Tips for Cooking with Children

Cut back on seasonings since many children don't like spice.

Cooking with a child should be a positive experience for you and for him. You get to bond with your child and make memories, while he gets to learn responsibility and how to take care of himself and others. Start by cooking simple recipes that the child enjoys, then work up to more complicated fare. Whether you have a budding Julia Child or just a meatloaf child, the lessons she learns in the kitchen will stay with her.

Create a Workspace

Children will feel more competent and important if they have special tools and a special area in the kitchen. Create a lower workspace on a folding table if the child can't reach the counter, or pull up a chair to an open patch of counter space. Buy a special set of child's cooking utensils, or pull out some of your own utensils to make a special kit for him. Fill a mixing bowl with measuring cups, wooden spoons and rubber spatulas and tell him that these are his special tools for today.

Make Clear Rules

Although cooking with children should be fun, there are plenty of dangers in the kitchen. Talk about safety and make very clear rules before starting. Once you take out the food, children won't be able to fully concentrate on what you're saying. Explain that she is not permitted to touch any burners or hot pots and pans. Show her which tools she is allowed to touch and which she isn't. Explain that you will tell her when she can sample a dish, but that she shouldn't eat anything without permission. Once the rules are out of the way, you can concentrate on cooking.

Introduce Healthy Foods

When children have a hand in creating a meal, they'll be more likely to try it. Include as many healthy foods and new ingredients as possible in each meal you cook with a child. Show him how to clean and prepare each ingredient, and ask him to taste the meal along the way. He'll be so invested in making sure he's cooking the meal correctly that he might not notice he just tasted and enjoyed something green and leafy.

Teach Lessons

Teach an academic lesson in every step of the cooking process. Start by asking the child to read the recipe out loud. Ask her to then tell you what you should do first, second and third. This helps her build her reasoning and planning skills. Any time the recipe calls for measuring an ingredient, have the child do this task. Put out the measuring cups and and ask her to figure out what cups she needs to measure the required ingredients. She can build her science skills by observing what happens to ingredients when they mix together and change temperatures.

References

• Scholastic: Parents: Add a Pinch of Learning
• PBS: Parent Helpers: Cooking with Kids
• Epicurious: On Cooking with Kids