Portrait of a preteen girl child with happy smiling facial expression holding various old used cooking tools in her hands. Image isolated on white studio background.

Here at Kids Villa Learning Center, we offer after-school programs for elementary school children at our learning centers in Germantown, Urbana, and Waring Station Road. We believe the best before and after-school programming combines structure with open-ended play. Kids need a space to de-stress after a long day at school, but they also should have the opportunity to work on homework or creative activities. 

In today’s post, we’re sharing a great after-school activity — cooking with your child. Continue reading to learn a few of our favorite kid-friendly recipes!

Reasons You Should Cook With Your Kids

Learning to cook is a great way to make food fun! If you have a picky eater, teaching them to cook can both introduce them to new flavors and show them that they have control over what they eat. Children often feel like they have little to no choice when it comes to food — and it’s true that you are the one buying the groceries — but teaching them to cook empowers them and teaches self confidence. Plus, kids are way more likely to eat something they made! 

Cooking with your child is also a great way to spend meaningful time with them and build memories that will stay with both of you forever. They might even pass on recipes to their own children in the future. 

French Bread Pizza

Making a personal sized pizza is super easy if you use french bread as the crust! Simply cut the loaves in half and set up a toppings bar. It’s a great way to introduce younger kids to cooking as well as to give everyone in the family the opportunity to personalize their meal.

Spaghetti Squash

Cooking gourds can be a pain, but it’s way easier when you give a kid a fork and they can carve away, pulling all the delicious spaghetti squash meat out themselves! It’s a great way to blow off steam on a day when kids can’t get outside and it’s also a good way to introduce a new veggie to kids.

Breakfast Toast Cups

Cooking breakfast together is a great way to celebrate the weekend! And breakfast toast cups are a simple way to make a meal together. The recipe involves cutting round of bread and pushing it into muffin tins. Then fill the “toast cup” with whatever ingredients you want — we love a simple egg and cheese cup, with a few green onions on top — and pop it in the oven! Kids love to watch eggs in the cup go from liquid to cooked and it’s a good opportunity to talk about the science of cooking. 

Kids Villa Learning Center

Our childcare center’s motto is “caring and learning go hand in hand” and we practice it every single day! Along with full-day childcare, we also offer before and after-school programming for school-age children. If you’re looking for a safe, supportive, and nurturing space for your elementary school child to spend time at before or after school, learn more about our learning center and enroll today!

Schedule a tour at one of our three daycare center locations: