Science in the Kitchen

If your children are in the kitchen, they can and will be learning about Science whether they are conscious of it or not.  They will be learning about the Phyiscal Science aspect rather than Life or Earth Science.  All the reactions of ingredients will show them how materials interact and change with heat or pressure.  The only thing you really have to do is point out the reactions to them and let them draw their own conclusions.

Baking – Any recipe with baking powder or baking soda will cause some kind of change in how your item turns out.  Whether you are making cookies, cake, pancakes, waffles, or something else like that, baking powder and soda had something to do with it.  Just mention to your children how much the batter changed when heat was added.

Sauces – Add flour or cornstarch to any liquid and heat it and your item will no longer be liquid but will turn into a thicker sauce.

Browning – Take any piece of meat whether it be a hamburger or piece of chicken and heat it in a pan and it will change color.  Talk about how the heat makes the meat change color and make some educated guesses on why that happens.

If you need your drains cleaned in any area of your house, just pour some baking soda into the drain and area around it.  Then pour some vinegar over it and watch the reaction!  You not only get to see a Science experiment first hand, but you also get your drain cleaned!  This will not damage your pipes.  Let this mixture sit for about 15 minutes and then rinse with water.  My son asks me all the time if we can “do Chemistry” by doing this experiment.  It’s fun for both parent and child.

You can bring some Life Science into the mix by talking about what happens to food when we eat it.  Talk about how our mouth breaks down the food and about the chemical reactions that take place in our stomach and intestines.

Science doesn’t have to be a boring subject that can only be learned by reading a textbook.  Science is all around us.  Take advantage of the time you have with your children and talk about the Science around you while you are getting things done in the kitchen.