Something I hear parents say a lot is, “I can’t wait until my children are old enough to help in the kitchen.” But I’m here to tell you, they probably already are!
Before my son turned two, he was helping me prepare asparagus, tear up basil, pound chicken and more. OK, it really wasn’t much “help” at the time — but it did get him used to being in the kitchen with me.
In Season 3, Episode 7 of the Kiddos in the Kitchen podcast, I asked Laura Fuentes, founder of MOMables and author of five cookbooks, about how she involves her three children in the kitchen. She had tons of great ideas, which I’ll outline below. But first, a disclaimer:
As a parent or grandparent, you know your child best. You know their motor skills and other physical abilities, their temperament, their interests, their level of compliance with safety rules, etc. The ideas below are organized by age group. But every child is different, so listen to your own heart — and your child — when deciding how and when to introduce these tasks.
Under 3
In general, Laura suggests focusing on exposing the littlest kids to different foods and letting them try new things. Read my take on grocery shopping with children.
Ages 3 to 5
Wash and put away produce
Prep lettuce by tearing or cutting with a plastic chef’s knife
Stirring, mixing and folding
Scooping muffin batter
Greasing baking dishes
Ages 5 to 8
Use a small paring knife to cut ingredients for pizza
Use kitchen scissors to cut herbs
Measure wet and dry ingredients
Peel vegetables
Roll meatballs
Make sandwiches
Grate cheese
Set the table
Ages 8 to 11
Load and unload the dishwasher
Skewer foods for grilling
Make pasta salad using leftover noodles
Make and flip pancakes
Check internal temperature of meats
12 and Up
Follow a recipe and bake something in the oven
Make a simple casserole
There’s Still Time
It’s never too late to start involving kids in the kitchen.
“If you're like, ‘Oh, my child isn't there. I failed at this whole kitchen skill thing or teaching my kids,’ I just want to let you know that my kids still don't know all the things by age, and they're still working on it,” Laura says. “Any day, like today, is a good day to just get started.”
And you might be surprised at just how helpful even young kids can be. Inviting kids into the kitchen is as much about teaching skills as it is helping them to build confidence in their ability to cook. Over time, they’ll gain independence in the kitchen, which is something they’ll value their whole lives.