Cooking Up Family Fun in the Kitchen

Every family has a good photo of their toddler pulling out the pots and pans from the kitchen cabinets. Children enjoy being in the kitchen with the family. It is great quality family time. You will be surprised how quickly a child will drop a video game controller in exchange for a spatula.

Teaching your children the basics of cooking not only turns out to be a big help for you, it also helps create a good foundation for a healthy adult by enabling kids to be self-sufficient and make nutritious food choices. Get your children comfortable with helping in the kitchen at an early age, and you will find this encouraging environment will make them more open to trying new foods and flavors, as well as making them more excited about family meals.

To empower your child in the kitchen, it can help to get them their own set of cooking utensils or aprons. Depending on their age and size, a step stool may be helpful to reach the counter when following a recipe. Before you set out on your fun cooking adventure, make sure to review the basics of kitchen safety and cleanliness with your child.

Here are some cooking activities and tips grouped by age to get you started with your child in the kitchen:

Cooking Activities for Children by Age.

3-5 years old:

• Make a grocery list, sound out the letters in foods like A for Apple
• Washing fruits and veggies
• Cleaning the tables and counters
• Roll out the cookie dough and place on a baking sheet
• Making shapes with cookie cutters

6-9 years old:

• Reading recipes
• Using measuring cups for dry and liquid ingredients
• Writing the shopping list when told the ingredients
• Stirring ingredients in a bowl
• Using a dull knife to spread
• Prepping fruits and veggies (i.e., taking off corn husks, snapping peas, etc.)

9-12 years old:

• Recipes with little adult supervision
• Using a microwave, oven and stove
• Using a knife with supervision
• Operating a hand electric mixer

There are number of great websites and cookbooks to help your child in the kitchen. Here are just a few:

• www.spatulatta.com
• www.cookingwithkids.com

Here are some great children's cookbooks to add to your collection:

• Pretend Soup by Mollie Katzen
• Kitchen Playdates by Laura Bank Deen
• The Toddler Café by Jennifer Carden

You can also visit the Food Network website to find Cooking with Kids special programming and resources along with tips and recipes throughout the year. Enjoy this experience with your child and realize that you are helping to build their confidence as well as giving them a skill they can use for the rest of their lives.