Self-help articles and family information resource

I love cooking with children. I know, I know -- sometimes kids make a mess in the kitchen. Everything takes longer to do & what if the kids ruin the recipe?

Any or all of the above may be true, but the potential for fun and learning outweigh the risks! You may discover that you love it, too!

Kids love being involved with preparing food. That's part of why they're so likely to get in the way in your kitchen. They're interested in what you're doing, while you may be ignoring them. So rather than push them away, draw them in.

Cooking activities are appropriate for children aged two and up. Obviously, the kind of involvement and learning is different for a two-year-old and a five-year-old, but both can be involved in the process, learn while cooking and have fun!

Let me show you some of the many ways children learn through cooking and then I'll give you some directions on how to teach your child while you're cooking and still get supper ready. (Yes, it may take a bit longer to prepare, but think of all the time you'll save by not having to constantly stop to keep your child from getting in the way.)

1. Following Directions: Teach your child what a recipe is and that one must "follow the directions" in order for the recipe to work. Children learn that you must read directions and follow them in a certain order to get the result you want.

2. Simple Arithmetic: Compare amounts. Are we putting in more flour or more baking powder? What is bigger, a half cup or a whole cup? How many half cups do you need to equal a whole cup? Develop his sequencing skills. Ask him, "What do we do first...second...last?"

3. Sensory Awareness: Use ingredients with a variety of textures, smells, and tastes. Let him feel the difference between rice and beans. Let him taste the difference between sugar and salt. Have him smell the differences between various spices and the sweet smell of vanilla.

4. Vocabulary Enrichment: Enhance your child's knowledge of ingredients and items found around your kitchen. Flour, sugar and eggs may seem like everyday words to you, but they are not basic to your three-year-old.

5. Concept Development: Improve your child's understanding of concepts: Hard vs. soft, liquid vs. solid, hot vs. cold, raw vs. baked, in the bowl vs. out of the bowl, fast vs. slow, etc.

6. Cause and Effect Relationships: Increase your child's ability to answer questions like: "What happens if . . . (you add juice instead of water, you use bananas instead of strawberries)?" Children can learn how adding, leaving out or changing one ingredient can change the entire product.

7. Cooperation: Improve your child's ability to work together with you and with other children. This includes waiting for his turn and having fun in a joint activity.

GET READY:

1. Set up a convenient workspace for you and your child. (Or children -- I currently do cooking projects with at least two, if not all three of my children and, yes, we have to work hard on taking turns.) If you have limited counter space, it may make sense to do the preparation on the table.

2. Buy or borrow a stool. If you are working on a counter that is too high for your child, buy or borrow a stool to bring your child to the level of the activity.

3. Choose recipes. If cooking is new to your child, stick with simple, child-friendly recipes. While almost every recipe can be adapted to be of interest to small children, start with basic recipes (3-5 steps) and work your way up to more difficult ones. Choose foods that he likes to eat and will be excited to say that he helped make. Eventually, you can choose foods that are new to him in order to expand his experiences. (Children are usually more likely to try foods that they helped cook. Take a look at your own recipes and see which ones your child might enjoy preparing with you.

GET SET:

1. If you are using a cookbook, get out the cookbook or recipe that you will be using. Children learn just by seeing that their parents use books as references.

2. Assemble the ingredients you need before calling your child. You don't want to leave your child unsupervised around a half-finished batter while you look for new ingredients. Preparing ahead will not make the process take longer; it will just mean putting in the time before rather than during the activity.

3. Call your child and show him the recipe. If this is your first time cooking with your child, introduce him to the concept of a cookbook. If the book you use does not have illustrations or you're not using a cookbook, you can also have on hand cookbooks with illustrations. Explain that if you don't know how to make something, you refer to them for instructions. (In this way, he'll learn one of the many ways that reading helps us in our lives.)

4. Wash Hands.

Make sure your child washes his hands before any cooking activity. Let him see you wash your hands. This way he learns that cleanliness rules apply to everyone, not just to children.

GO!!!!!!!!!!

1. Name each ingredient as it is being used. If your child is old enough, have her say the name of the ingredient after you. Don't make it like a test. If she does not remember, tell her.

2. Let your child feel and smell the item you are using. Have her compare various textures (i.e. rice vs. flour). For an older pre-schooler, ask questions like: " Which one do you think feels nicer?" " Which smell do you like better?” (There is no correct answer, you’re just giving your child the opportunity to think about what he is doing.)

