8 Cooking Shows for Your Child
It’s always interesting seeing my friends on Facebook share what their kids do with their summer free time. While mine bounce between their music instruments, sports, playing video games or board games and streaming videos, other tweens are baking. Maybe mine haven’t considered it because I’m not one to do much baking. Maybe I haven’t encouraged them or given them permission to do so. Maybe it just hasn’t crossed their minds. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t on their “let’s do this” list of activities for the summer.
Until now.
The girls have been spending a lot of time in front of electronics, so I decided to make sure some of their weekend was screen-free. They had expressed an interest in baking something, going so far as to look up kid-friendly recipes on Pinterest. I had them create a grocery list, we hit the store to stock up then that afternoon they made no-bake cookie balls all by themselves. Upon completion, they said “Let’s do this EVERY day.”
Let me tell you, those cookie balls tasted delicious, and I gorged myself in a healthy helping of pride and admiration for their new-found interest. I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to me before. We regularly watch cooking competitions on TV and they have even commented on wanting to be a contestant. They have even helped with baking during the holidays, but never asked to make anything themselves.
I decided that now is the time to embrace and nurture their interest in cooking. In addition to letting them help in the kitchen, I’ve put together a list of shows on Netflix they can watch as an alternative to cartoons and tween shows. We always say that screen time is okay as long as it is offset with something educational. I think cooking shows are a “healthy” alternative.
These 5 titles are cooking shows for kids that are available through Netflix Kids and don’t require adult supervision.
Good Eats
I started watching this when it first came out years ago. Alton Brown doesn’t just show how to cook something. He explains the science behind it. If kids understand some of these basic concepts, it will be a good foundation for learning more.
Chopped
This is one that the girls and I watch regularly. It teaches about unique ingredients and how they can be incorporated into a dish. It also demonstrates how even professional chefs can make mistakes and learn better (or different) ways to make something.
The Pioneer Woman
This one is near and dear to my heart because Ree Drummond has roots in the blogging community.
Cupcake Wars
Who doesn’t love a good cupcake? My girls learn about creativity, but about compassion and competition as they see contestants put forth their best work, which often is amazing, and still don’t win.
Ace of Cakes
The intersection of artistry and engineering. Creating a beautiful and intricate cake is more than just learning to bake. It requires a firm understanding of physics and construction to ensure the cake doesn’t topple over.
The following 3 titles are ones I let my 10 and 12 year old watch with me, but they required an adult log-in on Netflix.
Cutthroat Kitchen
While this show isn’t available on Netflix Kids, it does carry a “TV-G” rating. It’s a traditional cooking competition with some interesting twists. Overcome some competitive adversity and you may find yourself the last chef standing.
Food Network Star
This is extremely inspiring because you get to see people before they were stars. Once again, competition is the basis of the show, but it also offers the opportunity to learn some important cooking lessons.
Iron Chef America
Iron Chef was one of the first cooking competitions that I watched. It’s always cool seeing how two completely different things can come from the same ingredient, and equally as interesting hearing what the judges have to say.
Cooking and baking are valuable skills to have and encouraging your kids to learn at an early age is always helpful. It gives them a sense of confidence and many years to hone their skills. If your kids want to join you in the kitchen, let them. In the meantime, find other ways to foster their interest in the culinary arts.
What is your favorite cooking show to watch?
Chopped is one of my favorites! I love almost all the cooking show on Netflix right now!
My daughter spends a lot of time with technology, too. I’m starting to regret getting her a tablet. But at the same time she still has a lot of other interests, baking is one of them. She enjoys it more than I do, but since she’s still young I have to help her. It really is a great way to spend time together.
I must be a kid at heart because I love and watch 90% of these shows. I love Netflix because it allows me to binge watch and that I adore when I am working. Leaving it on behind me so I am always surrounded by deliciousness 🙂 Thanks for the reminder to turn it on.
My kids love Good Eats, and I love that they love it. We watch it together, and we always learn so much.
That’s awesome that they want to learn how to cook. Proud of them.
I didn’t realize these were all on Netflix! Many adults enjoy these shows as well!
