You may think of the kitchen as mom's domain, but letting kids get a feel for the process of creating a meal teaches them more than how much work it really takes. When you let your kids help select foods at the grocery store, you teach them about nutrition. Discuss serving sizes and portions based on food label information. See if your children can estimate the number of glasses of milk in a gallon without looking at the label, for example - this will teach them not only portion size, but also division. When you get home and begin preparing the food, give the kids a lesson in how measuring cups work - again, this will help give them a grasp of fractions. And if you need to double or halve a recipe, then older kids will enjoy figuring out how to adjust measurements.
Mixing, stirring and shaping dough with their hands can help younger ones develop fine motor skills, useful in learning to hold a pencil and writing. Art skills can be encouraged when you allow kids to decorate their plates with colorful foods and healthful dips. Teach hygiene in the kitchen as you encourage hand washing, especially after handling raw meat, eggs and other foods. Thermometer reading can be taught when you cook meat or even candy - definitely something the kids will enjoy! Kids can keep count and even keep a chart that tracks how many servings of fruits and vegetables they eat each day. When kids enjoy helping out in the kitchen, it not only helps you, but also helps them, too!