There is so much math in cooking…math that is just waiting for you to point out to your children as you engage in the process of making something together. From a very young age my children have been by my side while I cook. As they get older they have been taking on a greater role in the process. They dump in ingredients, measure, stir, and of course lick the spoon. I have found that these moments provide us not only with a chance to be together, but also an opportunity to Talk Math. Cooking involves math. Creating lists for and counting out ingredients, estimating how much we may need, fractions with measuring cups, counting cups, figuring out how long to bake the food for, and creating serving sizes all involve math and mathematical thinking.
Do we have what we need?
Is that enough?
Which one is 1/2 cup ? How many to make 1 cup?
How long should we cook it for?
Does it taste okay? What more could we add?
Do you know that cooking involves math? Where do you see math in this recipe?
By asking these questions and many others you are bringing math to your child’s attention and creating a conversation about how we use math in our lives. In this way you also show your child that math is something that we can do together, and have fun with.
So grab your kids and your recipe book and find a way to enjoy some time together while you cook and Talk Math.
Learning Out Loud 
Hi Ms. Brokofsky! This is Chloe Hendricks again from the University of South Alabama. I definitely agree with this! It’s math without children even realizing it’s math. It’s a fun way to get children motivated to learn fractions and portions with a sweet treat at the end! I agree it’d be a perfect time to let children know that math is used everyday even when we least expect it.
Thanks Chloe. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I agree with you that math can and should be fun. Good luck with your classes.
HI I am Christian from University of South Alabama. I loved reading this post it is just wonderful. I always was in the kitchen with my grandparents learning to cook and always enjoying time with them. This is a very good way to spend time with kids and teach them math at the same time. I will have to use this with my children when I have some.
Hello Ms. Brokofsky,
I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama and have been assigned to read your blog. I really enjoyed reading your blog about using math while cooking. I think having children with you while cooking is a great way to introduce math because it creates a life connection. My stepson loves being apart of cooking, just tell him what you need and what measuring tool you’ll need. Him and his dad have mini math lessons when he helps him cook which is amazing because he sees the real life relevance.
Hello,
I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed this post because I never thought about cooking and math. I am definitely going to use this once I become a mother. I never thought you could learn fractions this way!