Thinking back to childhood, can you recall some of your fondest food memories?
Maybe you have an early memory of fishing with your grandfather and cooking the catch of the day, or making holiday cookies with your cousins. You might remember being in kindergarten making macaroni necklaces, or learning the secrets to the perfect pie crust that your mother passed down to you.
Humans have always congregated around food.
Throughout all societies, all generations, food is part of our biggest moments. We gather for huge, sumptuous meals on Thanksgiving, a barbecue on Independence Day, and share the triumphs and shortfalls of our day-to-day around the dinner table.
And throughout most of our history, children have been involved in these traditions.
While there are many enriching activities we can do with our children, cooking is one of the best. It’s fun, creative, educational, and a skill that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
Learning cooking skills develops language, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, math, and reasoning skills, and children who take part in cooking are 75% more likely to try and enjoy a wider variety of healthy foods.
Cooking is something you can do with a child of almost any age. Whether your child is two or 22, there are safe and appropriate ways you can incorporate their help into meal preparation.
Cooking with Kids Ages 2-3
Most toddlers enjoy helping in the kitchen! They can be very tactile and love the idea of eating something THEY made. At this age, they will need close supervision with all tasks.
Some age-appropriate tasks to consider:
Washing produce in the sink
Picking herbs off stems and ripping them into pieces
Tearing up greens for a salad
Sprinkling dried herbs and spices
Stirring dry ingredients
Ages 4-5
At this age, most children have developed more advanced motor skills and may wish to do tasks with more independence (use your best judgment here!).
Some age-appropriate tasks to consider:
Rolling out dough with a rolling pin
Breaking eggs
Grating vegetables or cheese
Cutting soft foods with a dull knife
Measuring and leveling dry ingredients
Spreading butter, nut butter, or jam
Setting the kitchen timer
Setting the table
Rinsing dishes in the sink
Filling the dishwasher soap compartment and starting the dishwasher
Cooking with Kids Ages 6-10
By this age, kids have generally mastered some basic cooking skills and are ready for more complicated tasks or multi-step tasks. In school, will be learning how to read, so reading recipes aloud is a wonderful way to support their reading skills! They may also be able to do basic math, including fractions, and can begin to take more ownership of the cooking process.
Some age-appropriate tasks to consider:
Using a can-opener or microplane (with supervision!)
Peeling fruits and vegetables
Greasing a baking pan
Scooping batter into a baking dish
Threading food onto skewers
Using a pairing knife (with supervision!)
Stirring food on the stove (with supervision!)
Making scrambled eggs (with supervision)
Pouring pasta into boiling water and stirring regularly
Putting groceries away
Loading and unloading the dishwasher
Clearing the dinner table
Ages 10+
At this age, your child can be fairly independent in the kitchen. Before allowing them total freedom, be sure that they have the chance to do more adult tasks with supervision and that they’ve mastered their skills. Only you can decide when your child has mastered each skill.
Some age-appropriate tasks to consider:
Following recipes using equipment such as the stove, oven, mixer, microwave or slow cooker
Using sharp knives to cut vegetables or fruit
Following complex recipe instructions
Cooking multiple components at one time
Consider allowing your pre-teen or teen to take one night each week to cook what they want for the family! They can build the menu, make sure the groceries are available, and showcase their amazing skills. Not only will you build their sense of accomplishment, but you’ll also have a night off from cooking.
It’s a family win-win!
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With children in the kitchen, there will be messy days, a lot of laughs, and probably the occasional boo-boo. Ultimately, it will all be worth it because cooking with your children creates memories and experiences that will last a lifetime.
This post was originally posted on https://themapsinstitute.com/