Cooking with children can be a hugely rewarding experience for both parents and kids, as well as any children you are for. As well as teaching youngsters invaluable life skills, it’s also a great opportunity for some quality bonding time. However, cooking with little ones requires patience and you need to make it an enjoyable process for them too.
Here are some top tips to make cooking fun for kids.
Let Kids Choose
Get them engaged from the start by allowing them to choose recipes. Bake their favourite cookies or let them pick toppings for homemade pizza night. Giving children a sense of input and control gets them excited to participate. You can suggest kid-friendly recipes, but let them feel part of the decision-making.
Assign Age-Appropriate Tasks
Give children age-appropriate tasks during the prep and cooking. Preschoolers can wash fruit and vegetables, tear lettuce leaves or sprinkle pre-measured ingredients. Older kids can measure, pour, mix and stir. Explain what their contribution achieves – they’ll take pride in being a sous chef.
Protect Their Clothes
Make sure kids dress the part with their own apron and chef’s hat. Let them accessorise with oven gloves shaped like animal paws or hand them a colourful spatula. Matching utensils make them feel professional, adding to the sense of occasion.
Have Fun!
Turn up the tunes and make it a party. Sing, dance and be silly as you cook together. Laughter and movement will keep younger children engaged when interest starts to wane. Older ones will see that cooking doesn’t have to be all seriousness.
Prepare for Mess
Expect spills but embrace the mess. Cover surfaces with newspaper for easy clean-ups afterwards. Provide cups and jugs in case too much milk or water gets added. Allow time for wiping floury fingers or eggy hands. The end results might not look perfect but that’s alright.
Safety First
Safety first, so talk them through basic rules before starting. Tie back long hair, roll up sleeves and explain why you open the oven door carefully. Show older kids how to handle knives properly and make clear which tasks should be left to adults.
Keep Them Engaged
Give kids mini tasks while meals cook so they stay involved. Ask them to set the table, put out placemats or arrange cutlery. They could make menus or name tags. Or send them off to wash their hands and choose a drink.
Let Them Sample the Results
Make eating their creation part of the whole experience – tuck in together when cooking finishes. Enjoy what they’ve accomplished and watch their faces light up when they are tasting their own dishes. Give feedback about flavours, textures and aromas.
Record Their Achievements
Follow up by printing photos to display on the fridge or compile their recipes into a customised cookbook. Watch their cooking confidence grow as the children gain new abilities. Each session builds vital knowledge so next time they can play an even bigger role in the kitchen.
If you are ready to become a foster parent, add cooking to your list of bonding activities. Children of all ages love to bake, so give it a go and see much fun they have.
Cooking with children allows for passing on culinary skills as quality bonding moments. With the right approach, you can transform time together among pots and pans into a source of family fun. Adjust activities to ages and make them feel valued helpers. Then sprinkle liberally with patience and laughter. The outcome will be happy kids who are keen to cook again.
