I’m amazed how often we forget kids are just little versions of us. Little ones in particular wanna help mom or dad do just about anything, and they learn by watching, then doing. It’s time to make the kitchen fun for your kids with things they can do to help with mealtime.
The kitchen is the heart of any home, and my kids have always been in there. I noticed how proud they were when they were allowed to help and how they adopted certain jobs as their own “specialty.” I will admit I didn’t always know what they could or couldn’t do. But we experimented and just had fun being in there together.
Getting started
Start early! Give them their own apron so it’s okay if they get messy. And little hands may need some of their own smaller tools.
You may need to assist (particularly as they’re learning a new skill), but they’ll love just about anything you let them do in the kitchen.
Teach them all along the way. The oven, stove and knives need special instruction because of safety concerns. And at first, their fine motor skills will limit what is safe for them to do in these areas. But as they gain dexterity and learn more self-control, let them try new things as you watch carefully.
While I didn’t learn much about cooking as a young child, I did have three favorite things my grandmother taught me to do: sorting dry beans, snapping fresh green beans from her garden, and breaking up all the breads to make homemade dressing. This is where I started with my kids, too. Here are some other ideas… Simple tasks your kids (even the small ones) can definitely do in the kitchen
Simple tasks your kids (even the small ones) can definitely do in the kitchen
- Wash vegetables
- Tear lettuce into pieces
- Sort and measure dry beans
- Sort berries for freezing
- Snap fresh green beans
- Snap asparagus spears
- Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of casseroles, etc.
- Help you choose meals for the week
- Help you choose which new recipe to try (particularly if you’re wanting to include a vegetable that isn’t liked just yet)
- Dry small tools or non-breakable dishes
As they get older, add these tasks
- Set the table
- Pull out the spices you need for a recipe
- Read the recipe out loud to see what happens next
- Measure spices or liquids
- Grate cheese
- Spread nut butters, soft cheese or sauces
- Brown ground meat
- Peel carrots or potatoes
- Chop vegetables
- Wash/dry pots and pans or utensils that can’t go in the dishwasher
- Unload the dishwasher when it’s done/put away those dishes
- Cut fruit (the bigger the fruit, the older the child and they may still need a little help)
- Assemble and blend dressings and sauces
- Assemble casseroles
- Flipping pancakes (“Tossing” stir-frying veggies is a slope-sided skillet is my 23-yr-old son’s current favorite skill!)
Of course, the ultimate fun is being able to cook a recipe all by themselves. That feeling of accomplishment when they serve the family a dish THEY made is priceless.
Bottom line: they learn skills, they eat more variety and healthier, you get help in the kitchen that improves over time. Don’t waste a minute! How can you make the kitchen fun for your kids tonight???
