A friend recently shared with me a memory he held dear to his heart and wanted to recreate–cooking breakfast with his daughter. And recreate it he did! And while the experience did not go exactly like it did when she was eight (she’s now 16), together they created a new memory–and it’s a good one.

Cooking together is a fabulous way to unify a family. Think about it–everybody is in the same room at the same time. But unity is not the only benefit to family meal prep.

Make the kitchen a device-free place to be, everybody will have to focus on the task at hand, and it becomes a social activity. My cousin homeschooled all ten of her children and used meal prep time to teach concepts like nutrition, coordination, problem-solving, and math! Cooking together also teaches gratitude. It might even help some of your more “picky eaters” try new things (after all, THEY made it and they should try it, right?). Cooking AND cleaning up together teaches them to be responsible as well as to disregard stereotypes. 

Check out the Discovery Family Adventure  Eat Together for fun ideas on cooking meals together. You will also want to check out these Adventures from the Summer Passport Program: Summer Bounty, New Foods, Cookout, or Picnic.  You may want to try some fun summer desserts with Homemade or Frozen Fun. Get creative–and get cooking!

To find ways that other families have used these Summer Passport Adventures with their families, and to share your experiences so other parents can learn from you, connect with your local Discover Family Fun community.