute craft. Sometimes we do and that's great, but sometimes there is just no time. Now that my son is getting older and is officially a toddler, we spend a lot of time trying new activities. But to be honest, his favorite activity is being in the toddler tower at the counter while I cook. He loves to watch the mixer, see what's going in the bowl, check on the pans from afar and remind me that all of the kitchen gadgets are "hot". So, this week's post is inspired by my little buddy and sous chef :)

This time of year is great for practicing math and science skills with little ones. All of the measuring, mixing, cooking, baking teaches them about their world. But how?

1. Sorting: simple wet and dry ingredients is a great start! Practice talking about what's needed for the recipe and have your child sort out what goes in the wet group and what goes in the dry group.

2. Counting: Count number of eggs needed, how many scoops or cups of flour, etc. This helps develop your child's 1:1 correspondence (realizing that one number represents one object).

3. Estimation: It's apple and sweet potato season! Have your child examine foods like these and then feel them to estimate which is heavier or lighter. Or, practice estimating how many apples can fit in a bowl, which container has more candies, etc.

These are easy and fun ways to incorporate STEM skills into your to-do list and to connect with your child. Children at this age love to be involved and adding a little learning in definitely doesn't hurt!