11/10/2026Clement Gibert
1 recipe, 4 habits for school and for life!
1 recipe, 4 habits for school and for life!
In the kitchen, your child's brain is working harder than you might think!
To see a recipe through, your child has to focus, get organised, plan ahead, and sometimes even change plans. These are skills that will help them learn in class and later on in life. The difference is that in the kitchen, you see the result straight away… and you get to eat it!
1Focus
In the kitchen. Before getting out a single utensil, you read the whole recipe. Then you prepare the ingredients, the board, the knife and the bowls. Chefs call this the mise en place.
But your child is also doing something important: they're focusing! This is their inhibitory control, the little mental brake that helps them hold back distractions, think before acting and so keep their attention on the task.
In class. Same habit: listen carefully to the instructions without getting distracted, and read them right to the end before picking up a pencil.
And in life. They pack their swimming bag using a list, just like their ingredients: nothing is missing.
2Do things in order
In the kitchen. They wash the vegetables, dry them, then cut them with their Genius Cut. Adding the topping before rolling out the dough? Bad idea! Cooking shows them that order matters.
They also learn to plan: to think ahead about the steps needed to reach their goal. A real little action plan!
In class. Step-by-step instructions are everywhere: ‘Cut out, stick, then write your name.’ Same logic: understanding ‘first, next, finally’ to organise their work without skipping a step.
And in life. In the morning, they get dressed in order: jumper before coat, socks before shoes!
3Hold information in mind and work with it
In the kitchen. ‘Two spoonfuls of flour, then an egg.’ While they pour in the flour, they keep the egg in mind.
This is their working memory: a kind of little mental sticky note that lets them hold on to information and work with it for a few moments, so they can use it.
In class. To work out 2 + 2, if they don't know the answer by heart yet, they keep both numbers in their head, add them up mentally and get 4. That's their working memory in action!
And in life. ‘Go and get your shoes and your coat.’ They have to remember both!
4Check… and sometimes learn to find a plan B!
In the kitchen. Are all the rounds sliced? Nothing left out of the recipe? Taste, check and adjust.
But let's imagine an ingredient is missing. Disaster? Not at all! With your help, your child looks for another solution.
They're drawing on their cognitive flexibility: the ability to change strategy when things don't go to plan. In other words, finding a plan B!
In class. Reading over their worksheet, spotting a missed exercise or trying another method when they're stuck: the very same skills come into play.
And in life. They wanted to play outside, but it's raining? They learn to adapt their plans!
Why is cooking so good for their brain?
Here's something many parents don't know: behind a simple recipe lie the three core executive functions!
- Inhibitory control: their mental brake, for resisting impulses, ignoring distractions and focusing better.
- Working memory: their mental sticky note, for holding on to information and working with it.
- Cognitive flexibility: their ability to change strategy and adapt to the unexpected.
These three executive functions are essential foundations for all our learning: they help us focus, get organised, solve problems and adapt throughout our lives.
And the most fascinating part? A simple recipe already lets your child use all of them!
And what about you, meanwhile?
Choose a short recipe: three or four steps to begin with. Read it together once, all the way through.
Then give them the role of chef: they're the one who announces the next step. You become their commis chef!
If they get something wrong, ask them: ‘What could we do differently?’
The result may be a little wonky: it's theirs, and they'll be glowing with pride. And on Monday, in front of their schoolwork, remind them of the recipe: read, do things in order, check… and look for another solution if needed!
My magic knife
Genius Cut
The first real educational kitchen knife for children.
Its ultra-safe blade really cuts, just not fingers!
Designed with chefs and occupational therapists, from age 3. Its handle is ambidextrous.
Your questions
My child can't read yet. What should I do?
Read one step aloud: they say it back to you in their own words, then do it. Repeating the instruction is already a way of checking it's been understood.
Which recipe should we start with?
A short, no-cook recipe: a fruit salad, open sandwiches, skewers suited to their age. Make the recipe longer as they progress.
What if they skip a step?
Look at the result together, then read the recipe again with them: they're often the one who finds the missed step. Ask them how to put it right: they've just looked for their very own plan B!
To go further: the 4 techniques for learning to cut with a Genius Cut, and the Genius Book. Designed with neuroscientists and speech and language therapists, this interactive book offers playful challenges to help children get to know themselves better and develop key skills.
This is not a toy. To be used under adult supervision.
