Brass Bound Bulletin #8: Your Kitchen is a STEAM Lab (and Dinner is the Experiment)

I remember watching Good Eats on the Food Network. Even more than the food and Alton Brown's banter I loved the SCIENCE of it. My nerdy little brain was fascinated by learning about the physics and the chemistry. To this day, when I make pancake batter I stir for 10 seconds and then "walk away. Just... walk away." Today, many parents worry about getting their kids into science and math. Meanwhile the kitchen is literally one of the best science labs you can have and most sleep on it. There is chemistry, physics, biology and math bubbling away on the stovetop and many never make a big deal about it. So while cooking with your kids teaches them a valuable (and cost saving) life skill, it's also a full spectrum STEAM experience. And for boys, it can tear down traditional gender roles in what was previously seen as "Mom's domain." But that's another blog.

Baking is such a fun activity and one of the first ones kids are introduced to in the kitchen. So many people have stories of making cookies or a cake with mom or grandma. But if we take a step back you see that Baking is chemistry and a little biology. Baking soda releasing CO2, eggs binding proteins with the application of heat, gluten formation (unless you can't have it.) All of these things are chemical processes that take place in baking. So maybe the next time you are making bread bring the kid in to help. Ask "why do you think the bread rises" and talk about yeast.

The chemistry doesn't stop in the oven though. Caramelization and the Maillard reaction are chemistry and physics lessons. The cool thing though is that they are things you can see and experience in real time! But what about math?

This one is obvious, recipes! Measuring, multiplying, dividing. Here's a good tactic. Give your child a 1/4 cup measure for an ingredient where more than that is needed. But that's not all. Recipes are engineering, sequencing, problem solving (the sauce is too thick. How do I fix it) and iterative thinking (this was good but what if I add something next time?)

What about art? Any chef will tell you that food is first tasted with the eyes. A well plated meal goes a long way to building excitement for the food. Then there is the creativity of experimentation.

So there you go. Your kitchen is a STEAM lab. Full of learning and discovery. An added bonus is the increase in confidence children will feel when they learn to cook for themselves and their family. Not to mention the bonding that takes place when a family cooks together. I know when I was growing up my most pleasant memories were of cooking with my mom. Worst case you have a mess. But you'll also have kids who know more about chemistry, math physics and art.