Kitchen Safety Rules

This safety page includes, kitchen safety rules, food sanitation and printable checklists to keep in your kitchen while teaching your kids to cook.

Child Kitchen Safety Rules

No sharp knives for small children. Keep them out of reach and out of sight.

Teach children that the stove is hot! Even when turned off, it should not be touched or played around.

Make sure all handles on pots and pans are turned inward.
Cook hot soup or hot food on a back burner if possible.

Teach children about proper sanitation of foods. Use clean hands. When done cooking, wash hands again. Clean counter tops and dishes well after cooking, to prevent contamination of foods. Always clean items that were in contact with raw meats and eggs immediately after using.

No licking mixing spoon or fingers -sample when it is done cooking.

Always turn off stove top and oven when done.

Keep appliances away from water.

Don’t put cooked food on a plate or surface that had raw foods on it.

Put ingredients back after using. (Makes clean up easier also)

Always use supervision.

Give a kitchen tour of what is safe and not safe. Tell them what is not to be touched and any other advice for your kitchen.

Read through any recipe you are using. Double check you have all ingredients available.

When your child is old enough to use the oven, make sure they review the oven safety rules as well.

Download our Kitchen Safety Rules Chart and hang it in the kitchen for a quick reminder. (you will need Adobe Reader to open.)

Rules of the Kitchen for Parents

Patience. There will be spills and the finished product might look unappealing but relax and realize the learning that is happening with your child. Making a mess or spilling is going to happen and if we lose patience, they will be fearful of not doing it "right."

Praise. Help their self esteem by praising a job well done!

Kitchen Safety and Food Sanitation

Now that we've had an overview of kitchen safety don't forget about food sanitation. Here are some tips to teach your kids:

Store foods either hot or cold. The bacteria that causes food poisoning grows quickest when it is warm.

Don't handle food when you are sick.

Wear an apron and wash it often. As well as any dishtowels used while cooking.

Keep your hair and yourself clean (nobody wants a dirty cook in the kitchen!)

When washing your hands always use soap and warm water. Scrub your hands for at least one full minute.

Keep raw food away from cooked food. Be aware that also goes for dishes being used in the kitchen. Never reuse a plate or dish that was holding raw food. Clean the dish thoroughly.

Wipe up spills while you are cooking. It makes clean up easier also to clean as you go.

Cover up any cuts or open sores you may have with a bandage.

Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.

Clean and wash thoroughly dishes and utensils that were used during cooking.

Salmonella bacteria can be prevented by cooking food thoroughly (always check with a meat thermometer!) and store leftovers quickly in the fridge.

Download our Food Sanitation Chart and hang it in the kitchen for a quick reminder. (you will need Adobe Reader to open.)

Kitchen Safety Rules Checklist

Here are some things to keep in mind when you cook with your kids:

Always supervise young children and older children who are still inexperienced in the kitchen.

Don't leave knives, breakable items and other potential dangers within reach of young children. They can use a butter knife to cut soft items.

Always operate the oven or stove yourself; don't let young children do it. Keep toddlers and preschoolers a safe distance away when you open the oven.

Have a fire extinguisher on hand. Teach your kids how to stop, drop and roll in case they catch fire (they should know this anyway, whether they cook or not).

Use safety tools, such as kitchen gloves, and an apron, to protect skin and clothing. Also, wear short sleeves or roll long sleeves up securely.

Learn and teach kitchen food sanitation rules.

On to kids cooking lessons from kitchen safety rules

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