This doesn’t necessarily mean that you should cook your next spaghetti Bolognese or stew with your kids – it will taste terrible – but that your children can help with the cooking. It’s a good idea to get your children involved in the culinary aspect of things at an early age. This will give them a sense of accomplishment and make them proud to have created something. You’ll hopefully also have something to eat by the end.
Here are some ideas and tips to get your kids involved in cooking.
Give them their equipment
Get them their own set of kitchen tools and utensils to make them feel like a part. They don’t need to have a food mixer, but a few wooden spoons, apron and cookie cutters will make the experience more enjoyable. It’s also not necessary to worry about your items being broken.
Baking can be a great place to begin
Baking is a great way to get your kids interested in cooking. Baking is a lot about mixing everything together in a bowl. This is great for children who have not yet developed their fine motor skills. Baking is a broad field that includes cookies, cakes, and tarts. There will be plenty to enjoy.
Explain as we go
Make sure to explain every step of the process to your children if you want them to be able cook. There’s a chance that they’ll become confused and not understand what’s going on. This may take longer, but it is worth the effort. It’s also a good time to tell them about the various foods you use.
Safety First
Children can be very dangerous when cooking, so ensure that you take the appropriate precautions. Use the back hobs only, keep the pan handles away from the pan, and make sure that knife blocks are not touching the edge of the work surface. Your children should be taught about food hygiene. This includes teaching them how to clean the items they have used, and what is dangerous in raw meat.
Be messy!
It’s almost inevitable that cooking with children will be messy. Don’t worry too much about tidying up. It will be more enjoyable for the children and they will want to do it again. BBC Good Food has great recipes for kids. Electric Shop or Lakeland have excellent cooking tools, including microwaves and ovens.
