How to Let Your Little One Help You in the Kitchen

For kids, cooking is an adventure. Whether it’s baking cookies or stirring pancake batter, they are eager to get their hands dirty! But what happens when your little ones get too big for their high chairs? How can you still keep them entertained with meal preparation? We have compiled a list of tips for getting kids involved in the action.

Prepare the area

To let your little ones help in the kitchen, you first need to prepare the area. You can do this by putting a few sheets of paper on the bench top. Next, set out any tools that you think might be useful for your little one to use. This will help them feel confident about what they are doing and also learn how to use these tools for cooking later on in life. Make sure there are no sharp objects or hot surfaces that they can access. 

Ready their gear

It’s important to start your little one off with the proper attire for cooking. An apron, hat and gloves all make great accessories. The apron will protect their clothes from spills, while the hat will keep their hair out of their eyes and the gloves are just cool! Let them choose which color they want and enjoy watching them play professional chefs.

Get them a stepping stool

Children may need a helping hand with grabbing ingredients or stirring. Get them their own kitchen step stool so that they can stand safely while they work. There are so many types of stepping stools out there — step stands, box steps and rolling platforms just to name some. Choose a kitchen step stool that’s stable enough to support the child’s weight and has non-slip feet so it won’t move around on the floor. 

Give them easy tasks

If your child still hasn’t developed firm motor skills, don’t give them any heavy items or anything that could fall on top of them if they drop it (like glass). Instead, let them hold spices or measuring cups while you stir something together or sprinkle toppings on the food. 

Start with something sweet

Asking kids to help with dinner is one thing, but if you’re trying to get them interested in cooking, start with something sweet like cookies or brownies. It’s a no-brainer that kids love to bake because of their sweet tooth. Plus, it’s easy for them to participate at every step of the process. They can prepare the batter, drizzle icing, mix ingredients or lick the spoon.

Be prepared for a mess

Let’s face it, kids are messy by nature. They tend to spill things, squish them and generally make a mess of everything they touch. But this is actually a good thing when they’re helping in the kitchen because it teaches them how to clean up after themselves and be responsible for their own mess. Just try to be there with a sponge or towel ready in case of emergency.

Don’t let mistakes derail your expectation

Kids will make mistakes — that’s part of learning! If the recipe calls for adding an ingredient at a particular step, don’t expect them to remember it or follow directions well. Instead, tell them what to do when they are ready for that step (for example: “Add the milk now”). That way they don’t miss out on any steps and have a better chance of success next time around.

Takeaway

A kitchen is a place where you can bond with your little ones and teach them valuable skills. Just make sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t get hurt. It’s also important to remember that kids are more likely to be interested in helping out if you make it fun for them! Make sure they have access to plenty of colorful tools and ingredients, so they can feel like they’re part of the whole process. And don’t forget: it’s always fun to experiment when cooking!