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Children's Cooking Games

Teaching kids about food and cooking will help them develop a better relationship with food later in life. Younger children are more likely to retain information if play is involved in the learning process. Cooking games don't necessarily require access to a kitchen, so they can be played in a classroom setting as well.

Recipe Match Game
- Matching games can be played by children of all ages. In order to adapt this game for cooking purposes, the images that are being matched should represent different ingredients used in a particular recipe. A bag of flour, eggs and a glass of water are some pictures that can be placed on these cards. In order to make the game more challenging, include single cards with a picture of something unrelated to the recipe (a picture of a banana in a chocolate chip cookie recipe match game). For children who are a bit older, instead of matching two picture cards, construct the game so that a picture card is matched to a card with the corresponding word on it.
Cooking Scavenger Hunt
- A recipe-based scavenger hunt can act as a prelude to a cooking lesson. Depending on the number of children involved, this game can be played in teams or as individuals. Create a list of hidden items (utensils and dry ingredients) on a recipe card with a clue as to where they're hidden. When it's time for the game to begin, give each player/team a recipe card, pencil and reusable shopping bag (to place the items in) and send them hunting. If you don't have enough of each item, or to simply make it trickier, you can draw a picture of the object on a piece of cardstock and hide it in a more obscure location. The prize for the winning team can be getting to lick the bowl once the food is in the oven.
Taste-Tester Game
- The ability to recognize ingredients by taste is something that all chefs strive for. Fill several small cups with different ingredients and sauces and set them on a table so that all of the children can see them. Sit the children at a table and give them each a piece of paper and a pencil. Tell them to close their eyes. One by one, pass the cups around the table and let each child take a taste. After each tasting, the kids write down what they thought was in the cup. The one who guesses the most correct foods is the winner. Keep one secret ingredient on hand to use as a tie-breaker if needed. When playing this game, it's important to ensure beforehand that none of the children are allergic to any of the ingredients you're using.

Kids Games