Why Cook with Kids? 

Learning to cook teaches many different lessons such as learning to do things in a certain order, weighing and measuring, fractions, time management fine motor skills, and an introduction to various new foods. Beyond that, though, including kids in the kitchen can provide opportunities for bonding and connecting, which can be powerful influences on their security and development. 

How to Cook with Toddlers

In any new environment or situation, teaching and modeling consistently is important. For children, everything is new, and as the parent you get to choose what boundaries to set. 

Set your child up for success by providing a way for your child to reach the counter. Whether you use a step stool, or an item like the Toddler Tower, ensure it is on a stable surface that cannot easily tip over. Read more about Toddler Tower Safety Tips! 

Kitchen Safety for Kids

As you prepare to cook with your child, teaching them kitchen safety is just as important as teaching them how to cook, and many injuries can be prevented by following safe practices. 

If your child tends to grab things off the counter, you might consider preparing the space so that they have a few safe items within reach, and other items have been moved out of the way (think of mixers, blenders, adult knives, etc). 

The Toddler Tower can be helpful as children practice hand washing, especially after handling raw ingredients. Other things to consider are proper knife usage, being aware of the hot stove and/or oven, and handling breakable materials carefully. If you're looking for tips on introducing breakable materials to small children, our breakable materials blog has some helpful ideas! 

Teaching Kids to Cook

When you start to include your child in the kitchen, plan for things to take longer than they would if you were to do it yourself. Remember, it's more about the time invested and skills learned than the actual outcome of a recipe.

As you introduce your child to various aspects of cooking, it can help to start with basic skills and then build upon them over time. When they are trying something new, recognize that they will likely not get it the first time or two, but that does not necessarily mean you need to step in. You can observe and wait for them to ask or slowly show (not tell!) them how to do it again. 

Tasks for Kids New to Cooking:

• Pouring or dumping pre-measured ingredients
• Stirring
• Scooping ingredients out of their containers
• Sprinkling cheese
• Shuck corn
• Mashing bananas
• Put liners in a muffin tin
• Wash fruit and veggies
• Observing

Cooking Tasks for Children with More Experience:

• Cracking eggs
• Buttering bread
• Peeling fruits and vegetables
• Shredding ingredients such as cheese 
• Peeling garlic
• Cutting soft fruit with a kid-friendly knife
• Juice fruit
• Set a timer
• Mash avocados
• Supervised cooking on the stove, such as flipping pancakes

 Easy Toddler Recipes

 Looking for a few simple recipes to make with your little one? Here are some of our favorites!

• Nachos (Melt shredded cheese on top of tortilla chips and let your little one add toppings!) 
• Muffins
• Banana Bread
• Pizza
• Smoothies
• Pancakes
• Lasagna (Let them layer the noodles or sprinkle the cheese!)
• Cookies
• Waffles
• Simple bread dough

Following a checklist or sequence of steps can help children follow directions and remember their next task. Introducing a new recipe might sound like, "Today, we are making muffins. First, we will gather our ingredients, then make the batter, then scoop it into the muffin tins, and then bake them in the oven."

For children who can't read yet, visual recipes can help them follow along! You might try pictures of each ingredient, images of actions like mixing or pouring, and the sequential steps in the recipe. For older children, cooking is an opportunity to practice reading and math skills as they read through and follow a recipe. 

No matter their prior experience, including all ages of children in clean-up is an important part of learning to cook! You might have them wash dishes, wipe the countertop, or sweep spilled ingredients off the floor. Establishing cleaning up as a part of the cooking process helps reduce messes and is a task that many adults are still learning! 

Other Ways to Include Children in the Kitchen: 

You may have times when including your child in the kitchen isn't practical or supporting your needs. Here are a few ideas for when your child wants to help: 

• Ask them to set the table for the meal. Inviting them to make name cards or find a special centerpiece for the table can be a fun way to accomplish the task if they need a little encouragement. 
• If a timer needs to be set, you can let them be the one to start and/or stop the timer.  
• Let them wash the dishes in the sink after you use them. A scrub brush, soap, and some water can be a wonderful time! Keep food safety in mind when you do this, and maybe save items like cutting boards with raw meat for an adult or older child to clean. 
• Ask them to gather ingredients for you.
• Set them up with a separate activity so that they can still be next to you but engaged in something else. The Weaning Table can be a helpful place for arts and crafts, reading, or sitting with a snack while they stay close to you.