I really would love to teach my kids on cooking but I’m on the go all the time. It is great idea that I will show them these suggested shows then they can both visualize how the food can be cooked rather than reading and following written recipe as I will do for them. Many thanks for the fantastic post ever to me and my kids of course.
I never thought my kids would be interested in cooking shows, but the last time we were at the doctor office they had the Pioneer woman on the TV and my son was so entranced by it! I didn’t know neftlix had them! I have to let my son know now!
Nice shows for my children. Thanks for your list.
The food shows with young competitors are always impressive to watch. I like the list above because I’ve probably seen at least one episode of each show. 🙂
We have Netflix, but I’ve never checked this out. We will have to incorporate this into our homeschooling life skills unit this year. Thanks for sharing!
Great list of shows. My toddler is a little too young for cooking shows but my oldest loves to cook and will enjoy watching them.
Now I’m hungry…
I didn’t know about these shows on Netflix. I love cooking TV!!! A lot. Yay!
So many great show ideas!! I know that my son always loves the Cupcake Wars one when it’s Halloween time!! 🙂
I love cooking with my boys. They like to put the ingredients in the mixture.
I never thought about those shows for kids, but it makes sense. Some of them are super entertaining!
Chopped is one of my faves and I love Good Eats! He always makes science seem fun!
I love watching all these shows. None of my kids are interested in cooking or baking, but they love to eat and they also love to watch these shows.
These are great cooking shows. Cupcake Wars and Iron Chef are our favorite shows to watch. Hopefully, these shows will encourage my kids to cook or bake.
Thanks for the list!
Thanks for this!
Masterchef kids Australia… No cooking show can beat that one for kids.
Cooking shows are fun! Great for inspiration for kids…
I love the Pioneer Woman she’s great! I wish my 13 year old was interested in cooking, but luckily my 4 year old shows enough interest for them both!
My son really enjoys watching “MasterChef Junior” with me.
I used to watch Food Channel periodically but never attempted to make any of what they did! I totally agree that kids should be allowed to learn their way around a kitchen while they are young–it will definitely help them when they leave the nest.
My sons love cooking shows and we will often watch them together. This is a great list or more shows that we can enjoy as a family.
I think all I ever watch are either cooking shows or home improvement. My favorites are cooking shows – Iron Chef is my favorite of all of them.
I love all these shows. Really good to watch.
I confess I have a cooking show addiction
Really like this kind of shows
Great show.
I’m all about children learning how to cook early in life.. I am very interested in this.
I think it’s very important kids learn how to cook!!
I think that is a great idea, getting kids involved in cooking and nutrition at an early age. Fast food is taking over households because of busy lives.
My teen and I watch some of these shows. I love the Pioneer Woman and didn’t know she had her own show! We’ll have to check it out this week!
I love Good Eats! I lopve learning the science along with the cooking and ideas.
Great choices! I would only add Eat This, Not That and Masterchef Junior to the list. The first because it’s never too early to learn about nutritious food and learning to cook without too much fat/sugar..and the second one to inspire them that the sky is the limit.
My granddaughters, who are tweens, enjoy watching cooking shows and they have developed a love of learning to cook. This is very good for when they are responsible for feeding a family someday, or even just themselves.
I think it truly amazing that kids take so much interest in cooking.
Cooking shows are my favorite and my son enjoys them too!
This looks delicious. It’s important to feel what makes you feel good!
There are quite a bit of cooking shows. I have never watched Netflix but may have to subscribe so my granddaughter can watch these.
Children that cook and appreciate cooking are well rounded individuals who seem to like to experiment and experience flavors of the world. They appear to be driven to create and bring people together with their foods. I cannot wait to cook and bake with my grandson.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing.
My kids love cooking, and they often try to create new recipe in the kitchen. How useful is the post! I will show the children about interesting shows. Thanks for sharing!
What a nice recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Your post is very useful. Thanks for sharing
Great article! thanks for taking time to write this up I really enjoyed it and now your article made me to prepare dinner for me and my kids then enjoy shows 😀
Cooking shows are fun! Great for inspiration for kids…