The Montessori Kitchen

The kitchen is the ideal Montessori learning environment at home, and now award-winning cookbook author Kristen Miglore and bestselling Montessori author Junnifa Uzodike team up to create a hands-on guide for parents and children to play and learn together through cooking.

The kitchen is the perfect playground for children to tackle new skills and experience everything—the play, the science, the math, the magic—that preparing food has to offer. New groceries coming in and out. Colorful vegetables being washed and prepped and cooked. Different ingredients being scooped and measured and transformed, with so many points along the way to see, smell, touch, taste, and listen. And endless opportunity for conversation with their grown-ups.

The newest book in the bestselling Montessori series offers parents a new way to think about time spent in the kitchen with their young children, with over 60 delicious, nutritious, interactive recipes. The fun starts before baby is born, with nourishing foods for the pregnant and postpartum parent. The book takes parents through those early months in the kitchen wearing—and talking to—baby while prepping dinner, to creating baby and toddler friendly areas in the kitchen, to developing those first kitchen skills, eating together, and fostering their growing independence in the kitchen.  

Children can practice scooping and pouring with Pantry Hunt Granola, exercise agency with Juicy Tomato Caprese Salad, hone fine motor skills with Sweet Potato Gnocchi, and cultivate patience with Blueberry Yogurt Pops. And through it all, experience the Montessori way of growing and connecting in the kitchen.  

• This book is a beautiful invitation for children to embrace cooking as a conduit for curiosity, confidence, and joy. We learn through our senses, and The Montessori Kitchen shows us that measuring, mixing, tasting and sharing can all become meaningful lessons in attention and care. It is a wonderful resource for families and educators alike.
  —ALICE WATERS, founder of Chez Panisse and The Edible Schoolyard Project
• This is so much more than a family cookbook. It’s a way to deeply nourish their stomachs, minds, and hearts in a Montessori way.
   
  —SIMONE DAVIES, author of The Montessori Toddler
• A book for all of us who spend time with children. Yes, it’s about working with kids in the kitchen. And yes, you’ll want to make each of the nurturing recipes. But there’s a bonus: Everything you learn in The Montessori Kitchen will touch—strengthen and sweeten—so many other parts of your life.
  —DORIE GREENSPAN, New York Times bestselling author of Baking with Dorie
• This is a valuable resource for families looking to nurture independence, confidence, and joy in their children. The introductory sections of each chapter are incredibly informative, practical, and family-friendly. They provide a thoughtful and accessible introduction to Montessori principles and our approach to engaging children meaningfully in everyday activities. The recipes are wonderfully child-centered: simple to follow, approachable for young hands, nutritious, and fun. Highly recommended!
   
  —JUDI ORION, Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Director of Pedagogy
• The Montessori Kitchen is a beautiful, comprehensive guide to helping children learn, explore, experiment, and grow in the kitchen. As a longtime superfan of both Junnifa’s Montessori books and Kristen’s Genius Recipes series, I am so excited to see their work come together in this collection of thorough, practical tips and delicious, colorful recipes that will delight the whole family.
   
  —MOLLY YEH, Food Network host and New York Times bestselling cookbook author
• The Montessori Kitchen is a wonderful resource for the modern parent who sees the kitchen as the perfect place for learning, discovery, and sensory play. As a new mom who is constantly cooking, the recipes and tips are invaluable for navigating all the intimate, formative moments with a child. I will return to this book again and again!
   
  —JERRELLE GUY, author of Black Girl Baking and We Fancy: Simple Recipes to Make the Everyday Special
• The Montessori Kitchen is a beautiful, inspiring resource for any family hoping to make mealtimes more connected, calm, and engaging. The book’s structure thoughtfully follows a child’s developmental stages while offering wholesome recipes, gentle guidance, and meaningful ways to involve children in the kitchen. Its emphasis on independence, curiosity, and shared family experiences makes it feel both nurturing and empowering. Parents and caregivers will appreciate the balance of education and practicality, while children are invited to explore food with confidence and joy.
   
  —BETH WOOD, author of The Montessori Toddler Activity Book