Cooking With Kids

Getting kids involved in the kitchen is a great way to spend time together. Not only is it fun, but seeing and tasting the final product gives them a sense of accomplishment. Cooking also helps you teach your kids valuable skills, such as how to follow instructions and basic math and reading comprehension. Follow these simple tips for an enjoyable and safe cooking experience:

Be prepared.

Let the kids plan the menu so they get excited about what they’re cooking. Even if they choose a strange combination of foods, have a good time and let them mix up your routine. Chocolate-chip muffins, potato salad, and turkey parmesan? The odder the better! Enlist their help and make meal preparation easy and fun. For our Turkey Expert Blogger insight, please see In the Kitchen with Kids and Kids and Thanksgiving blogs.

Help them feel like a cooking whiz.

It’s always more fun to do a job when you look the part. Let the kids wear an apron and a hat to keep hair out of the food. They’ll also need the right tools, so provide them with their own plastic measuring cups, spoons, or mixing bowls.

Safety first.

Kids always need supervision in the kitchen. Remind them what’s OK to touch and which tasks are for grown-ups only, such as using the stove or sharp knives. Reinforce washing hands before touching food and not licking their fingers or mixing spoons, especially when cooking with raw eggs.

Assign the right tasks.

Before you start preparing the meal, think about what tasks your kids can handle based on age, ability, and experience in the kitchen. Plan the steps so they’re busy mixing or washing ingredients while you’re completing tasks they can’t do, like chopping or heating ingredients on the stove.

Have a blast!

Cooking can be a bonding experience with your kids if you are calm and patient. Spills and messes are going to happen, so expect them and go with it. Clean up can be fun, too. And don’t forget to compliment your assistant chefs on a job well-done!

Learn more

For Thanksgiving 2008, blogger Chris Jordan shares her top five tips for cooking with kids.