Children in the Kitchen -

Getting your children in the kitchen to help out is one of the best ways for them to become adventurous eaters. The more they are surrounded by different foods and interacting with them; the more likely they are to actually try different foods. This is a great way to also have them work on basic skills that are needed in life.

Ideas based on age to help get children involved in the kitchen:

Toddler- Getting a Learning Tower allows your toddler to join you at the counter and help pour pre-measured ingredients into mixing bowls. If you don’t want to spend the money on a Learning Tower, set them at your dining room table with a bowl filled with some spices. Have them mix, smell, and even taste them before they put them into the bowl. Allowing them to snap off the ends of green beans and asparagus is always a fun thing for them at this age. Even pulling the silk off of corn is a simple task for them. They can also put the finishing touches on the food by sprinkling a little bit of salt and pepper on everything before it goes into the oven.

Ages 4-8 – This is a great age to begin learning how to whisk and stir batters. They can even practice cutting up fruits and vegetables with a small pairing knife. My daughter always loved chopping the tops off of the strawberries to help me out. They can also tear the lettuce to go into salads and toss everything together. Setting and clearing the table and loading and unloading the dishwasher are also great skills to begin practicing at this age.

Older children:

Ages 9-12 – At this age they can become more involved with starting to cook simple meals. There are many subscription services that send a box each month to kids that include recipes and a fun kitchen utensil. We love receiving the Kidstir boxes for this. You can also have them find recipes in cookbooks or online to try. Have them write out the ingredients they need, and you can be on the sidelines ready to assist them.

Ages 12+ – At this age, they should be able to independently make simple meals for themselves. Sandwich, eggs, pasta, and macaroni and cheese are something most this age should be able to make. Have them help make side dishes or even give them an opportunity to be head chef! As they get older and more comfortable, the recipes can become more complex.

The key is to make it fun. Don’t act as if it is a chore for them to do or you will automatically get push back. I have found that watching cooking/baking competitions help my children get excited about cooking. My children love doing competitions in the summer where they each make a dessert. We have the grandparents over for dinner, and then we all judge which one was the best. Now that they are older we have started to place each one in charge of dinner one night a week. This is fun for them as they are in complete control with what is being served and the preparation of the meal. Bonus for the kids, the adults do the clean-up.