Involving Kids In The Kitchen

Children are always curious and ready to learn new skills, making them want to get involved in the things their parents do.

One of the main area’s children can learn from is in the kitchen, but parents need to understand how to involve their children best to learn new skills and remain safe. Depending on the age of the child, there are various activities parents can let them handle.

Cooking Activities For Preschoolers

Children at this age get bored fast. Therefore, parents need to give them activities that suit their skill level and activities that they will enjoy. Some of those activities include:

• Tearing lettuce and other vegetables for a salad

• Stirring pancake batter

• Adding ingredients into a recipe

• Helping you read or turn pages on your cookbook

• Assembling a pizza

Activities For Elementary Students

Children at this age are better at finishing tasks and don’t get bored as fast as preschoolers. Some of the activities best suited for them include:

• Rolling and kneading dough

• Mashing bananas or potatoes

• Stirring or sifting ingredients

• Peeling fruits using a safe peeler

• Spreading toppings

• Spooning batter into miffing tins or pans

• Using cookie cutters

Activities For Older Children

Older children usually are more ready for challenges and are capable of taking on bigger tasks from beginning to end. Parents have to be ready to be the assistant and only help them when they need to use new kitchen equipment or ingredients.

Parents can let older children choose and prepare a whole meal or even write grocery lists for them. However, the parents should take on any activities that require them to use knives, stoves, or the oven.

They should also complement their children in every step of their meal preparation and after trying their final meal.

Skills And Habits Children Learn In The Kitchen

• Expands their palate- If a child is picky about their food, helping their parents cook will open them to new flavors and foods. That mainly happens when they try new recipes and cuisines from different cultures and countries.

• Explore their senses- Children learn to use all their senses when making meals or in different activities parents give them.

• Responsibility- When a child learns how to follow a recipe or observe safety measures when using kitchen equipment, they learn how to be responsible.

• Healthy eating- When parents explain the nutrition benefits of every ingredient to their children, it helps them make more healthy choices in the future.