Let’s Cook! A Fun Cooking Unit Study for Kids

Did you know breakfast literally means “breaking a fast,” chicken nuggets were first created in the 1950s, and there are more than 400 different types of pasta? Every meal has something new to teach us! Cooking with kids is a wonderful way to build practical kitchen skills while bringing history, geography, math, science, literacy, and art into everyday learning.

I’m so excited to share our Let’s Cook! Family Unit Study, a hands-on cooking unit study for kids! Across ten tasty topics, your family will learn about favorite foods from around the world, find out how some familiar dishes came to be, and practice everything from safely using kitchen tools to setting a beautiful table.

Below, I’m sharing all 10 topics included in the unit study, along with a peek at the activities you’ll enjoy together. Grab your aprons, and let’s get cooking!

What is a Family Unit Study?

But first… what exactly is a Family Unit Study?

This unit study, like all of our ever-growing library of unit studies, takes one big theme—cooking—and breaks it down into ten manageable, bite-sized learning topics. This format gives you the freedom to dive into learning at a pace that works for your family. Perhaps you do one topic per day, perhaps one per week. Whatever suits your fancy! You can learn and explore topics from start to finish in about 1-2 hours each.

Dive in and watch the sparks of wonder ignite. Watch the child-led learning take off. Watch what happens when children are engaged in what they are learning!

Each of the 10 topics includes:

• an interesting fact,
• a discussion question,
• informative information,
• a curated YouTube video,
• a recommended book,
• a math or literacy enrichment question (with three difficulty levels),
• and an ultimate-can’t-be-beat hands-on activity!

Plus, all subjects are covered across the 10 topics! Geography, History, Science, Social Studies, Music, Art, Health, Literacy, and Math.

When everything connects across subjects, learning just makes more sense. Kids remember more, understand better, and actually enjoy the process. It’s the kind of learning that really sticks. 🙌

Before we roll up our sleeves and get cooking, I’d love to share a little something to make your homeschool days just a bit easier (because we all need that, right?).

Our Mini Homeschool Toolbox is a simple, go-to resource filled with helpful printables – like math charts, number lines, and writing supports – to keep your days organized and your lessons running smoothly.

It’s completely free and so handy to have on hand as you move through your homeschool routine. Simply enter your email address below, and a copy will be instantly delivered to your inbox.

Let’s Cook! Family Unit Study Topics

Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect with the Let’s Cook Unit Study. Below are the 10 topics, along with some examples of the hands-on activities you will enjoy together.

Topic #1: Let’s Get Cracking!

Eggs are a breakfast favorite, whether you like them scrambled, boiled, or fried – but what happens when a raw, runny egg meets the heat of a frying pan? Kids will get a little cooking practice as they crack, whisk, and cook their very own scrambled eggs, watching the egg change along the way.

Topic #2: A Rainbow of Smoothies

Smoothies are a delicious way to blend fruits, vegetables, milk, or yogurt into a colorful breakfast! Kids will practice safely cutting fruit and using a blender as they make their own smoothie. They can even use what they know about color mixing to combine different ingredients and create a colorful signature recipe.

Topic #3: Pancakes Around the World

Fluffy, thin, sweet, or savory – pancakes are enjoyed in all sorts of delicious ways around the world! After seeing how different countries put their own spin on this breakfast favorite, little cooks will mix up a simple batter and make a batch of pancakes while learning how to work safely around the stove.

Topic #4: What’s for Lunch?

Crispy on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside, grilled cheese is a lunchtime favorite! But did you know your sandwich can also serve up a little math? Kids will look at its rectangular shape, cut it into triangles, and use the measurements to work out perimeter and area.

Topic #5: The History of Pizza

Did you know the largest pizza ever made covered an incredible 13,958 square feet? This well-loved food originated in Italy and is now made in many different ways around the world. After learning a little about its history and global variations, kids will create easy English muffin pizzas with sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.

Topic #6: Who Invented the Nugget?

Long before chicken nuggets became a fast-food favorite, food scientist Robert C. Baker created “Chicken Crispies” in the 1950s. He shaped, breaded, fried, and froze small pieces of chicken – and they quickly caught on! Young food historians can follow in his footsteps by coating and baking their own homemade chicken nuggets.

Topic #7: The History of Pasta

Spaghetti, penne, fettuccine – with more than 400 types of pasta, which shape would you choose? People have enjoyed pasta-like dishes for thousands of years, and Italians later created hundreds of shapes and perfected the art of making pasta. Budding chefs will choose their favorite pasta, cook it until it’s just right, and turn it into a tasty meal with sauce.

Topic #8: Food Around the World

From sushi in Japan and tacos in Mexico to paella in Spain and pho in Vietnam, every part of the world has foods of its own! Kids will go on a search-and-find adventure to collect World Food Cards, match each dish to the country where it is popular, and see if they can find that country on a map.

Topic #9: The History of Cookies

People first called these sweet treats “Nazareth cookies” after the Pennsylvania town where they were made! Cookies now come in countless flavors, shapes, and textures around the world. For a little literacy fun, kids will write a five-line cinquain poem about cookies and draw a picture to go with it.

Topic #10: Setting a Beautiful Table

After all that cooking, it’s time to gather around the table! With a tablecloth or placemats, neatly folded napkins, and a special centerpiece, kids can turn an ordinary family dinner into a lovely occasion. They’ll learn where each plate, glass, and utensil belongs, practice helpful table manners, and add a dinner playlist to set the mood!

And there you have it! Ten tasty topics and hands-on activities that take your family from breakfast right through to dinner – with plenty of learning mixed in along the way!

From scrambling eggs and blending colorful smoothies to learning the stories behind pizza, chicken nuggets, pasta, and cookies, the Let’s Cook! Family Unit Study is filled with kid-friendly recipes, fascinating food history, math, literacy, geography, and practical kitchen skills. Your little chefs will even travel the world through food before setting a beautiful table for a special family meal!

I’d love for you to pop over to the shop, take a closer look, and see if this delicious unit study would be a good fit for you and yours!

Let’s Cook! Family Unit Study

https://shop.howweelearn.com/products/family-unit-study-lets-cook