4 Fun Shows to Get Your Kids Into Cooking

4 Fun Shows to Get Your Kids Into Cooking

When the pandemic first hit and locked us in our homes, many of us were struck by the same bolt of inspiration (after we bought our toilet paper): We decided to bake bread. All that kneading, rising, and conjuring of the fresh bread smell in our homes was a thing we could focus on when life outside our front door felt too scary to navigate. Cooking and baking are good life skills to learn, but they can also serve to soothe and entertain when we need soothing and entertaining — which is why we should also share the experience with our kids.

Pulling out the flour and sugar to whip up some muffins with them is great. But we’ve all had a long year, so if what you really want is to curl up on the couch and watch someone else pull out the flour and sugar, your kids are probably going to be game for that, too. There some great cooking and baking shows out there for kids and families right now — and here are my favourites.

The Great British Baking Show

There will be many shows on this list that are specifically geared toward kids or feature kid contestants. This is not that show, but I’m starting here anyway, because The Great British Baking Show is some truly wholesome, wonderful, heartwarming programming.

We blew through its most recent full season (season 11) quickly in my home because it had everything we needed: contestants who were encouraging of each other, funny banter between hosts, and a slew of desserts with names we’d never even heard of. (Care for a slice of Battenberg, anyone?)

(There is also a Junior Bake Off, but the British are mostly keeping it to themselves for the moment, unless you have a streaming VPN that will help you bypass their geo-restrictions.)

Streaming on Netflix

Nailed It!

Nailed It! is fun for kids because it’s all about adults (home chefs) competing against each other to recreate culinary masterpieces and largely…failing miserably. It helps to dispel a bit of the social media perfectionism we all experience (one person’s winking emoji cookie is another person’s wild-eyed disaster).

It’s an endearing show because it’s a little bit of a hot mess (in a friendly, goofy, whimsical way), and we’re all a little bit of a hot mess right now.

Streaming on Netflix.

Nadiya’s Time to Eat

Does cooking sometimes feel like a chore? Oh hell yes, of course it does, and Nadiya has decided it’s time we all embrace the beauty of the shortcut — she’s all about dinnertime (and dessert-time) hacks, which is why we love her. As a bonus, since her recipes are so quick to make, she also has time to travel a bit and visit the places where ingredients are born, such as a mushroom producer, a salmon farm, and a Heinz factory.

Streaming on Netflix

Waffles + Mochi (With Michelle Obama)

I have to end not with a show that is already a favourite, but one I suspect will become a favourite. The former first lady, in keeping with her dedication to encourage kids to eat healthier, is launching a cooking show next month — with puppets. The Washington Post explains:

In addition to executive producing “Waffles + Mochi,” which debuts March 16, she’ll play the proprietor of a “whimsical supermarket” that employs the titular puppets, who are best friends and aspiring chefs. (One is an adorably small orb formed like the Japanese rice cake and the other a creature whose ears are shaped like the griddled breakfast treat.) “I’m excited for families and children everywhere to join us on our adventures as we discover, cook, and eat delicious food from all over the world,” she wrote in a tweet.

Streaming on Netflix starting March 16

Consider this list a starting point, as there are many other family-friendly cooking and baking shows out there worthy of a watch.


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

Here are the cheapest plans available for Australia’s most popular NBN speed tier.

At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Comments


Leave a Reply