Hi there! My name is Kristen Hale, and I am a new contributor here at 5 Minutes for Mom. I’m excited to share with you today about a playful twist on cooking in the kitchen with your little one. The Cook By Colours cookbook is a revolutionary way to engage with your child in the kitchen, even allowing them to take the lead when it comes to preparing their favorite foods. This post is sponsored, so extra thanks for reading.
As a mom of two hungry little boys, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. My 3-year old is always curious about how I make his favorite meals – the utensils and ingredients spark a lot of conversation (and I’ll be honest – a lot of play!) He likes to pretend the spatula is a sword and the measuring cups are drumsticks. I’m sure most moms can relate – mealtime can often be overwhelming when kids are underfoot.
As he’s gotten a little older, my little Everett loves climbing up on his step stool and watching me cook and bake at the counter, especially when it comes to baked goods (man after my own heart!) He hands me the measuring cups, stirs the mix with a spoon, helps dole out the dough onto the baking sheet and watches with wide-eyes when I finally lift the hot cookies from the oven. Mission accomplished.
His interest in what we eat and how it’s prepared makes my time in the kitchen so rewarding. Which is why I knew that he was at the perfect age for Cook By Colours, a guide for cooking with even the youngest of chefs. Focused on ages 2-8, this cookbook promotes family collaboration in the kitchen, guiding both parents and children with color-led recipes.
Instead of measuring out quantities with metrics and numbers, the recipes are illustrated with color-coded utensils and ingredients. Instead of instructing to add “½ cup of flour” and “¼ cup of sugar, it’s “one orange cup” and “one yellow cup”. That is something that he can understand!
Everett loves being able to take the lead and “read” the recipe, adding the ingredients with minimal help from me. All I have to do was encourage his instincts, which are mostly correct while he “reads” the book. (I have to mention, he is 3 years old, and does not know how to read yet.) All I have to do is help guide him and he is able to master the simple recipes.
We chose to make the Foxy French Toast, because breakfast for dinner is his current favorite phenomena. We had a blast, letting him take the lead as the master chef since the book was fairly “readable” to him. The pages are brightly illustrated and brimming with youthful text, which invited us into the spirit of playfulness in the kitchen.
He was extra proud of the meal we prepared together and couldn’t wait to eat it. The book contains 25 child-friendly recipes sure to please even the pickiest of eaters, and includes a coordinating set of tablespoons and measuring cups.
After we were finished cooking, he was so excited that he even started cleaning the plates off at the sink. With the help of his step stool, rubber gloves and a sponge, of course. I must say, if this cookbook promotes that kind of engagement in the kitchen, it’s going to be on constant rotation in our household!
My favorite elements of Cook By Colours
From one mom to another, here are several aspects of Cook By Colours that I especially loved…
- The book has an informative introduction, which gives specific instructions about how to get the most out of the book as a family effort.
- Brightly-color illustrations and kid-friendly text kept my son’s interest piqued the entire time.
- Color-coded recipes made the instructions “readable” and understandable for my 3-year old.
- The coordinating utensils empowered my son to master the recipe with my guidance.
- The variety of recipes cover all different courses I want my son to experiment with and eat.
All in all, this cookbook encouraged family collaboration in the kitchen and made learning how to cook fun. I would recommend it for any parent who spends a lot of time in the kitchen and wants to share the experience with their little ones.
Where To Find It
If you’re in Canada, you can shop on the cookbycolours.ca website.
If you’re in the US, you can buy Cook By Colours on Amazon.
Giveaway
Would you like to win a Cook By Colours set? Leave us a comment telling us why you think your kids would like cooking with this new method. Then complete your entry using the form below.
We will select two winners each will receive a Cook By Colours set.
Open to US and Canadian residents except Quebec.
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Disclosure: This post is sponsored so extra thanks for reading.
Written by 5 Minutes for Mom contributor Kristen Hale, who blogs about living a playful and intentional life at Oy!
This is a great idea, the color is a double check so the cooking terms are not the only source. Tea and table spoon are easy to mix up.
They love to get involved in cooking and baking!
This would be great for my niece who loves to help, I think this set would definitely help her understand how to do it easier and she would love having her own measuring tools.
I think this would be great because she is already interested in helping me bake and wanting to do the measuring. With this color way I think she will understand it more.
I would say pizza.
She loves to help me cook and I think this would be easier for her and fun to follow recipes
This would be so much for my little ones and also teaching them how to cook
My kids love to help in the kitchen and I think they would love feeling a bit more independent!
We all enjoy bright and colorful things in our kitchen. It just makes cooking more fun.
my grandkids would love this cause they are always wanting to help and now they can
I think my kids would love to cook with this new cooking method because they are visual learners The recipes are broken down visually making it easier for children to follow how much ingredients is needed for a particular recipe and it is a little bit more fun for the parents too.
it makes easier for them to learn
This would be good for my nephew it would help him with his colours and it would help him follow instructions
I swear my grandson will be a chef someday. He likes to help pour, stir, shake, or just about anything to contribute to the food prep. Plus, he loves bright colors.
I think my cousin’s son would like the color method-it makes it more fun for kids to read a cookbook meant for them.
I think think son would love cooking with this method. The colours would hep him pay attention.
This is a great idea!!! My 3 year old loves helping me out with cooking and this would make it so easy! I’m all about learning experiences and teachable moments so I am definitely getting this for my daughter for Christmas this year!!!
I’m home schooling this year, and it would be neat to add this. If I don’t win, I might buy this. Great blog.
My daughter would love to bake a cake!
If actually love to win this for a friend of mine who has a budding three year old chef who loves to help in the kitchen 😊
Our little grandson LOVES to help in the kitchen. It has made him a really good eater. He even Loves Greek salad with Lots of Lemons. This would be Wonderful for him so simple to follow and another learning tool for cooking. Thank you 🙂
My 3 year old insists on helping do everything in the kitchen. This would allow her more independence with parents monitoring only.
Cooking is already fun, this would enhance the fun!
My daughter loves helping me cook! This would be great for her!
I think our kids would like cooking with this because it would e easier for them to understand!
My 3 year old granddaughter also loves to “read” and to cook and help in the kitchen. A cookbook that she can use and follow with minimal help would be amazing!
This makes it so even my smallest chef can help with confidence.
I think they would really enjoy it.
My 6-year-old niece is always begging to bake different things. She would be so excited to have her own set of baking tools
This would make it a lot easier to make the recipes and help them learn along the way and they love books so they would love this cook set.
I think the coordinating utensils would help my granddaughter master the recipe. She loves cooking with her grandma
the kids would have fun with these, easier to say we need one teaspoon thats this colour. teaches both size and colours
I think it would be a fun and easy way for them to learn to cook!
My nephew would love this!
My son is interested in everything to do with cooking. He would like learning a new way to cook.
what a great concept, even non readers can follow colours making cooking fun!
My grandsons and granddaughters would love this so much since they do get involved in baking but this would be even more enjoyable for them.
This would be fantastic for my granddaughter. She loves to help cook but she is definitly in that “I can do it don’t help me stage” but isn’t even old enough to read lol.
I think our kids would like cooking with this new method because it would e easier for them to understand !
I think my son would like this because it makes cooking seem a bit simpler while still teaching basic skills.
I would love the opportunity to win a copy for my granddaughter, to help her learn to cook.
What a great idea this book is
I think they’d love it because you get to cook by color, with color-coordinated measuring cups and spoons – how fun!
My toddler daughter always wants to help me, so this would be perfect for her!
My youngest granddaughter loves to watch me cook and I let her do things also. This will be for her. She will love doing things that are meant for her level.
This would make it easier for them to follow the recipe.