Cooking with kids is a great way to have fun and learn about math and science. When kids are in the kitchen with you, it creates a sense of closeness and also helps in using their math and science skills to do something the entire family can enjoy. These tips should help you with including children in the kitchen more often:
1. Keep it simple: By breaking the cooking project into manageable chunks, kids will stay engaged. Small, easy-to-execute steps are best. For example, measuring and pouring in ingredients, doing some basic mixing, or getting out certain ingredients is easy and fun.
2. Splishy splashy: No matter what age your child is, kids love splashing at the sink. If your child is splashing at the sink, they are safe, happy, engaged — and definitely participating! Plus, your measuring cups and bowls will be very clean.
3. Keep them part of the routine: Part of cooking is cleaning up, which is a useful concept to teach. On the other hand, having a child learn that before helping anyone in the kitchen, they need to wash their hands and bring a step stool or chair over to the counter.
4. Use childproof tools: There are a number of kid-friendly cooking tools. Rubber spatulas and wooden spoons both have easy-to-grip round handles that are just right for pint-size chefs.
5. Hold it steady: Non-skid dishes, bowls, and cutting boards are essential for tiny chefs. If your equipment is not non-skid, anchor it with a damp paper towel. The more you can do to keep it steady, the easier it will be for your young cook to assist.
The secret to successful cooking with kids is to have fun with it. The more you and your children can do together, the closer your family will be. By using your imagination, you can easily come up with ways that children can contribute to the cooking and help you out with this chore.