3. Let your child taste various ingredients.

WARNING: Never let your child taste raw eggs, fish, poultry or meat. These items can be dangerous to your child's (and your) health. When you work with a recipe containing these ingredients, have her taste the ingredients before any of the foods listed above are added. There is obviously no time to taste every ingredient. Choose two or three. I would suggest items of different taste groups: salt, sugar, lemon & even a tiny amount of pepper. Ask questions like: "What do you like better?" For older pre-schoolers you can talk about different taste groups -- sweet, sour, salty, bitter. If there are items that look and feel similar (salt and sugar is a great example) point this out to your child and have your child taste both. Have your child guess which is which by tasting them.

Once again, these questions are aimed at older pre-schoolers (aged four to five). For younger children (aged two to three), you can do these same activities (tasting, smelling, feeling), but let them "feel the experience." Discussion can come when your child is older.

4. Let your child put in as many ingredients as possible. You can do the measuring and hand your child the cup with the right amount of each item to put into a bowl. If you think it best, hold her hand and guide it to make sure the ingredient makes it into the bowl.

As you are putting things in, talk about whether you are putting in a lot or a little. You can ask questions like: "Are we using more salt or more pepper?" Some ingredients are not appropriate to be handled by young children. Just tell your child that now it is "Mommy/Daddy/Grandma's turn" and do it yourself. Sometimes you can adapt the recipe. A three-year-old can't crack an egg, but the parent can crack the egg, put it into a cup and have the child pour the egg into the batter.

5. Let your child mix the ingredients. Most items need a bit more mixing than a child can manage, but you can have your child start and then you can finish the process. Take turns. Show her that you can mix fast and mix slow. Practice each way. If you are using a mixer, then show her how you turn it on and off. Point out how the different settings determine if the mixer goes fast or slow. WARNING: Never leave an electric mixer plugged in around a young child. Do not turn your back, even for one second, while the appliance is plugged in. Discuss with your child that a mixer can be dangerous and not to touch it while the mixer is on.

6. Let your child help you put the food into the oven, onto the stovetop or into the refrigerator. Discuss with her if you want the food to be hot or cold. Let her touch the food before and after and feel the difference. (Make sure the food is not too hot for her before you let her touch it.)

7. Clean Up. If possible, clean up as soon as possible. Let her see that the rule "clean up after you are finished" also applies to adults. Let her help you. Older pre-schoolers usually love cleaning the counter; just make sure the sponge is only slightly damp so she does not flood the kitchen!

8. Enjoy the fruits of your labor. If you don't eat what you make, your child certainly won't want to. While you're eating, discuss what you did. What ingredients did you use? Play a game. See how many ingredients she can remember. Try and see if she remembers what you did first...second...last. Talk about how much fun it was and discuss any problems she might have had. (Sharing, making a mess, etc.)

QUESTION: This sounds great, but if I do all these steps each time, a cooking activity will take hours!

Correct, you can't do everything, every time. Choose a few ideas for each activity. If you have time, you can try and think beforehand which activities might be appropriate. If not, play it by ear and just proceed with the activity without all the educational input.

QUESTION: I tried doing everything you said and my child didn't seem to enjoy it. Should I continue?

Every child is different. In my experience, most, but not all children enjoy cooking activities. I would give it a second or even a third try and if your child is still not thrilled about it, don't worry, there are plenty of other great activities that she might enjoy better. Keep in mind that children's interests change as they grow older, it may be worthwhile to try again in six months to see if her interests have changed.

Cooking with kids is beneficial & educational to them in many ways. Here are just a few examples:

* A feeling of accomplishment that can increase confidence and self-esteem

* Math skills including addition, logical thinking, fractions, spatial geometry, and sequencing

* Refinement of fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination

* Increased vocabulary and reading comprehension skills from following recipes

* Sense of how to be a team player, take turns, and work together to achieve a specific outcome

* Science skills including chemistry, physics, cause and effect, and predicting outcomes

* A sense of responsibility that comes with following directions and delegating tasks

* Awareness of different cultures (by cooking and eating different types of cuisine)

* Increased patience and sense of time management

* Familiarity and willingness to try new foods and understanding of different cooking techniques and processes

* A better understanding of nutrition

* An outlet for their creativity and a chance to have FUN!

***Remember the most important goal of cooking with your child is to enjoy each other’s company!