Cooking is one of the most delicious ways to learn and the activity is perfect for kids. When children cook, they build literacy skills by reading recipes and math skills by measuring ingredients, and since cooking and baking are chemistry, they also discover science in action.

Hands-on activities such as cooking reinforce knowledge and make sure it sticks to kids’ brains. The more senses a person engages, the more ways they can connect to that information. So every time a person smells a particular food, the memory of how the food tasted, how the ingredients felt squished between their hands and the knowledge they gained from that experience flood back. Not only are kids learning meaningfully, but you are also creating memories with them.

Food is a powerful learning tool. Along with the various literacies, kids learn about their own or other cultures. To get you started on your next cooking adventure, we have compiled a list of picture books that highlight culturally significant foods and cookbooks written for kids.