Cooking with Kids

Ashley Goudey - Nutrition, Food Safety, and Health Agent

Include your child or grandchild while preparing food to make it more enjoyable! You will not only prepare a meal together but your child will learn to become independent and develop positive self-esteem. When children help make food they are less likely to reject it and more willing to try food they have never tried before. Keep in mind that children develop at different rates and that all children are different. The main point of cooking with children is to have an enjoyable time together. Remember to have fun, expect a few spills, and to be patient with your child while letting them help out with the following tasks.

Assist children with handwashing for at least 20 seconds with soap and water before handling food.

2 Years:

· Rinse fresh produce

· Throw away trash
· Turn pages of a cookbook
· Wipe table tops
· Put bread in toaster

3 Years:

All that a 2 year-old can do, plus:
· Add ingredients
· Talk about cooking
· Name and count ingredients
· Help assemble a pizza
· Pour liquids
· Pour cereal
· Spread soft spreads

4 Years:

All that a 3 year-old can do, plus:
· Crack an egg
· Set the table
· Help measure dry ingredients
· Peel oranges
· Mash bananas

5 Years:

All that a 4 year-old can do, plus:
· Measure liquids
· Use an egg beater
· Cut soft fruits with a dull knife
· Unload dishwasher

For fun recipes to try with your children visit: http://www.kidsacookin.org/recipes.html