Philly Mom Kickstarts Project to Teach Kids Baking and Foreign Language Skills at the Same Time

Mothers everywhere understand the conundrum. How do you coax kids off the couch and into a project that reaps more rewards than a marathon session of (dare I say it?) Yo Gabba Gabba!? The short answer? Cookies! The long answer? They’ve got to bake those suckers, and, hey, why not throw in some valuable cultural skills at the same time?

Enter Bakers’ Passport, Philly mom Meg Puglisi’s company that doubles as a baking lesson and foreign language tutorial. “As a parent, I know how important it is to expose children to cultures that may be different from their own. Language exploration is a perfect way to create a spark of interest in other cultures, and with Baker’s Passport, kids are learning while having fun.”

To fund the project she recently launched a Kickstarter campaign, which she explains as a first step to an idea she’s had for years. “I have always loved getting my hands — and clothes, and the floor — covered in flour, sugar, and chocolate, and getting lost in the kitchen,” she says. “It always surprised me how many people I encountered that didn’t feel comfortable in the kitchen. In turn, they doubted their ability to create and make something that tastes as good — or better than — the local bakery down the street.”

That’s the big idea behind the Baker’s Passport: Helping kids gain confidence through baking will translate (no pun intended!) to a more sure-footed approach to other lofty goals, like learning a new tongue. “I wanted to create something to help kids have some fun and gain self confidence through baking the way that I did as a child.”

You can donate to her Kickstarter here. Donors receive incentives, like homemade cookies from Puglisi and an electronic version of the Bakers’ Passport. Money raised will help make the digital version into a tangible activity kit.