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5 Ways to Get Kids Involved in the Kitchen

Cloud Montessori
5 WAYS TO GET KIDS INVOLVED IN THE KITCHEN

By: Aliyya Mattos | April 7, 2023

Children are naturally curious, and building a family culture around food preparation can be enjoyable, establish healthy habits, and eventually make your life easier. While getting kids involved in the kitchen may bring some spills and surprises, it's okay to have fun! Leave perfection behind; involving your children in the work of daily life builds their confidence, and they will gain meaningful experience and skills.

1. Establish Safe & Kid-Friendly Spaces

Tippy toes on a chair aren't safe or fun for your little one. Set your child up for success with a learning tower so they can reach the counter or at a lower table that is their size. Older children might still need a stool to reach shelves or cabinets. You and your children will be glad for tools they can safely manage, like kid-friendly knives (or a plastic version) and smaller bowls.

2. Build Transferable Skills (& Self Confidence)

Using a mortar and pestle is great for building strength in the hands (which will help with handwriting) and can also be a wonderful sensory experience. Grind up herbs, eggshells for the garden (your child can peel the hard-boiled egg first), dried spices, garlic, nuts, graham crackers for your pie crust, candy for peppermint bark, and so forth. Older children can start to put their mathematical minds to good use while baking – it can be a fun way to incorporate fractions into your day.

3. Independent Whisking, Mashing, and Slicing

Using a hand whisk or hand masher, your young child can independently take on a bowl of eggs, soft fruit, or pancake batter and go to town! Mash avocado on toast, bananas for making bread, or cooked potatoes for mashed potatoes. Kids can use an egg slicer to cut strawberries, cheese, or boiled eggs, and you can model for your child how to properly hold a knife. Offer soft foods like bananas, avocados, cooked carrots, or zucchini to cut in small slices or shapes, and watch your child beam with pride as they master the technique. As your children get older, they can take on more complex cooking with recipes and impress family and friends alike or sell items for a charity bake sale.

4. Creative Inspiration

The world around you offers lots of inspiration - are there new items at your farmer's market or grocery shelves in line with the changing seasons, or a special tradition that your family likes to celebrate each year? Preparing food can be a great way to include children in your family story and celebration. ! There are lots of great books to pique your child's interest in cooking too, like "Julia, Child" with French-inspired treats, "Dragons Love Tacos" to drum up excitement for prepping Taco Tuesday, or "Pizza Day" with a sweet father-son duo. America’s Test Kitchen has a great cookbook for aspiring young chefs, too!

5. Last, but not least...Cleaning up!

Children should be engaged in the clean-up process, even if it takes some time and patience on the parents' end! Even a toddler can use a spray bottle and cloth to clean up spills on the floor or counter. You can fill a bucket or large bowl with soapy water, so your child can begin using a sponge to clean some small dishes and slowly give your child more responsibilities as their abilities expand. Your family may want to sit down and decide who is responsible for which areas of care in your home. If your children are elementary age, you could include a rotating “kitchen manager” position in the roles that care and clean-up your home.

Read more about setting up your kitchen for your child's accessibility on our website and enjoy your time in the kitchen together!

Cloud Montessori is a parenting resource empowering parents to raise confident, independent, and successful children. Co-founded by two local moms and experts in their fields, Cloud Montessori uses the Montessori educational philosophy to provide support and guidance for families in their home and on adventures. Follow @cloudmontessori and learn more at cloudmontessori.com