Welcome to Inquisicook Junior

A program that teaches science-driven cooking to young students?

That’s Inquisicook Junior, and it’s coming soon!

Designed for students in kindergarten and up, Inquisicook Junior takes Culinary Science to a whole new level. Beginner’s level, that is. Full of fascinating facts, fun activities, and fabulous food, this project has been years in the making. We think you’ll find it was worth the wait.

The program is made up of pint-sized, themed courses such as our first one, All About Apples. They’re self-paced, but families will typically spend six to eight weeks on each course. While most students work independently in Inquisicook 1 and 2, an “assistant” works closely with Inquisicook Junior students to help guide the process, supervise activities, and jump in on tasks that call for an experienced hand.

Scroll down for an overview of IQJ’s exclusive features, then check out the sample lessons to take it for a test drive.

Inquisicook Junior Is For Real

Real Cooking

Inquisicook Junior teaches real cooking skills using real ingredients. It’s not just food-assembly recipes like tortilla pinwheels or yogurt and granola parfaits. It’s not a subscription box of pre-measured pouches. Students learn essential culinary techniques while preparing dishes that are endlessly repeatable and adaptable.

Real Science

Inquisicook Junior teaches real science that directly informs the cooking process. Hands-on activities inspire curiosity and lay a foundation of scientific literacy. As students apply principles in the kitchen, they come to understand that science is practical, meaningful, and interesting.

Really Delicious Food

Inquisicook Junior teaches students to cook tasty dishes you’ll be glad to see coming to the family table. We skip the gimmicks that are common in kiddie cooking, as well as shortcut recipes that rely on lots of ultra-processed foods. Students learn to make delightfully satisfying food that includes both sweet and savory offerings.

Our Methods Make the Difference

Lesson Videos

Our engaging lesson videos are the heartbeat of the program. They speak directly to students in a relaxed tone and explain concepts in easy-to-understand language. They also demonstrate how to prepare recipes and complete science activities. Forget about buying additional books, reading teaching scripts, or studying ahead to prepare to teach. Just click the play button and let the learning begin.

Model of Pectin Acting as the Glue That Bonds Plant Cells Together

Scientific Modeling

We love putting the academic cookies on a lower shelf, so to speak, and scientific models are a great way to do just that. Taking concepts that can be a bit daunting and turning them into hands-on modeling activities makes them understandable and memorable—not to mention fun. As a bonus, many of our models are edible. Yum for tasty science! Yay for minimizing waste!

Culinary Calisthenics

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and that definitely applies to kitchen skills. Young learners need to develop strength, control, and good judgment before taking on tasks like draining a pot of boiling pasta water, putting a baking dish into a hot oven, or inverting a cake onto a cooling rack. With our Culinary Calisthenics workouts, younger students begin building these skills with low-risk exercises: draining a pot that’s partially filled with cool water, putting a baking dish into a cold oven, or inverting a cake pan packed with a damp dish towel onto a cooling rack. When the time is right for them to try the real thing, they’ll have a big head start on the road to safety and success.

“Apple Twigs & Bark” (Crispy Apple Peels)

Scraptastic Magic

The best cooks make the most of every resource, and that’s what Scraptastic Magic is all about. From spent lemon rinds to stale crackers to the leftover oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, we teach students that turning kitchen trash into culinary treasure isn’t just frugal. It’s scraptastic!

Culinary Math Moments

Math is a normal part of everyday cooking, so why not put it in the spotlight from time to time? Whether it’s using fractions to cut apples into equal slices, converting teaspoons to tablespoons, or calculating the ratio of cooking oil to popcorn kernels, our Culinary Math Moments showcase the practical side of math.

Sensory Evaluation

Students strengthen analytical skills as they rate the recipes they prepare based on appearance, texture, flavor, and aroma. This guides them to think specifically about their results and gives them a pathway to craft improvements or variations based on their personal preferences. Sensory Evaluation is especially helpful for families who need to find workarounds for food aversions.

Narration

Kids love sharing new knowledge, and narration takes advantage of that. Throughout Inquisicook Junior, students are asked to explain what they’ve learned in their own words. It’s a low-stress way to make sure they’ve understood a lesson. They can either speak with someone else or document what they’ve learned by shooting a video of themselves.

Extra Helpings

Sometimes a topic is so interesting that you want to explore more. Our Extra Helpings are optional learning extensions that offer pathways into other subject areas, such as literature, art appreciation, history, and botany. And sometimes they’re just for fun. (We’ll call that recess.)

Ready to give it a try? Check out the sample lessons.

Slow-Roasted Strawberries