Kids in the Kitchen

Though it might seem that the kitchen is the worst place for a child to be when you’re busy cooking a family meal after a long day, the truth is that there are lots of benefits to getting children involved in preparing food. Of course, it’s better to have them elsewhere while you are making elaborate meals involving hot pans of water or oil, taking things in and out of the oven, and using sharp knives. But welcoming them into the kitchen to show them how to prepare meals is a great way to teach children more about food, encourage them to try new things, and set them up for a life of enjoying cooking.

Cooking with young children

From three years old, most children are old enough to do basic things in the kitchen. Parents will be aware that this requires more patience than usual cooking experiences, and there will probably be more mess to clean up afterwards! But it’s a lot of fun for adults and children.

Here are some ways you can get them to help:

• Stir cake mixture
• Tear leaves and herbs
• Add pizza toppings
• Wash vegetables
• Knead dough

These tasks will help with developing motor skills, as well as giving them some autonomy over what they are eating. You can offer them a choice of different pizza toppings, and a variety of vegetables to pick from, and because they’ve chosen the food, they’ll probably be more likely to eat it!

It’s also a good way for young children to practice their counting. Tell them you need four apples for a pie, or six basil leaves, and let them count them out.

Remember that children under five are likely to have a shorter attention span than older children, so be prepared for them