An Age-Based Guide to Cooking with Kids

Let's get FIGGY in the kitchen because cooking with kids of all ages is FLIPPING awesome! 

• We used a giant spoon to cook dinner last night. It caused quite a stir.
• What kitchen utensil loves classical music? The Chopin board.

Helping in the kitchen is a great opportunity for young people to develop their patience, concentration, and fine motor skills. And when kids participate in preparing foods, they’re often more interested in tasting the results. There are many ways to involve kids in cooking and preparing food. The magic lies in choosing realistic, safe tasks that build their skills and confidence! (See “Kitchen Safety at Home for Kids” for some thoughts about this.) 

We put together these guidelines as a starting point. Keep in mind that there’s a lot of variability in children’s abilities. While some extremely focused 8-year-olds are ready to use the stove, others aren’t yet mature enough to do so. Every child is different, and you are the expert in your child!

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Tips for cooking with young children

• Dress your child in clothing and shoes that can get wet/messy. 
• A sturdy step stool can make it easier for young kids to observe and participate. 
• Have a small broom and dustpan handy
• Have sponges within easy reach for quick clean-up 
• Keep a towel nearby!
• Maintain reasonable expectations – there will be spills and messes, and everything will take longer than if you were doing it yourself. It’s all part of the process!
• Have all ages help clean up the kitchen when you’re all finished, and there’s a good chance they’ll think that’s just what everyone does :)
• HAVE FUN!

To get you started cooking, here are some favorite recipes:

• NO COOK RECIPE: Sweet and Savory Hummus
• MICROWAVE RECIPE: (SWEET) Oooh-la-la! Luscious Lemon Yogurt Pudding Cake + Fancy French Berry Sparklers
• MICROWAVE RECIPE: (SAVORY) Melty Cheesy Zucchini Polenta Lasagna Cups + Incredibly Easy Italian Lemon Soda
• SHEET PAN RECIPE: Fussy Fancy Puff Pastry Bundles + Broccoli Caesar Salad Boats + Sparkling Grape Spritz

And check out our YouTube channel HERE for our "How To" videos for kids. We have tons of videos such as "How To Use a Knife Safely", "How To Segment a Bell Pepper" and "How To Pit an Avocado". Plus our Tik Tok has tons of short tips and kitchen hack videos too!

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