Children have a natural fascination with cooking and baking. It has to do with their general need to touch, explore and fiddle with whatever gadget is put in front of them. This is not a bad thing, and can be rather educational when adult supervision is present.
Children can learn a lot from cooking.
In fact, from an early age, they can see how separate ingredients are mixed together and then transformed into something else. For Kindergartners and First Graders, measuring solids and liquids turns into a teachable moment. They can also see how ingredients are divided into various parts. The idea of heat and degrees of hotness also invites interesting discussion. Older children can delve deeper into this concept.