By Nathalie Roy, Dietitian

As parents, nothing beats spending quality time with our children. Regardless if it is for preparing a meal or just a simple recipe, time spent in the kitchen with your children is time well spent. In addition to teaching them how to cook, you also help teach them about all sorts of important life skills that will last them a lifetime.

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Here are 10 of the skills children learn in the kitchen:

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1. Math skills: when following a recipe, kids learn about numbers, measures, fractions and more.

2. Literacy skills: following a recipe allows children to expand their reading skills and their vocabulary.

3. Science skills: kids learn about chemistry and physics in the kitchen. Show them how bread rises, butter melts, water freezes or boils.

4. Fine motor skills: by preparing and cutting ingredients, they develop their small muscles and improve their dexterity.

5. Gross motor skills: by manipulating ingredients, children can also develop their gross motor skills. They can even get some exercise by kneading dough, whipping cream or beating eggs.

6. Social skills: in the kitchen, children learn about collaborating, cooperating, self-esteem and being responsible.

7. Creative skills: when following a recipe, children can learn how to make it their own by customizing some of its ingredients.

8. Geography: where do the foods you eat come from? Are they local? Do they grow in a different country?  A different continent?

9. Culture: by cooking recipes from different countries, children learn about cultural food differences. Cooking with friends with different cultural backgrounds makes the experience even better and allows children to create cultural connections.

10. Health skills: in the kitchen, children can learn about nutrition and health. They can also learn about the importance of food safety, food handling and cleanliness.

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So, if you are looking for something to do with your children, why not get cooking? Every day is a great day to be cooking in the kitchen with your children.