Kids Cooking Tips

Here are 7 kids cooking tips and ideas on getting kids interested in
working in the kitchen.
Kids usually have a genuine interest in baking and creating in the
kitchen. It is an activity that sparks their creativity and a desire
to want to learn more.
If you can nurture their interest it will grow and kids will learn
not only an important life skill but how to eat healthy.
Kids Cooking Activities Teaching Materials
Make teaching easier with our activities and recipes compiled in theme sets and books with an easy to read format
Perfect for teaching!
~This post may contain affiliate links and I'll earn a small commission if you shop through them. There is no extra cost to you. This is how we help support our family and continue to bring you amazing content. To learn more see the affiliates disclosure here.~
Cooking with Kids Tips

Give
kids
room to
experiment and try new recipes. Don't confuse this
with a lack of supervision, however. As a mom and a teacher I've had
to fight the urge to say, "Here let me crack that egg for you" or
for older children, letting them cut vegetables themselves. Parents
and teachers are more apt to step in and help. We need to be nearby
to help, however we also need to give them room and not take over
the work. Often we tend to take over because it will be faster but
resist the urge to take control. Children learn by doing hands on
experiences even if it involves spills and messes.

Let
children
pick recipes they'd like to try. Usually kids
favorites are dessert recipes but also include lunches, breakfast,
snacks and dinner in their learning to cook adventures. If they
aren't interested at first, involve them in
appropriate
tasks. Soon they may be ready to try and cook more. Gather
cook books, browse
kids-cooking-activities
and let them pick out a few recipes they'd like to try. Being able
to take credit for dinner, really is a big boost for a child. Even
if it is simply saying, "I picked this."

Put
children in
charge of dinner once a month or once a week,
whatever works at your house. Let them find and plan the menu with
your help and prepare the meal (with your supervision) for the
family. Make sure there are healthy choices in your menu plan such
as vegetables included with the meal. This will help kids learn
about good nutrition. If they want to have hotdogs and yogurt, what
kind of recipes can you come up with to accommodate both
ingredients? At the grocery store, pick out a new ingredient and
make a mock game of Iron Chef of the House. Who can come up with the
most creative ideas for how to use the secret ingredient in a dish?

Help
children
learn more about food in general. How do vegetables
and fruits grow? How do you make cheese? Learning facts about the
food we eat makes creating something together for lunch or snacktime
more real. Check out the
food facts
section for help.

Getting
kids
interested in working in the kitchen sometimes requires
making
food fun. How about a
theme
dinner? Or center dinner around a theme they choose. Dress up,
make a menu and cook the particular meal together. Making meal time
and cooking can and should be a fun activity. As we get older it can
become a chore but if kids get involved when they are younger, as
they grow older it becomes part of a healthy life.
Ask kids to use their imagination. For instance, while wading
through the jungle of broccoli trees, what kind of exotic species
are they looking for? Maybe they are trying to paddle their way out
of the Royal Gorge while whipping some eggs or even in a race
against time crossing the tight rope of spaghetti while expecting
the kitchen timer to ding at any second.
Keep
it Safe Anytime a kitchen is involved,
safety is always number one. You should
be careful with sharp objects, stove, can opener, microwave, back
oven and blender that can cause injuries if you are not careful with
them. Explain this to your children before beginning and make a game
out of this too. See who can safely carry the eggs from the fridge
to the kitchen counter. Also, try making a safety patrol, where kids
get to point out potential safety places and suggest ways to improve
and prevent.
Yes, it may take a little extra planning, but teaching kids to cook
is probably one of the most rewarding things a parent can do.
Keeping it fun, inspiring creativity and ensuring safety are easy
steps for getting kids geared up for the kitchen. So what are you
waiting for? Go find the lost treasure buried somewhere in that pile
of mashed potatoes.
Whether your children are young or old there are many ways to draw
them into the kitchen and teach them basic cooking skills and good
nutrition.

Do you have
kids cooking tips you'd like
to share?
Make teaching easier with our activities and recipes compiled in one easy to read format.
More Help and Resources for How to Teach Cooking
Include these pages in your teaching curriculum.
Kitchen
Rules and Safety- the page includes downloads for Kitchen
Safety chart and a Food Sanitation Chart.
Resources for Teaching Children to Cook:
How to start a business
What do you learn in the
kitchen?
Kids Cooking Lessons
Add lessons to your homeschooling
Teaching children
or adults with Disabilities
Teaching Life Skills
Getting Kids
Interested in the Kitchen
Stress Free Cooking
Tips
6 Ideas to teach
beyond the kitchen
10 Reasons for Kids To Learn
to Cook
Kids Cooking Lesson Plans
Follow Kids Cooking Activities