As children have a naturally innate curiosity about food, cooking, and food preparation, kitchens are extremely exciting, experiential, and learning laboratories for them. They can learn so easily just by activating their senses— touch, taste, feel, smell, and sound—and the kitchen supports this in spades. When kids are given the opportunity to mix, stir, knead, spread, toss, squeeze, and pour, they are soaking up new knowledge about food, ingredients, preservation, cooking, and cleaning up without realizing it. These are all paramount skills that will help them become self-sufficient, adventurous eaters, and health-aware later in life.
We know that cooking with kids can be messy, while also taking more time and requiring more patience. But many experts agree that the efforts are worth it. On a psychological level, cooking encourages kids to feel good, accomplished, and proud of themselves. So let’s go through some of the practical ways we can engage kids in the kitchen!
Start at the grocery store
Encourage your child to pick out some of the vegetables and other ingredients you are going to cook together. Discuss why foods like fruits and vegetables are important to our health. Read the nutrition labels together and talk about the different nutrients and their values and health benefits.
Older kids can be introduced to reading recipes all the way through, cleaning the counters and their hands, setting up the countertops with all utensils that will be needed, and gathering all ingredients before starting to cook. Being organized in the kitchen is a big part of cooking success and will ultimately help kids feel good about themselves.
Many parents forget that kids are actually eager to lend a hand, especially when you start them young. Always encourage them by saying, “You are a big help, you can do this, and you are so valuable in this process!”
Age-Appropriate Cooking Activities
Always consider the age of the child and assign jobs they can safely do. Every child is different and possesses a unique set of skills, so consider developmental level and abilities when assigning kitchen duties.
Babies:
Obviously babies can’t help with the cooking, but they still enjoy being with their parents—observing, witnessing, and experiencing the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the kitchen. While moving around the kitchen preparing food, keep your baby in their highchair or another safe place, and just talk to them. Explain to them what you are doing, tell them about the foods you’re preparing and the utensils you’re using. Stimulate an activity that makes them feel involved such as giving them a separate bowl and spoon, and letting them mix and stir foods that are safe for them to eat. Show them different foods and allow them to touch and taste those that are safe by placing small pieces of cooked ingredients on their high-chair tray. This also helps them practice self-feeding.
Age 2:
This period is about learning to use the large muscles in their arms which can be stimulated with these activities:
unpacking light grocery bags
preparing and moving ingredients from one place to another
wiping counters and tabletops
measuring ingredients
rinsing fruit and veggies
snapping fresh beans with a kid-friendly knife
exploring different utensils and explaining their purposes
breaking cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, or bread
bringing the safe and unbreakable items to the dinner table
Age 3:
Kids in this age group are learning how to use their hands and what to do with them, so give the following a try:
pouring liquids and mixing ingredients (hint: use extra-large bowls to contain the mess)
if you are not afraid of the mess, allow kids to put spreads on veggies or slices of bread, such as butter, peanut butter, or sauces
putting slices of lemon and garlic on top of salmon
wrapping potatoes in foil for baking
kneading bread, cookie, or pasta dough
playing with simple shaping and cutting with a cookie cutters
adding pre-measured herbs to salads or dressings
putting trash in the garbage
Ages 4 – 5:
The challenge for kids at this age is to control the smaller muscles in their fingers, so encourage them to practice that by:
setting the table
measuring dry and liquid ingredients
peeling loose-skinned oranges, bananas, and hard-boiled eggs that have cooled down
mixing cereal or muesli with milk
rolling bananas in cereal or dipping them in peanut butter for a snack
forming round shapes with hands
putting our Kvaroy Arctic salmon dogs in buns
making smoked salmon bagels or sandwiches with cream cheese or butter
mashing soft fruits or cooked vegetables with a fork
beating eggs with an eggbeater or whisk
cutting parsley, green onions, or dried fruits with dull scissors
cutting soft veggies or fruit with a blunt knife on a cutting board
adding ketchup and other sauces to food
clearing the dinner table
Ages 6 – 8:
This age level is ready to learn tasks such as:
cleaning surfaces before and after use
washing fruit and veggies
unpacking food such as salmon wrapped in paper
gathering utensils and ingredients
greasing or spraying baking pans
peeling onions and garlic
grating cheese
light chopping
opening cans (have you tried our canned, smoked, and sustainable salmon?)
whisking and mixing ingredients
advanced measuring
kneading dough
cracking eggs
melting butter
washing dishes and putting away ingredients and utensils
Ages 9 – 12:
Kids in this age group still need adult supervision, but they can manage jobs such as:
following a recipe and measuring ingredients accurately
planning and preparing simple meals and snacks
reading and understanding ingredients and food labels
using a peeler
plating salmon with side dishes
operating small appliances like blenders, mini-choppers, juicers, and microwave ovens—again it’s important to demonstrate first how to use each of them and observe for safety
sautéing, steaming, broiling, boiling, and baking
developing safe knife skills through moderate chopping, dicing, and cutting
taking care of and storing ingredients
preserving leftovers
cleaning up, knowing how and what to hand wash or wash in the dishwasher
Teens:
By adolescence, kids are making most of their own decisions about food and are capable of:
comfortably preparing recipes that require multiple preparation steps
experimenting and creating new flavor combinations, shapes, or decorations
planning and preparing whole menus for special occasions
making shopping lists and shopping for ingredients
helping younger children learn about food and how to prepare it
enjoying cooking with family and friends
Kitchen Safety Tips
Cooking is fun when it’s safe! Parents need to introduce kids to basic kitchen safety tips, some of which are mentioned below. Going through different activities, guiding, explaining, and showing them are the first steps that will set your kids up for success:
Remind them to always hands with soap before, during, and after handling food
Teach them that cooking starts and finishes with cleaning all countertops and utensils after every use
Explain why it’s safer not to wear loose-fitting clothes in the kitchen and to pin up long hair
Guide them in using clean utensils for different foods, especially items like cutting boards and knives that have come in contact with raw meats, poultry, fish, or eggs
There should always be adult supervision when working with hot liquids, knives, the stove, and other potentially dangerous equipment
Always use pot holders when handling hot pans, pots, and dishes
Teach them how to use the oven safely
When explaining safety, highlight that they should never leave a hot stove unattended.
Keep hot foods and liquids away from the edges of counters and tables
Check out these tips on grilling with kids
If you must climb to get food and utensils that are stored out of reach, always use a sturdy stool
Chew carefully and slowly, learn ways to avoid choking
Practice the Heimlich maneuver, which can save the life of someone who is choking
Books That Encourage Children to Cook
Books can inspire and teach children of all ages and their parents as well! Here is a great selection of books that encourage kids to cook and show them how to do it.
Kids Cooking: a Very Slightly Messy Manual (with plastic measuring spoons) by Jim M’Guinness
Someone’s in the Kitchen with Mommy by Elaine Magee
Williams-Sonoma Kids Cooking: Scrumptious Recipes for Cooks Ages 9 to 13
Cooking with Children (for age 7 and up) by Marion Cunningham
Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie Depaola
Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone
Stone Soup by Heather Forest
Betty Crocker Kids Cook! by Betty Crocker
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: a Cookbook for Preschoolers & Up by Mollie Katzen