Spending time with your children preparing food offers the chance to bond, all the while being creative. Both the Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association suggest that getting kids involved with grocery shopping and food prep can reduce picky eating. If you are looking for ways to get your children involved in the kitchen, here is a break down of great ideas for every age. 

Cooking with Kiddos Under Three

The first step to cooking with little ones is setting up a safe cooking environment. Once you’ve put away to sharp, hot, heavy, or otherwise hazardous items, you’re ready. Cooking with children this age is an opportunity to teach your child about food and familiarise them with the kitchen environment.

Here are some activities very young children will enjoy:

• Washing vegetables – this is a great way of teaching them the names of vegetables and sparking an interest which will hopefully encourage them to try different foods
• Stirring ingredients – they should be at room temperature
• Spooning ingredients into scales or measuring cups – you’ll need to help!

Another way to keep young children occupied is to give them plastic containers and utensils to wash in the sink – this can provide lengthy entertainment while you cook.

Cooking with Preschoolers

Children in this age range are often able to follow multi-step directions and have increased motor skills, but trust your knowledge of your child as skills can still vary greatly at this age. Pick recipes you know that you and your child can complete safely. 5 to 10 minutes might be all your child wants to spend on an activity. Start small and keep it fun.

Here are some activities preschool-aged children will enjoy:

• Cutting soft ingredients e.g. butter, mushrooms, strawberries using a strong plastic knife
• Breading and flouring – you can set up three stations with flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs for fish sticks
• Tearing and squashing – tearing herbs and lettuce or squashing fruit
• Kneading – light kneading can be fun but you’ll need to step in to complete the task
• Rolling, shaping and cutting dough
• Adding ingredients into the bowl

Cooking with 6-8 Year Olds

Most children in this age range have developed fine motor skills, so they can handle more detailed work, but they will still need food safety reminders. Some children in this age-range will have the skills and control needed to carefully flip hot pancakes, while many others might not be there yet. Trust your judgement.

Here are some of the activities elementary-aged children will enjoy:

• Use a peeler to peel raw potatoes, ginger, mangoes and other washed fruits and vegetables.
• Break eggs into a bowl and remember to wash hands afterwards.
• Load the dishwasher.
• Shuck corn and rinse before cooking.
• Rinse and cut herbs with clean, blunt kitchen scissors.

Cooking with 9-12 Year Olds

There is a wide range of skills in this age group, so tailor your tasks to each individual’s maturity level. Many children of this age can work independently in the kitchen, but should still have adult supervision. Before letting these kids do grown-up tasks on their own, assess whether they can follow basic kitchen rules such as adjusting pan handles over counters to avoid bumping into them, unplugging electrical appliances, using knives and safely using the oven or microwave.

Here are some age-appropriate activities that, with continued adult supervision, older children will enjoy:

• Put leftovers into containers and refrigerate them
• Crack and beat eggs
• Slice, grate, or chop fruits, vegetables, and cheeses
• Check the temperature of meat with a food thermometer – it’s like a science experiment!
• Boil pasta
• Follow a recipe, including reading each step in order and measuring ingredients accurately
• Simmer ingredients on the stove

Cooking together can be a fun way to teach your child valuable skills, promote good nutrition and make long-lasting memories in the process. 

“Mom, I’m huuuuungry,”comes the cry just as you sit down for the first time today. Isn’t it amazing how kids have a pre-installed radar to know the exact moment when a parent is about to relax? Well, fear no more. With some planning and training, your elementary age child will be able to whip up a few of their favorite foods on their own. “But why would I want to risk them burning something or making a mess in the kitchen?” you ask. Valid question. But the benefits of kids who are on the path to kitchen independence override the challenges. When children learn how to cook, they develop a skill that lends self-confidence and pride. A New York Times article suggests that children who are more involved with their food choices and preparation are more likely to try new foods. In addition, they also agree that teaching your child to cook allows a great opportunity for parent/child bonding time and for them to develop the executive functions of following step by step directions and creative problem solving.  

So where to start? For children age eight or older who are having a first foray into the kitchen, you may have a few levels to go through to build their confidence (and yours) for this new skill. A frozen toaster oven pizza might be a great first step. Take your child with you to the store and let him pick out a frozen pizza that will fit in the toaster oven (or the regular oven if you are ready).  When you get home, go over the directions, letting him read them aloud and tell you what he thinks each step means. Allow him to turn on the oven, set a timer, and wait. Then sit back as he enjoys his self-made snack.  

Step two can be as simple as mac and cheese. Following the pattern above, let your daughter choose the variety of pasta she wants from the store. This is a good chance to talk about nutrition and how your family chooses food items.  Words like “gluten-fee,” “fat-free,” “vegan,” and “organic” can provide some interesting conversations and help you share your family values regarding health and nutrition with your youngster. Wildtree, founded by a busy mom, provides affordable mealtime solutions and has a Kids Mac and Cheez that is super simple and fun and a pantry staple. Allowing a child to boil water can be scary for a parent, so make ensure you discuss whether or not an adult needs to be in the room for this. Show how to choose the right size pot, how high to fill it, and how you can’t leave the room while cooking. Now might be a good time to reach the meaning of the saying “A watched pot never boils.” Teaching how to measure and mix together the other ingredients builds confidence. Measuring and reading labels also offers opportunities to practice literacy and math skills- great bonus! Practice makes this process easy for your child. It also builds the parent’s confidence to allow less and less supervision and more and more variety in recipes as your child proves competence. 

In any cooking adventure, cleaning up is the cherry on top. Showing your daughter the steps to properly clean up after herself will set the standard for how you want the kitchen to look when she is finished. Spending time with your child teaching these skills is a great way to model your family values and have fun together. If you continue to encourage learning new recipes and new skills, your budding chef will soon be able to not only feed himself, but also the whole family.