#2 Make a Pizza Together!

Cooking with your child can be way more than just fun for him. It can be a language-rich experience that helps build vocabulary. The use of all the senses in the kitchen makes new words easier to remember.

Imagine a child who is first exposed to an olive by hearing one described or seeing a picture of one in a book. Now imagine a child first learning what an olive is in the kitchen. The second child is more likely to use the word "olive" the next time he sees one...the child who remembers touching, smelling, and tasting one after watching you twist off the lid and hearing the pop of the jar's seal.

Make a pizza together. Tell him what preheating the oven means. Let him see the dry pizza dough mix and ask him what he thinks it will look and feel like after you add the water and stir. After you let the dough rest, shake flour on the countertop and teach him what kneading is...yes, by letting him do it himself. When it's time to put on the toppings, let him see and smell the colorful options, and of course let him help decorate your pizza. Tell him the name of each vegetable and meat. Mushroom. Pepperoni. Green pepper. Cheese. Sausage. Olives. Tell him what the sauce is made of and let him smell it. Last night my little boy (5 years old) told me "It smells like tomatoes." I can't believe I never told him that pizza sauce is made of tomatoes!

What a rewarding experience! Let the conversation flow. And enjoy the final product together. But be prepared, when kids help in the kitchen, they tend to eat a bit more. For some of you with picky eaters, that alone might get you to try this little experiment.