Cooking Hacks for Young Kids

Want to teach your child to cook but aren’t sure where to start? Here are 5 easy ways to get started right away!

1. Teach knife safety : Children of all ages can learn to use knives safely in the kitchen. The progression of which knife to use is based on the child’s age and their practice level. Start with a small wedger, or a butter knife on soft items, before moving to more complex knives as the child masters this. Stay nearby to provide assistance, and remind children to tuck in their fingers. For more information on getting your kids used to knives: Download my knife safety guide in the resources.

2. Start small: There are many 2 or 3 step cooking tasks that young children can learn how to do. Start with small tasks and work up to build confidence. Here are a few examples: Making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cutting a banana and adding fun toppings, adding sauce and cheese to warm pasta. For more ideas: See this post.

3. Look for your child’s interests: Do you have a child who loves to play outdoors? A princess who refuses to take off the Cinderella costume? Follow your child’s lead when playing in the kitchen together. Maybe you can recreate the princess and the pea story with tonight’s peas, or take dinner outside on a picnic blanket. Bring the fun to them, instead of always bringing them into the kitchen.

4. Share with others: Show your kids that cooking and eating is about sharing. Help them to make lunch for their friends when they have a play-date. Bake some muffins together to bring to the neighbors. Small gestures help to reinforce that we eat not only to feed ourselves but because it is an act of love.

5. Stack skills : Learning how to stack skills is valuable for both kids and adults. It means that you start with a small skill, and then slowly branch off to learning the skills related to it. For example, you can first teach your child how to mix using a whisk, and then from there, they can be taught how to fold batter carefully once they know the proper hand motion of mixing. Adding more complicated pieces to cooking gradually will keep your child learning new things, without getting frustrated by a complex task.