Kids cooking in the kitchen~
more than fun
Kids cooking with you in the kitchen is fun. It is also an important tool, like sports. Cooking teaches kids skills which will benefit them throughout their lives.
Here are a few tips to help you get your kids cooking with you in the kitchen.
Plan/ Observe/ Repeat:
- Plan age appropriate cooking tasks with your kids: Every great project whether it’s art, a building or an ad campaign~ it all starts with a plan. The same goes for meals and recipes. Helping kids to dissect their meal plan and recipes teaches them planning skills.
- Observe but don’t always step in. For instance, letting them see what happens when instructions are not followed is a great learning tool. Let them make the shopping list and help with the shopping. If they forget something, trouble shoot it when you get home.
- Repeating the same task often. Repetition is the key to building good habits and success in the kitchen.
Age appropriate tasks:
- Ages 2-5: motor skills like mixing blending and preparing fresh herbs and salads
- Ages 6-9: recipe preparation, measuring great age to learn about baking and roasting
- Ages 10+: Knife skills, recipe adapting, menu planning, shopping lists and stove work
Establish kitchen rules:
Consistency in rules for working the kitchen are important. Everyone should follow the same rules. As kids get older, adding more rules and responsibilities makes sense. Here are key rules to start off at any age:
- Washing hands constantly after each new task is a great habit to start young.
- Use separate things like knives, cutting boards and bowl for fresh produce and raw proteins.
- Refrigeration food safely (Don’t put raw chicken or ground meat on the shelf over fresh vegetables).
- Clean as you cook, less mess means less accidents.
Have fun and do many cooking adventures:
- Giving kids kitchen tasks like looking for recipes that they think will be fun to make, is a good idea. Even picky eaters will enjoy this task. If kids help to make it, they are a lot more likely to eat it
- Let the kids take charge of a portion of the meal. Let them do the mise en place for one of the recipes you plan for a dinner.
- Give them credit at the presentation of the meal. Applause goes a long way in encouraging the desire to be successful. Kids sports events teach us that.
- Have a Cupcake Wars or a Top Chef Cook-Off in your own kitchen. Let the kids help plan it and invite family or friends to participate.
Join us for our Summer Jr. Chef Cooking Camps in Vista, CA. Kids will have the opportunity to cook with real chefs in an actual commercial kitchen.
Call for more information 760-419-4609
